To what does an AEM template point?

An AEM template points specifically to an AEM page component. This is because templates in Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) define the structure and layout of a website page, including the components that will be used on that particular page. Components, in turn, are reusable building blocks that provide functionalities and content rendering on AEM pages.

When creating a template, you specify which components will be part of that template, effectively establishing a consistent design and functionality across multiple pages that utilize the same template. This allows for a coherent user experience and helps streamline the content authoring process, as authors can easily add content to the predefined areas of the page defined by the components in the template. Thus, the relationship between templates and page components is fundamental in AEM site architecture.