Today, Drupal is truly one of the top and most powerful CMS. The introduction of AI and the new features to Drupal reveal its capabilities and incredible prospects for business owners. All these advancements also significantly change the approach to web development and website optimization on the already popular Drupal platform. That is why today, we will discuss the topic of the AI framework in Drupal together.
Over the past few years of working on large-scale Drupal projects for government and higher education, I have noticed how successful these new platforms are when developers include three key features in shaping the tech stack.
by ana.beltran / 13 May 2025Rather than diving into the technical details, I want to share my thoughts on why these are essential tools for end-users and editors who manage content daily.
Storybook was used on both the Cancer Australia and Catholic Schools NSW websites.As a Delivery Manager, I’ve experienced the importance of having clear and accessible documentation in a project. Storybook is an open-source feature that allows teams to build and showcase components in isolation, making it easier to document and test for stakeholders. From my perspective, it is an excellent tool for stakeholders for the following reasons:
Layout Builder components are used on the PreviousNext website.Layout Builder is a game-changer for content editors. It works like building blocks. Editors drag and drop component blocks in the design system to fit with the content on a page. This feature allows editors to create and customise page layouts in the website without being locked to just a few pre-built templates. From my experience, it is a useful tool for organisations and users because it is:
Check out the work we’ve done for Cancer Australia using Layout Builder, Storybook and OpenSearch.
OpenSearch was used on the Cancer Australia website.Search is a critical feature for any large-scale website. It helps organisations give users the best experience by ensuring they can quickly find the right information. So, what is the difference between an out-of-the-box search and OpenSearch? Think of an out-of-the-box search as looking for a book in a bookstore. You might easily find it if you have the title and author, so simple queries will lead you to the source. However, trying to find the best cycling route in a new town is an entirely different task. You’re not just after a title ‘keyword’ but a few additional parameters or ‘filters’ like distance, elevation and terrain. That type of customisation is exactly what OpenSearch offers. It understands the website’s content structure and the users’ queries, and returns the best content match. It's a powerful tool from a stakeholder perspective, because it:
While these are only a few key tools for elevating the user experience, I hope this blog has helped you understand more about some of the tools we use and why I consider them to be the backbone of all new projects. If you have any questions or would like a demonstration of how we can use them in your new website, please feel free to reach out!
In my recent work on the Drupal Event Platform, one of the most ambitious changes has been changing the architecture to support multiple events. That means that an annual Drupal camp can retain the content of previous years while collecting session submissions for an upcoming event. It also means that the platform can support multiple events per year if needed, similar to events.drupal.org.
mandclu May 12, 2025 - 11:32amWelcome to the first episode of Talking Drupal Cafe.
Join Martin and Jake as they delve into an insightful conversation exploring the challenges and responsibilities associated with being a module maintainer. Discussing project types, the significance of sandbox modules, the impact of Drupal CMS, and the role of AI tools, they highlight issues around burnout, sustainability, and community support. Discover how the Drupal community can better support maintainers and the importance of continued contributions. This episode also touches on upcoming conferences and the significance of face-to-face interactions in the Drupal community.
Martin Anderson-ClutzMartin is a highly respected figure in the Drupal community, known for his extensive contributions as a developer, speaker, and advocate for open-source innovation. Based in London, Ontario, Canada, Martin began his career as a graphic designer before transitioning into web development. His journey with Drupal started in late 2005 when he was seeking a robust multilingual CMS solution, leading him to embrace Drupal's capabilities. (mandclu.com)
Martin holds the distinction of being the world's first Triple Drupal Grand Master, certified across Drupal 7, 8, and 9 as a Developer, Front-End Specialist, and Back-End Specialist. (TheDropTimes) He also possesses certifications in various Acquia products and is UX certified by the Nielsen Norman Group. (mandclu.com)
Currently serving as a Senior Solutions Engineer at Acquia, Martin has been instrumental in advancing Drupal's ecosystem. He has developed and maintains several contributed modules, including Smart Date and Search Overrides, and has been actively involved in the Drupal Recipes initiative, particularly focusing on event management solutions. (mandclu.com) His current work on the Event Platform aims to streamline the creation and management of event-based websites within Drupal. (TheDropTimes)
Beyond development, Martin is a prominent speaker and educator, having presented at numerous Drupal events such as DrupalCon Barcelona and EvolveDrupal. He is also a co-host of the "Talking Drupal" podcast, where he leads the "Module of the Week" segment, sharing insights on various Drupal modules. (mandclu.com) Martin's dedication to the Drupal community is evident through his continuous efforts to mentor, innovate, and promote best practices within the open-source landscape.(TheDropTimes)
Jacob RockowitzJacob is a prominent figure in the Drupal community, best known for developing and maintaining the Webform module—one of the most widely used and feature-rich form-building tools in the Drupal ecosystem. His work has significantly enhanced Drupal's capabilities in form creation, data collection, and user interaction.
Rockowitz began his Drupal journey while working as a consultant for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), where he spent over 18 years. Facing the need for robust form functionality during MSK's early adoption of Drupal 8, he created YAML Form, which later evolved into the Webform module for Drupal 8 . This module has since become integral to many Drupal sites, offering extensive features for form management.(design4drupal.org)
Beyond Webform, Jacob has contributed to other projects like the Schema.org Blueprints module, aiming to improve structured content modeling in Drupal. He is also an advocate for open-source sustainability, often discussing the importance of community involvement and the challenges of maintaining large-scale open-source projects .(talkingdrupal.com, jrockowitz.com)
As an active member of the Drupal community, Rockowitz frequently speaks at events such as DrupalCon and New England Drupal Camp, sharing his insights on module development and community engagement . He maintains a personal blog at jrockowitz.com, where he writes about his experiences and thoughts on Drupal development.(Drupal)
For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/502
TopicsMartin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu Jacob Rockowitz - jrockowitz.com jrockowitz
In our previous share out, we focused on why contributors might engage in a Marketplace and the kinds of value they’re looking for. Since then, we’ve turned our attention to something even more foundational—trust.
If we want the Marketplace to succeed, contributors, agencies, and end users must believe:
That’s the work we’re deep in now.
Across our first two surveys, last week’s Slack prompt, and the Hopes & Fears Jam conducted at the Quarterly Drupal Certified Partner Webinar, three critical trust signals have emerged:
Templates must meet defined standards for code quality, security, accessibility, and UX. Contributors want to know what “good” looks like before they invest time; end users want confidence before they adopt.
If the Marketplace becomes a dumping ground for mediocre or insecure templates, it will actually hurt Drupal.”
"Templates should be clearly rated on accessibility, code quality, and what modules they’re pre-styled for.”
The Week #5 prompt in #drupal-cms-marketplace dives directly into this question:
“What accessibility, security, or coding standards should be required for free and/or paid site template listings—and how should they be verified?”
We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Policy alone doesn’t build trust—clear enforcement and transparency do. People want to know someone is actively ensuring fairness and protecting the ecosystem.
Governance modeled after the Security Team would give me confidence someone’s watching the store.”
"What’s the dispute process if I think something’s plagiarized or violates guidelines?”
The Marketplace Working Group met last week to begin shaping a draft governance model grounded in your feedback. While still early, this work is focusing on:
What may be required to maintain a listing over time
The Marketplace must offer both recognition and a fair value exchange. Contributors want clear attribution, visibility for upstream maintainers, and thoughtful revenue models that strengthen—rather than undermine—Drupal’s open-source values.
I don’t mind people making money—but I want to know how it flows back to the people maintaining the ecosystem.”
The Marketplace Working Group’s emergent governance framework is designed to create a Marketplace that is socially, technically, and financially responsible—and deeply aligned with Drupal’s open-source mission.
The scope of the framework includes:
This work is just beginning, and ongoing feedback will help shape what comes next.
Your input is critical to shaping a Marketplace that reflects Drupal’s values and strengthens our ecosystem. Here’s how to get involved this week:
If you've ever tried to make your site more accessible and felt overwhelmed—you're not alone. But if you're using or considering Drupal, I want to tell you: you're already ahead. Accessibility isn’t a bolt-on in Drupal. It’s baked in. From semantic HTML5 output to keyboard navigation and ARIA support, Drupal core is built to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. It also ships with accessible-by-default themes like Olivero (for front-end users) and Claro (for administrators), both of which have been tested with real-world assistive technologies.
What really helps, though, are the contributed modules. Let me highlight a few I think are essential if you care about accessibility at a technical level. First, there’s Editoria11y—this is a game-changer for content teams. It sits quietly in the background while you're editing and alerts you in real time about things like missing alt text, contrast issues, or incorrect heading levels. You fix problems before they go live. If you're more technical, Accessibility Scanner is worth a look; it integrates with Deque's Axe tools to run site-wide scans. And developers can use the Accessibility Tools module to simulate different impairments, helping them design for real-world needs.
Drupal also supports the All in One Accessibility module, which offers a customizable accessibility widget—think screen reader support, text resizing, keyboard navigation toggles, and more, all in one place. It's especially helpful for public sector sites and high-traffic platforms with legal compliance goals. These tools aren’t about ticking boxes—they’re about making sure everyone can use your site, no matter their ability. As Kat Shaw, an accessibility expert in the Drupal community, puts it in an interview with The Drop Times: “Accessibility doesn’t block innovation—it enables it.” I couldn't agree more.
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,
Kazima Abbas
Sub-editor, The DropTimes.
Call me a radical, but I don't think a handful of billionaires controlling the majority of a country's wealth is a good thing. I don't think the ultra-wealthy need more benefits at the expense of everyone else.
Sustainable/Open Business
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