Drupal CMS was released earlier this month to an enthusiastic reception. However, it has also sparked some confusion regarding what it is and how it differs from “Drupal Core” (what we traditionally think of as Drupal). Let’s clear that up.
What Is Drupal CMS?
Drupal CMS is a “ready-to-use” platform that comes preconfigured with features designed to provide a full experience for content editors, marketing teams, and site builders. It comes with “out-of-the-box tools such as advanced media management, SEO tools, AI-driven website building, consent management, analytics, search, automatic updates and more.”
The focus on non-technical users is evident, starting from the installation process. The guided setup allows users to choose which content types to enable, and it even creates demo content to showcase what a populated site looks like. This approach simplifies the onboarding experience compared to traditional Drupal.
Key Features
Drupal CMS’s administrative dashboard emphasizes ease of use, streamlining frequently utilized tasks. As we look under the hood we find several useful features:
- Content Scheduler: Automates content publishing or unpublishing at specific dates.
- Trash: Deleted content can be recovered or purged automatically after a set interval.
- Robust Media Library: Includes image styles with focal point support and SVG support.
- Autosaved Forms: Reduces the risk of losing content during edits.
- CKEditor WYSIWYG: Fully configured with media library integration, image styles, and advanced link management (linking by content ID, not URLs).
- Leaflet Maps Integration: Provides easy map embedding functionality.
- Outgoing Mail Logger: Tracks emails sent from the site.
- SearchAPI: Robust search functionality with easy upgrades to advanced engines like Solr.
- Accessibility Tools: Inline content accessibility checks, plus rendered page reviews.
- Cookie Management: Powered by the open-source Klaro plugin.
- SEO Tools: Real-time SEO analyzer for content editing, XML sitemap, robots.txt overrides, redirects, meta tag configurations, and more.
- Forms, Captchas, and Google Analytics: Ensures essential marketing and security tools are ready to go.
- And much more.
Recipes
Some features are enabled through Recipes – pre-configured solutions for common use cases. Recipes install the necessary modules, configurations, and even demo content to provide a ready-to-use feature set. For example, you might use a Recipe for SEO tools, AI integration, or accessibility enhancements.
From my experience, using Recipes through the UI was seamless while running the site in a local environment. They provide a quick and efficient way to enable functionality without the need for custom setup.
They also offer flexibility: once installed, site owners can modify the configuration to fit their unique or evolving needs.
AI Integration
One of the most exciting recipes is for an “AI Assistant” that can help with tasks like creating custom content types or configuring taxonomy vocabularies. This makes site-building more accessible, even for users with limited technical knowledge.
For more advanced AI features, the AI Suite can be installed. It enhances content creation with:
- Content generation in the WYSIWYG editor.
- Tone adjustments and summarization.
- Automated tag generation.
- AI-driven translation.
While these advanced configurations aren’t included in Drupal CMS out-of-the-box, they show how AI is evolving within the Drupal ecosystem.
What Drupal CMS Is Not
Drupal CMS is not a rewrite of Drupal or a separate product. It is built on the same core codebase as Drupal 11 but packaged as a pre-configured, opinionated build designed to streamline common use cases and accelerate development.
Once installed, Drupal CMS operates like any other Drupal site. It must be maintained and updated, and it can utilize any module from the Drupal ecosystem because, ultimately, Drupal CMS is Drupal.
Efforts are underway to further enhance usability through features like automatic updates and the Project Browser, which makes it easier to find and install modules. However, these features are still evolving and may not yet be supported on all hosting platforms due to architectural limitations.
Additionally, for enterprise sites, it’s important to note that automated updates might not always align with best practices. Enterprise-level code should go through a rigorous QA process before being deployed to production to ensure stability, compatibility, and adherence to organizational standards. While these tools can simplify development workflows, they should be used with caution in environments where strict quality control is required.
What This Means for Current Drupal Clients
For existing Drupal users, Drupal CMS serves as a demonstration of what Drupal can achieve with thoughtful configuration. Its features may inspire updates or new directions for your current site. If you’re curious about Drupal CMS or wonder if its features could benefit your organization, feel free to reach out and explore the possibilities with us.
