Drupal Planet

Ideally you would export the config and commit it in git before and during experimenting with recipes or changing configuration with AI. But core already has an API to create config checkpoints, we can expose it to the UI and let you the site builder use it: Introducing Config Checkpoint UI

Last week I attended the Drupal Dev Days in Leuven and many of the sessions and also conversations in the hallway and the contribution room were about Drupal CMS and AI.

The foundational engine behind Drupal CMS is the recipe system, which allows a bunch of configuration changes to be bundled and applied to your site. This is really cool, but it may do things you are not completely aware of. Unfortunately there is no way to “undo” a recipe. The same problem occurs if one is letting AI change configuration.

DDEV snapshots and git commits

The proper solution of course is to export the configuration and version it in git before starting to play with recipes, as well as periodically in between applying recipes to have more save points to go back to. Since recipes can also add default content and some configuration can not be deleted when there is content for it, it means that sometimes a previous git checkout of the configuration can not be imported. Therefore, the best solution is to create database backups and roll them back when needed. DDEV makes this very easy to do, and so that would be the first recommendation to address the problem and it will always work.

However, the ddev snapshots do not really give one a lot of information of what changed. The configuration in git is a lot better, but it requires an extra manual step to create the export and commit it to git. That may not be instinctive to most drupal users, especially not the target audience of Drupal CMS.

What if Drupal could help us with that?

It turns out that Drupal core introduced the concept of configuration checkpoints when recipes were added. The idea is that before a recipe is applied a checkpoint is set, then when the recipe application fails the configuration is rolled back to the checkpoint.

There is an issue for adding a command to revert to checkpoints but no work has even started.

I had the idea already at Drupalcon Barcelona 2024, but after discussions in Leuven I decided to implement a UI for the configuration checkpoints.

How does Config Checkpoint UI work?

So far the first version is very simple: It exposed some of the basic API to the UI. One can create new checkpoints, delete checkpoints and revert the site configuration to an older checkpoint. The reverting is done essentially the same way as the core command does: importing from the checkpoint storage. This is very similar to what Config Split does and the reason for which I thought it was a good idea to try.

Future and Limitations

There are a few bugs in other projects to watch out for: Project browser does not set a checkpoint, and core has a bug when deleting checkpoints. Of course there may be lots of bugs in the new module itself. In particular one of the things I have ran into is that the uninstall validation is a bit broken, so some of the recipes can not be rolled back when they add fields that depend on a module added at the same time. I will have to check where exactly this bug is hiding. More advanced things could also be explored, for example merging checkpoints or deleting checkpoints without deleting everything that came before.

Tags: Drupal Planet

From Tamil Nadu to Nagaland, official websites of various Indian states are turning to Drupal for its power, flexibility, and cost-saving open-source model. Discover how this CMS is driving digital public services across the country.

MidCamp Needs You! We need you!

If you've been looking for non-code opportunities to give back to the Drupal community, we have the perfect solution! Volunteer to help out at MidCamp 2025.  

We’re looking for amazing people to help with all kinds of tasks throughout the event including: 

Setup/Teardown

• For setup, we need help making sure registration is ready to roll, getting hats ready to move, and getting the rooms and walkways prepped for our amazing sessions.

• For teardown, we need to undo all the setup including packing up all the rooms, the registration desk, cleaning signage, and making it look like we were never there.

Registration and Ticketing

• We need ticket scanners, program dispersers, and people to answer questions.

Session Monitors

• Help us to count heads, introduce the speakers and make sure they have what they need to thrive, and help with the in-room A/V (by calling our Fearless Leader / A/V Genius)

Choose Your Own Adventure

• We won't turn away any help, so if there's something you'd like to do to help, just let us know!

Every volunteer will receive credit on Drupal.org, so be sure to include your profile name when you sign up to volunteer.

If you’re interested in volunteering or would like to find out more, please reach out to the #volunteers channel on the MidCamp Slack.

There will be a brief, online orientation leading up to the event to go over the volunteer opportunities in more detail. 

Sign up to Volunteer!

Questions?

Don’t miss a beat!

• Join us on MidCamp Slack to chat and get updates.
• Follow us on socials, including Bluesky and Mastodon, for announcements and news.

Keep an eye on our news page and subscribe to our newsletter for updates on the venue, travel options, social events, and speaker announcements.

MidCamp 2025 is your chance to learn, grow, and connect—don’t miss out!

Do volunteers still need a ticket?

Yes. While we appreciate your help, we still ask volunteers to purchase a ticket. We have flexible ticket options for you to choose from. As a volunteer you'll also get dibs on the MidCamp Archives... our seemingly endless box of vintage swag.

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Organizations can now be rewarded with Drupal contribution credits (among other enticements) for hiring new, inexperienced (IXP) Drupal developers.

After many months (years?) of planning, the Drupal IXP program is open and accepting applications for hiring organizations. From now forward, any participating organization that hires a new Drupal developer (with less than 3 months of paid experience) can earn 250 contribution credits upon successful program completion.

I'm super proud to have been working with Carlos and Anilu (A Drupal couple) and a number of other volunteers on this effort and am really happy to see it launched.

Why?

The Drupal developer community is getting older. With modern Drupal being more challenging to learn for new developers (especially compared with Drupal 7), fewer and fewer new Drupal developers have been joining our ranks. In order to survive, we need to build up the pipeline of new, fresh-minded, Drupal talent.

How does the program work?

Interested organizations can apply to participate at Drupal-IXP.site. After a quick manual review, accepted organizations will be provided with a coupon code to post an IXP position on jobs.drupal.org for free.

We have worked with the Drupal Association on creating a dedicated area for IXP positions on jobs.drupal.org.

Interested IXP developers apply for positions, and upon an offer from one of the participating organizations, both parties notify the Drupal-IXP site that the engagement has begun.

Both the IXP developer and hiring organization are required to submit periodic reports to Drupal-IXP to ensure all program requirements are being met (including a minimum number of mentoring hours.)

Once the minimum program length has been met (160 hours of paid work,) the hiring organization is eligible to receive 250 contribution credits upon a final review by IXP program volunteers. 

What types of tasks are IXP developers suited for?

Keeping in mind that individual IXP’s will have diverse backgrounds, and, based on research we've done, IXP developers may be well-suited for tasks like:

• Drupal core and module updates
• Drupal site-building
• Quality assurance

Depending on the non-Drupal background, IXPs might also be well-positioned to take on more complex or specific tasks.

We realize that the more guidance we can provide hiring organizations, the more successful this program will be; so we’ve started a Best practices for hiring organizations document and plan on collecting data from more organizations to help provide additional information (and case studies) to help with the IXP hiring process.

What are the program requirements?

The complete Drupal IXP requirements for interested parties are available at https://www.drupal.org/ixp

The IXP for new developers page details the minimum recommended skills level (although hiring organizations are welcome to hire at any skill level) as long as the IXP developers being hired have less than 3 months of paid experience.

The IXP for organizations page details mandatory program requirements including, but not limited to, at least 160 hours of paid work and a minimum of 1 hour of mentoring for every 10 hours of work.

Moving forward

This is only the beginning of the Drupal IXP program. We are looking forward to learning valuable lessons along the way, and fully expect the program to evolve as more and more organizations get involved.

Have questions? Fee free to use our Contact page or ping us in #ixp-fellowship channel of the Drupal Slack workspace.   

 

Sibu Stephen and Vy Nguyen are bringing back the Edmonton Drupal Meetup on April 30, 2025, at Sir Winston Churchill Square. The event will include a Drupal Starshot overview, community planning, and input from developers across the region.

LocalGov Drupal technical governance group member Tony Barker highlights four main focus areas for the platform, and gives us a taste of what we can look forward to in the next few months.

Say goodbye to MySQL tuning headaches—Releem brings AI-powered optimization that works seamlessly with Drupal. Founder Roman Agabekov shares how smart automation is reshaping database performance, with zero disruption and full control.

Community First, Business Second, Build Everything with Drupal Image Image Article body

The enthusiastic response to our Birds of a Feather (BOF) session on "The Future of Drupal Economy" at DrupalCon Atlanta was nothing short of inspiring. First, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who took the time to attend and contribute to this critical conversation. When we had to move to a larger room to accommodate over 100 participants, it became clear that these discussions about Drupal's economic future resonate deeply with our community.

Beyond Identifying Issues: Time for Solutions

Our community knows well the challenges we face. We all recognize the issues, and now is the time to move beyond merely identifying problems to actively crafting solutions.

 

The strategic shifts highlighted in the Starshot (now Drupal CMS) initiative represent a pivotal moment for our ecosystem. Now, we have the opportunity to build upon this momentum and address fundamental questions about how we support and grow our economy.

Supporting the Drupal Association's Revenue Goals

I want to acknowledge the Drupal Association's critical need for sustainable revenue streams. The DA faces the challenging task of supporting our infrastructure, organizing events, and guiding initiatives like Drupal CMS - all while balancing the community's needs with financial realities.

 

We find ourselves in an interesting position: we need large agencies' substantial support now to help the DA reach its goals of expanding the Certified Partner program and increasing revenue. However, the long-term vision should be creating self-sustaining systems where this intense dependency becomes less necessary.

 

It's encouraging to see the DA taking a more active leadership role in this space. The community's evolving perspective has allowed the DA to expand beyond just maintaining Drupal.org and organizing DrupalCon. This shift represents an important evolution that deserves our support.

Community-Driven Solutions

I'd like to propose several concrete solutions that could transform Drupal's ecosystem while supporting the DA's revenue goals:

1. Regionalized Official DrupalCons

As I mentioned during the Atlanta board meeting, Latin America is ready to support regional DrupalCon events. These events should test more business-oriented approaches alongside their developer focus, without abandoning the heart of the event as a time to work together on the project.

 

Regional events can serve as powerful business development platforms when structured to connect service providers with potential clients in their economic context.

 

These events would acknowledge the different economic realities across regions. What constitutes a "small," "medium," or "enterprise" project varies dramatically between markets. Adapting the DrupalCon model to regional needs creates opportunities for businesses of all sizes in their appropriate economic contexts.

2. Drupal.org as the Source of Truth

Drupal's contribution credit system is already unique in the open source world for how it tracks and attributes various forms of contribution. We should build upon this foundation to position Drupal.org as the definitive source of truth for everything Drupal-related. From identifying qualified developers to finding appropriate partner agencies, Drupal.org should be the central hub.

 

When businesses need Drupal expertise, Drupal.org should be their first destination. Not third-party job boards. Not general search engines. This transition creates natural economic incentives for contribution while connecting clients with service providers who have demonstrated their commitment to the project.

 

This would also significantly enhance the value of the Certified Drupal Partner program. The DA would now have something valuable to offer partners: qualified leads from businesses looking for Drupal expertise.

3. Community-Driven Certification Framework

Here's where I see tremendous potential: I believe a community-led certification system could be transformative for positioning Drupal.org as the central hub for Drupal expertise. But importantly, this must start as a community initiative rather than immediately becoming a DA responsibility.

 

This idea comes from my personal experience in education. Before joining the Drupal world, I worked as a certified bilingual elementary teacher in Texas for three years, teaching 5th grade Science. I saw firsthand how the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) framework created clarity around educational standards. For example, a kindergarten math standard might simply state: "The student can count forward from 1 to 20 with and without objects." This clear standard defines exactly what skill the student should demonstrate.

 

Similarly, we could establish a framework of Drupal knowledge and skills. A site builder certification might include standards like "The developer demonstrates ability to configure content types and fields to model complex data relationships." A security standard might state "The developer applies security best practices when configuring user roles and permissions."

 

I envision three certification levels (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) across four areas. We would have Backend Developer standards. Frontend Developer standards. Site Builder standards. And Developer standards focusing on development processes like local development, git workflows, agile, best practices, and contribution knowledge.

 

From these standards, we could develop community-curated question banks for each knowledge area. We could create assessment methodologies that validate both theoretical understanding and practical application. And we could build clear pathways for skills progression from entry-level to expert.

 

We've seen many training initiatives struggle in the past. I tried to help Drupaleros before it was dissolved. I've spoken with the maintainer of the previous Open Curriculum initiative that ultimately stagnated. Learning from these experiences, I believe focusing on standards rather than specific training content gives us a stronger foundation. We can reinvigorate the Open Curriculum as a standards framework rather than trying to create and maintain all the training content ourselves.

 

Similar to how the contribution credit system was developed through community committees, we could establish a committee to maintain the question bank. This committee would ensure the certification's value isn't diminished through widespread distribution of questions.

A Sustainable Path Forward

This approach lets the DA adopt a proven certification system later without carrying the development costs now. The community does the groundwork, the DA gets a working solution.

 

Once proven effective, this certification system could provide a sustainable revenue source for the DA while delivering genuine value to both the community and clients. It creates a self-reinforcing cycle. Developers gain credible validation of their skills. Companies find qualified talent more efficiently. Clients identify appropriate service providers with greater confidence. The DA receives ongoing certification revenue. The entire ecosystem benefits from higher quality standards.

Join the Discussion

I want to emphasize that these are just ideas that I'm putting forward for community discussion. I don't believe I have all the answers, and the best solutions will come from our collective wisdom and experience.

 

What's critically important here is that this cannot become a DA responsibility at this stage. The Drupal Association needs to maintain its focus on current revenue strategies and sustainability goals. They have a clear roadmap for growing the Certified Partner program and increasing financial stability. Adding a new, unproven initiative now would risk distracting from these essential priorities.

 

Instead, this needs to be a true community initiative that develops, tests, and refines a certification framework independently. Only after proving its value and sustainability should we consider how it might integrate with the DA's offerings.

 

I'm committed to helping build this framework, but it requires a collaborative community effort if you want to contribute to this initiative. Whether through defining knowledge domains, developing assessment methodologies, or testing the framework. Please reach out.

 

Together, we can create a system that strengthens Drupal's position as a leading CMS while creating sustainable economic opportunities across our entire ecosystem pyramid.

 

What are your thoughts on this approach? Do you see additional ways we could position Drupal.org as the central hub for Drupal expertise? I'd love to continue this conversation.

 

About Creating Real Business Value: Transforming Drupal.org into a Genuine Business Hub Abstract After DrupalCon Atlanta's packed BOF on Drupal's economic future, it's time for community-led solutions. This post proposes three initiatives: regionalized business-focused DrupalCons, positioning Drupal.org as the expertise hub, and creating a community-driven certification system based on educational standards frameworks. The Drupal Association must focus on current revenue priorities while the community builds this foundation – putting community first, business second, to truly build everything with Drupal. Tags drupal Drupal Future Drupal Planet drupal community Rating Select ratingGive Community First, Business Second, Build Everything with Drupal 1/5Give Community First, Business Second, Build Everything with Drupal 2/5Give Community First, Business Second, Build Everything with Drupal 3/5Give Community First, Business Second, Build Everything with Drupal 4/5Give Community First, Business Second, Build Everything with Drupal 5/5Cancel rating No votes yet Leave this field blank Add new comment

Drupal is changing, and it feels like a return to what made it exciting in the first place. With tools like the Drupal CMS Launcher, Experience Builder, Site Templates and a potential Marketplace, there’s a clear focus on simplifying the process for newcomers, without the unnecessary barriers. These features have the potential to reshape how sites are built, especially for those just getting started, while still preserving the power and flexibility that make Drupal stand out.

DrupalCamp Burkina Faso 2025 is set to spark a Drupal revolution across Africa this April 25–26. With big dreams and bold community spirit, organizers are laying the groundwork for Africa’s first DrupalCon by 2027. The movement for a stronger, tech-driven Africa is just getting started!

Real Drupal Site Dependency Testing – A Strategic Approach Jürgen Haas Tue, 22.04.2025 - 16:00

Protecting your Drupal sites from unexpected dependency issues requires a proactive approach. This article reveals our strategy for continuously monitoring a suite of reference Drupal sites – automatically updated every hour – to detect runtime problems stemming from dependency updates. We’ll demonstrate how to identify PHP errors, styling issues, and even frontend JavaScript errors that often go unnoticed, ensuring a smooth and reliable experience for your Drupal users.

Detect Upstream Changes: Weekly Module Testing with GitLab CI Jürgen Haas Tue, 22.04.2025 - 15:00

Keeping your Drupal modules aligned with the latest updates — including changes from Drupal core or other dependencies — is critical. But how do you know if those updates are actually safe? This article shows you how to set up regular, automated testing using GitLab CI to proactively detect upstream changes, ensuring your modules remain compatible and stable before they impact your users. Learn how to identify potential issues early and prevent costly support requests.

How AI and Machine Learning Help Drupal in 2025 Editor Tue, 04/22/2025 - 12:03

Today, we can confidently say that AI technologies and machine learning are actively being implemented in various areas of human life. This directly concerns Drupal web development.
And here, quite natural questions arise: how can these technologies be used, where, what benefits can they bring, and much more? 
In fact, the potential for implementing such solutions is incredibly huge. A business's main task is always to improve efficiency and quality of service, attract new customers, and increase the final profit.

Explore the top 9 Drupal modules that enhance your content editing experience. Accelerate flexibility, improve workflows, and enhance SEO with these must-have tools.

Agentic AI with Maestro

AI is disrupting the business world where many look to AI as a way to replace personnel. We at Nextide look at AI combined with our Maestro Workflow Engine as a way to increase people's productivity by replacing the mundane or repetitive tasks that humans do, retaining employees and allowing them to focus on important business tasks.  As AI offerings mature, offloading routine and time consuming tasks to AI to perform will become the norm. 

 

Introducing the Maestro AI Task!  

With our latest release of Maestro, you are now able to use an AI-powered task within your workflow templates.  Using the AI LLM of your choice, here's a few examples of what you can do with the Maestro AI Task:

Join us THURSDAY, April 24 at 1pm ET / 10am PT, for our call to chat about all things Drupal and nonprofits. (Convert to your local time zone.)

We don't have anything specific on the agenda this month, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss anything that's on our minds at the intersection of Drupal and nonprofits. Got something specific you want to talk about? Feel free to share ahead of time in our collaborative Google doc: https://nten.org/drupal/notes!

All nonprofit Drupal devs and users, regardless of experience level, are always welcome on this call.

This free call is sponsored by NTEN.org and open to everyone. 

Please note that, since we postponed for a week due to NTC, the Zoom link for this month is different. Please use the following link for April's call:

• Join the call: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81168469697?pwd=7UI5ZBjeDJQuicIq61et1TmMu2pDqb.1

  • Meeting ID: 811 6846 9697
    Passcode: 284106

• Follow along on Google Docs: https://nten.org/drupal/notes

View notes of previous months' calls.

Content editors are the unsung heroes of the digital experience. They keep the messaging up-to-date, respond to real-time changes, and ensure that your website remains relevant. But here's the truth: most websites are still too hard to edit.

And that’s a problem we—designers, developers, and strategists—need to solve.

The Problem: Clunky CMS Interfaces and Lost Opportunities

Let me paint a familiar picture.

Imagine  managing a website for a small business, higher ed institution, or nonprofit. Say your small business is a gym and it’s a holiday—your hours of operation change. You know the update should go right on the homepage, but instead, someone posts it to Instagram.

Why?

Because it's easier. The CMS is too clunky. Updating the actual site feels like a chore.

Now scale that to a university with hundreds of editors and thousands of pages. If even a local gym can’t easily update their own website, how can we expect large teams to navigate overly complex CMSs?

We Need to Design For Editors, Not Just End-Users

Content editors are users too yet they’re often left out of the design and build process.

We obsess over the front-end UX while the admin interface—the actual editing experience—gets overlooked. It’s time for a shift in mindset: editing interfaces should be usable, flexible, and empowering.

Modern page builders like WordPress’s block editor (Gutenberg) and Drupal’s upcoming Experience Builder are rapidly evolving.They offer visual, drag-and-drop interfaces that bring content editing closer to what we see on the front end.

But there’s a catch…

Modern Tools Are Only as Good as Their Implementation

While page builders unlock powerful features, they can also introduce too much flexibility.

Dozens of block types, unlimited colour choices, and fine-grained layout controls might appeal to designers—but they often overwhelm editors.

Faced with 40 block types, an editor may not choose the best one for the job.

The solution isn’t to remove features, but to implement intentional defaults and smart guardrails that simplify choices and support consistency.

To Support Editors, Do the Following:   1. Use Clear Field Labels and Help Text

• Why: Content editors may not be technical. Clear labels reduce confusion.
• Best Practice: Replace vague labels like Body with  Main Content or Article Body, and add descriptions like “This is the main section of your page.”

2. Organize Fields Logically

• Why: A well-organized content-entry form improves usability and reduces cognitive load.
• Best Practice: Group fields in logical sections (e.g., SEO, Header, Content, Sidebar) using fieldsets or tabs. Keep this structure consistent across content types.

3. Provide Flexible Yet Structured Components

• Why: Editors need creative freedom without sacrificing consistency using tools like Drupal Paragraphs, Layout Builder, or WordPress custom blocks—rather than relying solely on WYSIWYGs. This approach gives editors options to assemble pages in creative ways while maintaining visual consistency.
• Best Practice: Instead of relying solely on WYSIWYG fields for full-page content, provide a library of reusable, pre-designed components using tools like Drupal Paragraphs or Layout Builder, or WordPress custom blocks. This approach gives editors options to assemble pages in creative ways while maintaining visual consistency.

4. Set Reasonable Default Values

• Why: Editors juggling multiple tasks benefit from smart defaults. When the CMS provides helpful starting points, editors can focus on crafting meaningful content rather than wrestling with layout or metadata choices.
• Best Practice: Auto-fill fields like meta descriptions or Open Graph tags based on content. Default layouts and image sizes help editors focus on content, not formatting.

5. Create Granular User Roles and Permissions

• Why: Editors will be confused if they have access to advanced configuration settings that they don’t have the training to update. Editors should only see what they need—no more, no less.
• Best Practice: Limit access to advanced features with role-based permissions aligned to staff responsibilities.

6. Make Media Management Easy

Why: Efficient access to quality, on-brand assets speeds up publishing.
Best Practice: Use a media library with previews, drag-and-drop, and asset categories for easy re-use.

7. Build with Accessibility in Mind

Why: Accessibility isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s a key aspect of good user experience. Yet for many content editors, it can be difficult to know whether what they’re creating is truly accessible. That’s where the CMS can provide much-needed guidance.
Best Practice: Use accessible components by default and build guardrails into the editorial interface to help prevent common accessibility issues. 

For example, instead of allowing editors to choose arbitrary colours—which can result in poor contrast—offer a curated colour palette that aligns with brand guidelines and meets contrast requirements. Incorporate a tool like Editoria11y in Drupal or Editoria11y Accessibility Checker in WordPress that allows content editors to do a quick check of accessibility before publishing content.  

8. Train Your Content Teams and Provide Content-Entry Guides

Why: Even the most intuitive CMS can be overwhelming for new or occasional users. Without training, content teams may struggle to understand editorial workflows, component use, or accessibility best practices which can lead to inconsistent content, errors, or underused features.
Best Practice: Provide clear onboarding and content-entry guide. If internal training feels too difficult to manage, talk to us about training your content team to get tailored support and resources.

Too Much Freedom? Giving editors access to unrestricted colour palettes can lead to inconsistent branding and inaccessible content.
Avoid These These Mistakes 1. Don’t Use Technical Jargon

Why: Editors may not understand terms like Node, Taxonomy, or View Mode.
Best Practice: Use plain language labels and admin interfaces (e.g., “News Article” instead of “Node Type: Article”).

2. Don’t Overload the Edit Screen

Why: Too many options causes decision fatigue.
Best Practice: Use conditional fields, collapsible sections, and permissions to simplify the experience.

3. Don’t Hardcode Layouts or Lock Editors Out

Why: Editors often need to update layouts over time.
Best Practice: Provide structured layout tools (like Layout Builder with guardrails), instead of rigid templates, so that content can evolve.

4. Don’t Ignore Performance for Admin Users

Why: Speed is often the single most important factor in delivering a good user experience—especially for content editors working in the backend every day. When editing screens are slow to load or unresponsive, it leads to frustration, interruptions in workflow, and more room for error.
Best Practice: Apply performance best practices to the administrative interface, which could mean changing form settings to reduce the complexity, and selecting page-building tools that load quickly.  

Emerging tools like Drupal’s Experience Builder offer a glimpse into what a high-performance admin experience can look like. Its React-based architecture will enable near-instant updates for editors.

5. Don’t Skip Content Previews

Why: Editors want to know what their content will look like before publishing.
Best Practice: Enable preview modes, ideally with live preview built in, that render content as it will appear on the site. Bonus points for adding a mobile preview.

6. Don’t Neglect Help Text and Documentation

Why: Content editors don’t want to hunt around for links to documentation. They want to be able to get help for the specific task they’re working on.
Best Practice: Add inline help text, links to documentation, or tooltips where possible, to reduce the friction for getting help.

Curating the Editor Experience: Reducing clutter in the block editing interface helps content creators focus on what matters—content, not configuration.
Who Owns the Editor Experience?

That’s a tricky question.

• Developers think in terms of schemas and data models.
• Designers empathize with end users, but are often disconnected from CMS workflows.
• Project managers advocate for client needs, but may not possess full technical insight.

What’s often missing is shared ownership of the content editor experience. Creating a usable backend shouldn’t fall solely to developers or be an afterthought. Instead, we need intentional conversations across roles—designers, developers, strategists, and editors—to prioritize editorial usability from the earliest stages of discovery through to implementation.

In most projects, the CMS backend isn’t explicitly designed. It emerges by default—from how Drupal, WordPress, or similar platforms render interfaces based on content types, fields, and configurations. The result is often a functional but fragmented editing experience. But the backend deserves the same thoughtful design as the front-end—and that means approaching it with intent, not just accepting what the CMS gives us out of the box.
Practical Steps for Each Role

Here’s how each team member can contribute:

Developers

• Embrace modern editing frameworks. Platforms like WordPress’s block editor or Drupal’s Experience Builder (soon to be released) are built with React to support visual editing. Embracing these tools—rather than older, field-heavy methods—can make editing feel more intuitive and less technical.
• Simplify the interface. Default page building tools often offer too many blocks, options, and settings. Reduce clutter by removing unused blocks, hiding advanced controls, and setting defaults for fonts, colours, and layouts. This lets editors focus on content instead of configuration.
• Avoid overcomplicated field systems. When editors need layout flexibility, field-based solutions can be limiting and confusing—kind of like using spreadsheets to design a webpage. Instead, offer structured components that support visual editing but still preserve consistency and accessibility. For WordPress, tools like the Block Binding API, or the Meta Field Block plugin, can help render our beloved structured data in a much more editor-friendly way.

Designers

• Perform user testing with content editors on the editor interface. Testing with content editors is essential to truly understand how to improve their experience
• Design with this flexible backend in mind.This requires designers to get familiar with the back-end. Typically, “components” can be placed anywhere on a page, next to any other component. Designers can play a role in giving guidance around how to combine components in a way that creates a good visual balance and a good UX flow.
• Prioritize consistency in styling defaults. Establish rules for spacing, font sizes, and colour palettes that carry through to the editor experience. This reduces cognitive load for editors and prevents design drift.
• Create an editorial style guide or content templates. These can help non-designers replicate good layout and visual hierarchy by using predefined combinations of components.

Content Editors

• Provide feedback during demos—especially on the admin UI. No one knows the job better, so that insight is incredibly valuable. Doing a test run of daily tasks can help surface any gaps and ensure the right tools are in place.
• Advocate for brand  and accessibility compliance. Ask for sensible options for colours or text sizing so to be able to create branded, accessible content more easily.
• Request training resources and backend walkthroughs. Think about which formats would be most helpful—whether that’s guides, videos, or live training sessions—to support everyday workflows.

Why It Matters

Websites are strategic investments—often meant to last 5–7 years. A poor editing experience erodes that value.. Editors avoid using a CMS that’s hard to use, content gets outdated, and the site gradually deteriorates.

On the flip side, when content editors are empowered, they:

• Keep the site fresh and relevant
• Create accessible content
• Communicate more effectively with audiences

Improving editor UX saves time, reduces support requests, and supports compliance. Better editing tools don’t just help editors—they help the entire organization.

Looking Ahead Embracing Experience Builder and Beyond

As tools like Drupal’s Experience Builder and WordPress’s block editor (Gutenberg) continue to mature, they’re reshaping how we think about backend design. These systems have the potential to make publishing more accessible. Built on modern React-based frameworks, these systems move away from rigid, form-based interfaces toward dynamic, visual editing environments that more closely mirror the frontend experience.

Visual, drag-and-drop tools reduce barriers for non-technical users and unlock creative autonomy. But flexibility without strategy can quickly lead to clutter and inconsistency.

To truly improve the editor experience, we need to curate the interface, set smart defaults, and collaborate across roles—bringing developers, designers, and editors into alignment from the start. These systems offer real opportunities to democratize publishing but only if we treat backend usability as a core part of the design process.

Join the Conversation

Want to explore this topic further? Join me for a free webinar on May 9 at 12 PM EST, where he'll dive deeper into building better content editing experiences.

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In this episode of Talking Drupal, we discuss the latest DOJ accessibility ruling and its implications for Drupal with special guest Josh Mitchell. Josh, a seasoned expert who has led teams in digital agencies, governments, and non-profits, sheds light on what the ruling means for state and local governments, the importance of accessibility, and steps to achieve compliance. We also explore the Sa11y module, a powerful tool for enhancing website accessibility, and compare it with the Editorially module. Additionally, we touch on the upcoming MID Camp 2025. Tune in for an insightful discussion on making web content more accessible for all.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/498

Topics

• Can you give us an overview of the DOJ Accessibility Ruling
• Does this apply to federal websites
• When does this go into effect
• How does this affect current sites
• Hwo is Drupal positioned against this
• Does this rule apply to all content such as PDFs
• Any tips to organizations
• JS widgets

Resources

• Announcement of the rule
• Full text of the rule - PDF
• Fact sheet for meeting the requirements of the rule
  • https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/
  • https://www.drupal.org/docs/getting-started/accessibility/how-to-do-an-accessibility-review
• AXE Core
• Core issue to automate accessibility tests with Nightwatch.js
• Keyboard traps
• COTS - Commercial off the shelf software
• VPATS - Voluntary product accessibility template
• Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)
• Monsido - Acquia optimize - PDF
• Josh’s blog post

Guests

Joshua "Josh" Mitchell - joshuami.com joshuami

Hosts

Nic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Kathy Beck - kbeck303

MOTW Correspondent

Martin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu

• Brief description:
  • Have you ever wanted your Drupal site to have a built-in accessibility tool that could identify things like potential color contrast issues? There’s a module for that
• Module name/project name:
  • Sa11y
• Brief history
  • It’s worth mentioning that the name is a numeronym, so spelled s-a-1-1-y, which plays off of a common way the word “accessibility” is abbreviated
• How old: created in Jan 2018 by Bryan Sharpe (b_sharpe) but the namespace was taken over in Jun 2024 by Mark Conroy (markconroy) of LocalGov Drupal, so the current 3.0.1 release, which supports Drupal 10 and 11, is a completely different module than the original 8.x-1.x branch.
• Maintainership
  • Actively maintained, in fact this module came out of the ongoing work being done on the LocalGov distribution and profile
  • Security coverage
  • Test coverage: no, but the module is effectively just a wrapper for the Sa11y library, which is CMS agnostic and used in the Wordpress and Joomla communities as well
  • The Sa11y library has its own website, which includes documentation
  • Number of open issues: 1 open issues, which isn’t a bug
• Usage stats:
  • 62 sites
• Module features and usage
  • We did cover the Editoria11y accessibility checker as MOTW all the way back in episode #350, almost 3 years ago, and Sa11y was mentioned at that time. Both modules have had major releases since then, so I thought this week’s episode would be a chance to do an updated comparison
  • Sa11y does include some checks that Editoria11y does not, such as color contrast checking and a readability score
  • The Editoria11y module, on the other hand, includes site-wide reporting that would be helpful for site admins, as well as a wealth of configuration options including one or more DOM elements to use as the container to check within, a list of elements to exclude, and so on. Recent versions of Editoria11y also include an option for live feedback as you edit, which should work with CKEditor 5, Paragraphs 5 or newer, and Gutenberg
  • At the end of the day, however, both projects are intended to provide your content editors with immediate feedback on the accessibility compliance of what they create. So, it’s worth looking at the feedback each tool provides and deciding which one is more useful for your team in particular

The Drupal Open University project is creating open-source teaching materials to help universities, colleges, and trainers teach Drupal. A new hands-on workshop, "Drupal in a Day," will debut at Drupaljam 2025 to introduce students to Drupal development.

The dust from DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 has barely settled, and already the excitement for the next major event is building. DrupalCon Europe, set for Vienna from October 14-17, 2025, has officially opened very early bird ticket sales. Only 50 tickets are available at a special discounted rate, making this a rare opportunity to secure your spot early.

DrupalCons aren't just conferences - they are the heart of the Drupal community. They are where ideas turn into initiatives, where contributors find their next project, and where long-time professionals and new faces come together to push Drupal forward. Every major leap in Drupal's history can trace roots back to conversations, sprints, and collaborations born at DrupalCons.

The Vienna edition promises four packed days of technical sessions across seven tracks, contribution sprints, inspiring keynotes including the Driesnote, and community events like the International Splash Awards and Trivia Night. Registration also includes access to recorded sessions, catering, social events, and a digital tote bag.

Events like DrupalCon are critical to the future of open-source ecosystems. Code is built in repositories, but trust, cooperation, and shared vision are built in rooms like these. If you believe in the future of Drupal, there's no better place to be.

Don't miss your chance to be part of something bigger - grab your early ticket before they're gone.

Now, let's dive into the most important stories from last week.

DISCOVER DRUPAL

• Drupal Launches Marketplace Initiative and Seeks Community Feedback
• Frank Thoeny Releases New Book Library API Module for Drupal
• Balint Pekker Integrates Claude AI for Automated Drupal Code Reviews
• MCP Client Module Available for Drupal, Supports Integration with External Platforms
• Drupal 11.2 Alpha Phase Begins May 7, 2025
• Andrew Brown Releases His First Drupal Contrib Module: Custom Status Report

ORGANISATION NEWS

• Capellic Launches Hyperdrive: A New High-Performance, Component-Based Drupal Theme Architecture

EVENT

• Future-Focused and Community-Driven: Dave Sparks Reflects on DrupalSouth Melbourne 2025
• DrupalCon Vienna 2025 Opens Registration with Limited Early Bird Tickets
• DrupalCon Vienna 2025 Announces Track Team Leadership
• Drupal Meetup Ahmedabad Highlights Local Community and Tech Talks
• Álvaro Hurtado Wins Drupal Iberia Mascot Contest, Earns Ticket to DrupalCon Vienna 2025
• Humberto Luna Wins DrupalCon Atlanta Mascot Contest, Secures Vienna 2025 Ticket
• Drupal Tokyo Meetup #102 to Focus on AI, DrupalCon Recap on June 6
• University of Florida Tops Open Source CMS March Madness
• Upcoming Drupal Events This Week (April 21-27, 2025)

We acknowledge that there are more stories to share. However, due to selection constraints, we must pause further exploration for now.

To get timely updates, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can also join us on Drupal Slack at #thedroptimes.

Thank you, 
Sincerely 
Thomas Alias K 
Sub-editor, The DropTimes.