Admin UI SDK Released for Adobe Commerce

June 2023 brought an important milestone for extensibility with Adobe's release of the Admin UI SDK. This framework enables developers to extend the Adobe Commerce admin interface through App Builder, eliminating the need for module development when building admin extensions.

Admin UI SDK: Extending Without Modifying Core

Previously, adding custom admin functionality required creating a Magento module, modifying ACL rules, creating menu items, and managing deployment. The Admin UI SDK changes this paradigm. Developers can now:

• Build custom admin extensions entirely in App Builder using JavaScript/React
• Add custom admin menu items without code generation or recompilation
• Create custom tabs and dashboards for specific workflows
• Integrate with Adobe Experience Platform and Analytics
• Deploy extensions independently from core Commerce upgrades

This dramatically lowers the barrier to admin customisation. Development teams no longer need deep Magento knowledge to extend admin interfaces. Frontend developers can now build admin tools using familiar React patterns and deployment workflows.

Use Cases and Benefits

The Admin UI SDK enables merchants to:

• Build role-specific dashboards surfacing critical metrics and actions
• Create custom order management workflows reflecting unique business processes
• Develop inventory management tools integrated with ERP systems
• Build reporting interfaces pulling data from external data warehouses
• Create marketing operations dashboards managing campaigns and promotions

For merchants with custom admin workflows, the SDK transforms months of module development into weeks of app development. Time-to-value improves dramatically, and ongoing maintenance burden decreases since extensions remain separate from core Commerce.

Technical Architecture

The Admin UI SDK is built on App Builder, Adobe's serverless application framework. Extensions are event-driven, responsive to user interactions and Commerce events. The SDK provides UI components matching Adobe's design system, ensuring custom extensions feel native within the admin interface.

Key technical features include:

• React component library matching admin interface design
• OAuth-based authentication with Commerce API
• Commerce REST and GraphQL API integrations
• State management libraries pre-configured
• Deployment automation handling authentication and routing

Governance and Security

Admin extensions are deployed independently and run in isolated execution environments. Permissions are managed through Adobe Commerce ACL, ensuring extensions cannot access data beyond merchant-defined policies. For enterprise merchants, this isolation improves security posture compared to traditional module-based extensions.

Adoption Timeline

The Admin UI SDK was released in June 2023 with comprehensive documentation and sample applications. Merchants and development partners should begin planning admin extension projects leveraging the SDK. For existing custom admin modules, migration to App Builder Admin UI extensions should be evaluated for faster development and deployment cycles.

Looking Forward

The Admin UI SDK represents a fundamental shift in Adobe Commerce extensibility: builders no longer need to work within Commerce's module system. By embracing modern development tools and cloud-native architecture, Adobe is accelerating innovation in the admin space. Merchants with complex workflows should seriously consider investing in custom Admin UI extensions to streamline operations and improve team productivity.