In today’s digital-first business landscape, organizations are under constant pressure to deliver seamless, personalized, and scalable experiences to their customers, employees, and partners. Enterprises no longer rely on static websites; they need dynamic platforms that unify content management, collaboration, workflow automation, and integration with enterprise systems. This is where Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP) 7.4 comes into play. As the latest release in the Liferay DXP series, version 7.4 is designed with developers in mind—providing robust frameworks, modular architecture, and headless capabilities to accelerate application delivery. For developers, mastering Liferay DXP 7.4 means having the tools to build, customize, and extend enterprise-grade digital solutions with agility and precision.
This blog explores everything a Liferay DXP 7.4 Developer online training needs to know—from architecture to APIs, development tools, customization techniques, and best practices.
What is Liferay DXP 7.4?
Liferay DXP (Digital Experience Platform) is an enterprise platform that combines a portal, content management system (CMS), commerce engine, and integration hub into a single solution. Version 7.4 continues Liferay’s legacy of being modular, scalable, and cloud-ready while adding new features that align with modern developer workflows. Key highlights of Liferay DXP 7.4 include:
- Enhanced content authoring and site-building tools.
- Low-code and no-code options for business users.
- Expanded headless APIs for omnichannel delivery.
- Faster deployment options through Liferay Cloud.
- Support for containerization and Kubernetes orchestration.
For developers, the biggest win is its flexible architecture and powerful APIs that support both traditional and modern development paradigms.
The Developer’s Role in Liferay DXP 7.4
A Liferay DXP 7.4 developer plays a vital role in customizing and extending the platform to meet enterprise requirements. Typical responsibilities include:
- Custom Module Development – Building OSGi-based modules such as portlets, services, or custom APIs.
- Front-End Development – Creating user-friendly themes, layouts, and React/Angular/Vue-based applications.
- Integration – Connecting Liferay with ERP, CRM, HR, and external APIs using REST, SOAP, or GraphQL.
- Workflow Customization – Extending workflow processes with Liferay Kaleo or integrating third-party workflow engines.
- Headless Development – Delivering omnichannel experiences by leveraging headless CMS capabilities.
- Performance Tuning – Optimizing portal performance, caching strategies, and scalability.
Liferay DXP 7.4 Architecture
The architecture of Liferay DXP 7.4 certification is designed to support modern enterprise needs by combining modularity, scalability, and flexibility within a unified platform. At its core, Liferay is built on the OSGi (Open Services Gateway initiative) modular framework, which allows developers to package functionality into independent modules or bundles, making applications easier to maintain, extend, and upgrade without disrupting the entire system. The portal and MVC portlet framework continues to provide developers with a structured way of building applications, while Service Builder accelerates persistence and service layer creation by generating boilerplate code for database operations and business logic. One of the major enhancements in 7.4 is its strong focus on headless architecture, offering a wide range of REST and GraphQL APIs that allow developers to deliver content and services seamlessly across web, mobile, IoT, and third-party applications. On the front-end side, Liferay supports traditional JSP-based themes and templates, but it also empowers developers to build decoupled user interfaces using modern JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, or Vue, aligning with industry trends of headless and API-first development.
The architecture also integrates robust workflow management through Kaleo, content management with structured content and blueprints, and commerce features for enterprises handling B2B and B2C digital commerce. In terms of infrastructure, Liferay DXP 7.4 is cloud-ready, supporting containerization through Docker and orchestration with Kubernetes, enabling flexible deployment models whether on-premises, private cloud, or public cloud platforms. Additionally, its architecture includes strong integration capabilities, connecting easily with ERPs, CRMs, authentication systems, and enterprise data sources through APIs, message queues, and connectors. Altogether, the architecture of Liferay DXP 7.4 training strikes a balance between traditional portal capabilities and modern cloud-native, headless, and modular approaches, giving developers and organizations a powerful foundation to build scalable, future-proof digital experiences.
Developer Tools for Liferay DXP 7.4
Liferay provides a variety of tools to make development efficient and developer-friendly.
- Liferay Workspace – A Gradle-based environment that organizes modules, themes, and configurations in a single structured workspace.
- Blade CLI – A command-line interface for generating, deploying, and managing Liferay projects and modules efficiently.
- Liferay Developer Studio (IDE) – An Eclipse-based IDE with plugins for creating, debugging, and managing Liferay applications.
- REST API Explorer – Built-in tool for exploring and testing available headless REST APIs directly within the platform.
- Liferay JS Generator – Tool to scaffold front-end modules using frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.js.
- Service Builder – Code generation tool for creating persistence and service layers with minimal configuration.
- Docker & Kubernetes Support – Official Liferay Docker images and Helm charts for fast local development and containerized deployments.
- Liferay Theme Generator (Yeoman-based) – Used to create custom themes and layouts with front-end build tools like Gulp.
- Gradle Build System – Integrated build system for compiling, packaging, and deploying Liferay modules.
- Gogo Shell – An OSGi command-line shell for interacting with modules, debugging, and managing services at runtime.
- Liferay Fragments Toolkit – Provides tools for building reusable page fragments and templates for low-code customization.
- Integration Tools – Connectors and APIs for integrating with third-party services (ERP, CRM, SSO, etc.).
- Monitoring & Debugging Tools – Built-in logs, metrics, and performance monitoring utilities for developers.
- Liferay NPM Bundler – Helps package and manage JavaScript dependencies in Liferay projects.
- Headless GraphQL Console – Provides a playground for testing and consuming GraphQL APIs exposed by Liferay DXP 7.4.
Key Features for Developers in Liferay DXP 7.4
Liferay DXP 7.4 introduces a range of key features that significantly enhance the developer experience by combining flexibility, scalability, and modern development practices. One of the standout aspects is its modular OSGi framework, which enables developers to build applications as independent, reusable modules, simplifying maintenance and upgrades. The platform offers a rich set of headless REST and GraphQL APIs, allowing developers to deliver omnichannel digital experiences by decoupling the front end from the backend, and making it easier to integrate with mobile apps, external portals, and enterprise systems. For front-end development, Liferay 7.4 supports not only traditional theme and template development but also modern JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular, and Vue, giving developers complete freedom to design engaging user interfaces. The enhanced content management system (CMS) introduces structured content, content sets, and blueprints, making it easier to deliver personalized and dynamic digital experiences.
In addition, the platform provides a low-code environment through fragments, page templates, and widgets, enabling rapid prototyping and empowering business users while still giving developers the ability to extend and customize these elements. Developers can also take advantage of workflow automation with Kaleo, which provides a graphical workflow designer and extensible scripting capabilities for custom business processes. Beyond CMS and workflows, Liferay DXP 7.4 includes powerful commerce features with APIs to extend catalogs, checkout processes, and integrate with ERP systems. Finally, its cloud-native readiness with support for Docker, Kubernetes, and CI/CD pipelines ensures seamless deployment, scalability, and performance optimization, making it a future-ready platform for enterprises. Altogether, these features position Liferay DXP 7.4 as a developer-friendly platform that bridges traditional enterprise portal capabilities with modern, API-first, and cloud-native development approaches.
Integration in Liferay DXP 7.4
Integration is one of the strongest suits of Liferay. Developers can integrate:
- ERP systems (SAP, Oracle EBS).
- CRM systems (Salesforce, Dynamics).
- External APIs (Payment gateways, weather services, AI engines).
Approaches include:
- REST/SOAP Connectors.
- Message Bus (Kafka, JMS) integration.
- Custom API consumption through OSGi modules.
Best Practices for Liferay DXP 7.4 Developers
For effective development in Liferay DXP 7.4, developers should adopt modular design principles by building small, reusable OSGi modules for easier maintenance and upgrades. Using Liferay Workspace and Blade CLI ensures project consistency and streamlined builds. It is crucial to leverage headless REST and GraphQL APIs for omnichannel delivery and integrate modern front-end frameworks like React or Angular for rich user experiences. Implementing CI/CD pipelines enhances deployment speed and reliability, while applying caching, monitoring, and performance tuning ensures scalability. Developers should also follow secure coding practices and manage configurations through version control to simplify collaboration and long-term maintenance.
Challenges Developers May Face
- Learning Curve – OSGi modular development requires new thinking.
- Complexity of Integration – Connecting with legacy enterprise systems can be challenging.
- Performance Tuning – Scaling Liferay for millions of users requires deep expertise.
- Customization vs. Upgrades – Over-customization can complicate future upgrades.
However, with the right practices and documentation, these challenges can be managed effectively.
Future of Liferay Development
The future of Liferay development is closely tied to the evolution of cloud-native technologies. With growing adoption of Docker and Kubernetes, developers will increasingly focus on deploying Liferay DXP in scalable, containerized environments that support continuous integration and delivery. Another significant direction is the rise of headless and API-first development. Liferay’s strong REST and GraphQL support ensures that developers can deliver seamless omnichannel experiences, integrating portals with mobile apps, IoT devices, and external business systems. Low-code and no-code tools will also play a bigger role, reducing development time for common use cases while allowing developers to extend and customize advanced scenarios.
Finally, Liferay’s integration with AI, machine learning, and personalization engines will redefine how enterprises build intelligent and adaptive digital experiences. Developers who embrace these trends will be well-positioned to create future-proof, enterprise-ready solutions with Liferay DXP.
Conclusion
Liferay DXP 7.4 Developer skills are essential for enterprises seeking to deliver personalized, scalable, and modern digital experiences. From OSGi modular development to headless APIs and low-code features, Liferay empowers developers to build solutions that stand the test of time. For developers, mastering this platform is not just about coding portlets—it’s about becoming an enabler of enterprise digital transformation. By combining robust frameworks, flexible APIs, and integration capabilities, Liferay DXP 7.4 offers a playground for innovation.
As businesses continue to embrace omnichannel strategies, developers who can leverage Liferay DXP 7.4 will play a crucial role in shaping the future of enterprise digital experiences. Enroll in Multisoft Systems now!