Frequently Asked Questions - Go NDE

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General

What is the Primo NDE UI?

The NDE (Next-Generation Discovery Experience) UI provides library users with a modern, streamlined interface. To learn more about this project and its key milestones, see here. To Review notable NDE items and additional configurations for the NDE UI, see Overview of the NDE Interface and Configuration.
When will NDE UI be rolled out?

As we progress toward the full rollout of the Primo NDE UI in November, we will also provide a managed release in May. This approach offers dedicated support for the first customers who plan on going live with the NDE UI by March 2026.
- May 2025 — Managed General Release: 140 institutions registered and are now actively using the NDE UI
- November 2025 — General Release: NDE UI available for all, in both production and sandbox
- 2026-2027 — Mass Onboarding: Plan your transition to the NDE UI, utilize all available resources under Go NDE to prepare for your transition
  - You can check if the NDE UI Transistion Cohort Program is relevant for you. It takes place twice a year. The NDE UI Transition Cohort Program is a structured 4-week training program designed to guide institutions through the migration from Primo VE UI to the new NDE UI.
- January 2028 — NDE UI Exclusive: Exclusive UI for Primo VE, following the gradual sunset of the existing U
Who can take advantage of NDE UI?

The NDE UI is targeted only for Primo VE. For Alma customers still using the Primo Back Office, we recommend planning your move to Primo VE first using the Go VE Process before moving to the NDE UI.
Are there any additional costs with moving to NDE UI?

No. There are no additional costs to move to NDE UI.
Will there be a cut-off period when institutions must move to NDE?

Institutions will have 2-3 years to plan and transition to the New Discovery Experience (NDE) once it becomes generally available. You can choose when to switch to the new interface, knowing that NDE will ultimately replace your current Primo VE interface at the end of this period. We understand that transitioning interfaces is often best done during semester breaks, and we encourage you to plan your migration accordingly within this timeframe.
What will be available in the General Release of NDE?

Customers who will be part of the Managed General Release can begin testing and examining the new interface. By the General Release, the main flows and pages of your library's discovery will be available for all to explore. To review what will be available for the NDE UI, see Available Features, Functionality and Release Plan for NDE UI.
At this time, it is still unclear whether we will be able to complete the migration to the NDE by March 2026. If that remains the case, would it mean we must wait until November of this year to load our library’s catalog data into the NDE test environment and begin evaluating it?

If you are not intend to Go Live By March - wait for November
Will Rapido be included in NDE?

Yes. Rapido customers will see the Rapido functionalities within the NDE UI.
Where can we see the roadmap for NDE features?

See Available Features, Functionality and Release Plan for NDE UI.
Where can we see the list of known issues?

See List of Known Issues.
Does the NDE UI comply with accessibility?

For our Accessibility Plan, see - Accessibility Plan.

Activation

Can I work side-by-side with my current UI and NDE UI?

Yes. You can clone your existing Primo VE view into an NDE view and test it side-by-side with your existing Primo VE view without impacting your current setup. This enables you to expose the NDE UI gradually: first to the Library staff and then as a link in the banner for patrons. Only when you do the final switch are all users redirected from the old UI to the new NDE UI.
How do I get started with NDE?

NDE is built on Primo VE and designed to leverage your existing configurations as much as possible, making it easier to use and configure the new UI with minimal setup. See Go NDE - Steps to Transition to NDE UI to learn more about the GO NDE transition process.
Will we be able to activate Go NDE in the sandbox to start?

Our recommendation is to work on the Go NDE steps on top of your production - note that NDE can work in parallel side by side From November you will have access for both Sandobx and Production. The ones that will register to get access in May or June will start on production and after the sandbox clone they can see in their sandbox
When you say we'll have access to NDE in November 2025, how do we see it in our institution view to experiment with it?

you will see the option to create or duplicat view for NDE
If you click NDE view is this a public link that anyone could view or is it password protected?

everyone can see.
How do we go live with NDE?

The switch to live is on a view level. If you are ready to go live with your NDE view and have conducted sanity tests on your systems. Once you switch to live, all your discovery-related links, such as permalinks, saved searches, deep links, and so forth, will be redirected to the new NDE view. For instructions, see Go NDE - Steps to Transition to NDE UI.
Is there system downtime or impacts on the end-users when going live with NDE UI?

There is no system downtime or impact on the end user.
Does the previous version of Primo UI remain active after going live with NDE UI?

The switch to live is performed at the view level, meaning once you switch, all traffic from the specific VE view you choose will be redirected to your new NDE view. You won't be able to access this specific VE view. You will be able to access other VE views. Once you have moved your Primo VE existing views to NDE views, you can move to NDE view-only mode (in this mode, you can view only NDE views in your View List). For details, see Go NDE - Steps to Transition to NDE UI.
Is it possible to have more than one NDE view?

You can have several. You can duplicate all Primo VE views to NDE views.
Can I go live with just one view at a time if I have several Primo views?

Yes, going live with one view at a time is possible.

Customization

Do I have to rewrite my customizations?

Yes. Your current customizations will not carry over to NDE UI.
How will NDE affect my customizations?

Your existing customizations on top of the Primo VE original UI will not carry over to your NDE view. To transition to NDE, you will need to review your current customizations for compatibility, leverage new configuration options, and determine which customizations require adjustments for the Angular-based framework.

For branding customizations, such as replacing logos, icons, and themes, adjusting the homepage, or making CSS changes, you must download the new NDE UI customization template, apply your updates, and upload it to your NDE view. Detailed instructions will be provided soon.

Documentation and resources for more advanced customizations, including developing new components, will be available on GitHub. NDE continues to offer extensive customization capabilities, enabling institutions to tailor their discovery experience while transitioning to a modern and flexible framework. We will provide training, guidance, and a live demo to support you through this process.
Will other vendors' add-ons work (such as StackMap and Third Iron)?

Yes, you will have two options:
- We are introducing a new configuration option that enables you to include add-ons directly with the Alma Menu Discovery > Other > Add-on Configuration page. However, this depends on third-party collaboration to develop compatible add-ons in advance. We are working with Third Iron, and have begun collaborating with StackMap and Springshare to support this effort.
- You can integrate add-ons using the new NDE customization framework on GitHub.
Which vendors are supported through this add-on option?

Currently, we are collaborating with StackMap, Third Iron and Springshare. We have developed an infrastructure to integrate add-ons into the NDE UI via configuration easily. Any vendor that wishes to be added via configuration can implement its add-on and provide instructions for libraries on how to integrate it into the NDE UI.
Will a Customization Central Package be supported?

Yes.
Is Primo Studio still relevant with NDE?

Primo Studio is not available for the NDE UI. Instead, we have transitioned its functionality to Alma configuration, where you can manage options previously supported in Primo Studio, such as branding themes and new add-on configurations
Are there different restrictions on the size of the logo in NDE?
- File Format: Must be in .png or .svg.
- Maximum Dimensions:
  - Height: Up to 100 px.
  - Width: Up to 300 px.
- Aspect Ratio: Maintain the original aspect ratio to avoid distortion
- File Size: Cannot exceed 30 KB.
Is there a way to adjust the banner on the start page and remove the "sign in" pop-up?

Homepage can be adjusted and design to your needs , you can find in the customization package homepage template and adjust . Refer to Branding Nde UI page
Is there more color customization planned than the view colors shown?

At the moment, no colors planned to be added. Institutions can change the primary color via CSS or generate entirely new theme using the NDE custom module
Have the theme palettes been tested for best accessibility contrast?

Theme pallette relies on Angular Theme generator that expected to be in the standard
Does the Javascript carry over?

No. You can use the custom.js file to run any JS code when loading the NDE UI. (This is not for developing components that are hooked to NDE UI elements; for that purpose, you need to NDE Customization package, https://github.com/ExLibrisGroup/customModule.)
How can we brand specific header and footer that matches our institution branding?

You can add header and/or footer HTML that matches your branding to the customization package.
Is there any training material on customization that can help me start learning?
Yes. You can watch the User Interface Configuration video on standard branding in NDE. This video covers how to customize the logo and its clickable link, the favicon, the browser page title, the theme color, the homepage banner background image and text, and the homepage HTML.
Is there any training for advanced customization?
Yes. You can watch the Customizing the NDE UI – Live Demo video.
Code examples used in the demo can be found at https://github.com/ExLibrisGroup/customModuleExamples.

Technical

Will our URLs change with NDE? Will we need to revise the search boxes on various external pages deployed for our Primo instance?

Once you go live with the NDE UI, all traffic, including searches from external search boxes, will be automatically redirected to your NDE view.
Does the Alma Certification training include Primo NDE certification training? If not, what is the recommended course for NDE training?

Primo VE training and certification materials will be adjusted gradually in 2025 to NDE UI.
Will our e-shelf (saved records) and other user data will be available in NDE?

Yes, your user data, including Saved records, saved searches, and settings, will also be available in the NDE UI.
Will permalinks from our current Primo redirect to the new URL in NDE?

Yes. Once switching to live, all URLs will be redirected to NDE.
Will our Primo Analytics data and reports be retained and visible after we move to Primo NDE?

The NDE UI uses Mixpanel as its analytics platform. NDE UI actions will be sent exclusively to Mixpanel, and historical Primo Analytics (OBI) data will not be migrated. However, you can continue to access and use OBI to view your historical data before transitioning to the NDE UI.
If we are not an Alma-D/Specto client, will the "Digital Versions" section appear in the Full Record Services?

With NDE, we have introduced a separate section from the "View Online" area specifically for viewing digital content. Starting from the May 2025 release, the "Digital Versions" section will only be displayed for Alma-D records. It will automatically hide itself when there are no Alma-D records to display. There is no option to show other digital objects in this area.
Are the "showPnx" and "displayCTO" URL parameters and other Bookmarklets available in the NDE?

The "showPnx" and "displayCTO" parameters will be available in the August release. Ex Libris-developed Bookmarklets are included in the official roadmap and will be implemented in future releases.
Which authentication methods are supported with NDE?

The same Authentication methods supported In the current UI. Your authentication settings will carry over to the NDE , you don’t need to do any changes
Add-on: is there a limit how many add ons can be added to view?

no limitation
Will NDE have widget options for embedding in our library webpages the same as Primo VE does?

yes. The same
We have Alma Digital collections visible in Primo VE. Is configuration for this also re-used in NDE?

Yes. Data layer remain the same and will be reflected in NDE UI as well.
Will our existing custom domain name on Primo VE work for NDE or will we need new certificates?

Same domain and certificate will be vaild for NDE UI as well
Will existing integrations migrate- so if we already have ThirdIron LibKey set up will that migrate or need to be added on in this new configuration?

Existing integration with Vendors will need to be adjusted as well , it could be done eigther with the new NDE customization framework or using new add-on Configuration where you can easlily add add-ons developed by these Vendors. For example following collaboration with ThirdIron , they are now developing add-on for the NDE UI to help with the integration. same approach can be achieved with other vendors.

Consortium

What will be available in the General Release of NDE?

Specifically, for consortia-related features and new functionality, see Available Features, Functionality, and Release Plan for NDE UI. By the General Release, the main flows and pages of your library's discovery will be available for all to examine.
Is it necessary for the whole consortium to migrate together at the same time?

Technically, each member institution can migrate independently to the NDE UI. As a consortium, you will need to decide on the Mixpanel access: central or individual. The decision to migrate all together or one by one is an internal one to make within the consortium. For more information, see Go NDE - Steps to Transition to NDE UI.
November 2025 seems like a late access date for consortia going live in Summer 2026. Should early access be given to better plan and coordinate?

Consortia can now register for early access to the NDE UI before November 2025. The central office or coordinating body should submit a single registration per consortium (not per individual IZ).

Please ensure you specify the required details and your specific needs so we can better address them.
- Consortium name and structure.
- Planned go-live timeline (e.g., Summer 2026) and testing plans for 2025.
- Early access needs for specific institutions (e.g., NZ + 2 IZs.
- Based on the information provided, we’ll assess and offer tailored early access where needed. Depending on your setup and goals, this could include limited access for central offices and selected institutions.
  
  Early access registration will be open until May 1.
Confirm that you are aware that full consortia functionality will be available in November 2025
As a consortium, I do not want my campuses to move to NDE without my input. How can this be managed?

Some elements in the Go NDE process require a consortium decision, such as setting up the Mixpanel Analytics project. We recommend that consortia start engaging with their IZ members and decide whether to move all at once or gradually. From our perspective, we provide options for both. You can register as a central office for early access to better plan.

Mixpanel

For questions regarding Mixpanel, see Frequently Asked Questions - Mixpanel.