Are you ready to migrate with confidence? Our newest migration guide shares proven techniques for transforming field collection data into paragraph entities, including proper entity reference handling, revision management, and custom process plugins for field transformations. Insights from our experts will help your team deliver successful results.
mauricio Thu, 01/23/2025 - 18:09As of January 5, 2025, the Drupal 7 End-of-Life (EOL) has officially passed, marking the end of an era for a platform that has powered countless digital experiences for well over a decade. While many organizations have already migrated to newer versions of Drupal, thousands of mission-critical Drupal 7 sites are still in use. For these organizations, the challenge now is keeping their sites secure, stable, and compliant in a post-EOL world. At Dropsolid, we’ve taken on the responsibility of helping the Drupal community navigate this transition, ensuring that Drupal 7 sites can continue to thrive while organizations plan their next steps.
Our mission is simple: to safeguard Drupal 7 websites while continuing to contribute to the open-source ecosystem that has given us so much. We achieve this through a multifaceted approach that leverages our extensive assets and expertise.
Supporting Drupal 7 beyond its official EOL date is critical. It ensures that organizations can continue to operate their websites safely while taking the time to plan their long-term digital strategies. Drupal 7 has empowered organizations of all sizes, from large enterprises to local nonprofits. Our goal is to ensure that these organizations don’t have to compromise on security or performance simply because they haven’t migrated yet.
Our approach to Drupal 7 post-EOL support is built on our comprehensive assets and deep community involvement. Here’s how we’re supporting Drupal 7 users beyond EOL:
Dropsolid stands alone as the only provider that is both a security expert and a top-tier Drupal service and platform provider. We are an enterprise category provider that guarantees quality and exceptional service, ensuring that your Drupal 7 sites remain secure and performant long after EOL.
In today’s digital landscape, security is paramount. Having the best patches and support is not just important—it’s essential. Without robust security measures and reliable support, organizations risk exposing their sites to vulnerabilities, data breaches, and compliance issues. Dropsolid offers the highest level of security and support, acting as the best insurance against potential threats and ensuring your digital assets remain protected.
At Dropsolid, community involvement is central to everything we do. Supporting Drupal 7 users post-EOL is an extension of our commitment to the open-source community. Through our maker-taker model, we ensure that contributions to the community are shared among collaborators. By partnering with organizations that need extended Drupal 7 support, we reinvest in the Drupal project through revenue-sharing initiatives and direct contributions to the Drupal Association.
The Drupal 7 EOL transition has been a learning experience for the entire community. We’ve learned that every organization’s journey is different. While some businesses are ready to migrate to Drupal 11 or a modern DXP, others need more time to plan their migration path. Community-driven support models are essential for ensuring that all Drupal users are cared for, regardless of their version. By working closely with other D7 Extended Support providers, the Drupal Security Team, and the Drupal Association, we’ve shared knowledge, coordinated security efforts, and ensured that Drupal 7 sites remain secure.
As we look beyond the Drupal 7 EOL, our focus remains on supporting the community and helping organizations build secure, future-ready digital experiences. The strength of Drupal lies in its people—the developers, site owners, contributors, and partners who make this ecosystem what it is. Whether your organization is planning a migration or needs help maintaining a Drupal 7 site, Dropsolid is committed to being a trusted partner in your journey. Our team is ready to work with the community to keep Drupal secure, open, and thriving.
The importance of security and having the best patches and support cannot be overstated. In a world where digital threats are constantly evolving, you cannot afford to take risks with your website’s security. Dropsolid provides the best insurance by delivering unparalleled security, support, and expertise, ensuring that your Drupal 7 site remains secure, stable, and compliant long after EOL.
Don’t leave the security and stability of your Drupal 7 site to chance. Partner with Dropsolid and leverage our comprehensive support, advanced security measures, and unmatched expertise to keep your digital presence strong and secure. Together, we’ll navigate the post-EOL landscape and build a safer, more resilient future for Drupal.
In the digital age, the security of your website is paramount. Without the best patches and reliable support, your site becomes vulnerable to cyber threats, which can lead to data breaches, financial loss, and damage to your reputation. Investing in top-tier security and support is not just a precaution—it’s a necessity. Dropsolid understands the critical nature of these needs and offers unparalleled solutions to ensure your Drupal 7 site remains secure and operational. Don’t risk your digital assets; choose Dropsolid for the best protection and peace of mind.
MidCamp 2025 is coming to Chicago this May, and we need your help to make it the most vibrant event yet!
With Dries Buytaert, the founder of Drupal, joining us, MidCamp is the perfect place for web developers, agencies, and students to connect, learn, and grow.
We’re launching a campaign to bring new attendees to the table, and we’re focusing on outreach to web dev clubs, groups, agencies, and students across the Midwest.
Here’s how you can help:
Let’s bring new energy to MidCamp by making sure everyone knows about this amazing opportunity!
Subject: Discover the Power of Scalable Web Development at MidCamp 2025!
Hi [Name],
I hope this email finds you well! I’m reaching out to share an incredible opportunity for web developers, agencies, and students to connect, learn, and grow at MidCamp 2025, taking place May 20–22 at DePaul University’s Student Center in Chicago.
Drupal is a powerful, open-source content management system used by millions of websites worldwide. From personal blogs to major corporations and government sites, Drupal’s scalability and flexibility make it a top choice for web development.
MidCamp (short for Midwest Drupal Camp) is an annual event that brings together developers, designers, and Drupal enthusiasts to share knowledge, build connections, and contribute to the Drupal community. It’s a space to learn new skills, discover best practices, and collaborate with peers.
This year’s event will feature Dries Buytaert, the founder of Drupal, and promises to be an unforgettable experience packed with collaboration, creativity, and inspiration.
Don’t miss out on the action! Buy your ticket today and join us in Chicago: Get Your Ticket Here.
Here’s how you can help us spread the word:
Your support in sharing this event will help us attract fresh perspectives and build a stronger, more connected Drupal community.
Thank you for helping make MidCamp 2025 a success! Let us know if you have any questions or need more information.
Don’t miss any updates about MidCamp! Follow us on social media for the latest news and announcements: LinkedIn, Bluesky, Mastodon, and Twitter.
Plus, sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about upcoming sessions, speakers, and more: Sign Up Here.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Feel free to customize this template to align with your specific goals and priorities. Let us know if you need further assistance or additional resources to make your case!
It's time to vote for the official DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 t-shirt! Thank you so much to everyone who entered the DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 t-shirt design contest! We've narrowed it down to the top three designs. Now, we're asking the Drupal community to help us by voting for their favorite design.
The winner who receives the most votes will have their design on the official DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 t-shirt AND win a ticket to DrupalCon! Voting ends on 28 January.
Design #1
Design #2
Design #3
I'm often asked, Will AI agents replace digital marketers and site builders?. The answer is yes, at least for certain kinds of tasks.
To explore this idea, I prototyped two AI agents to automate marketing tasks on my personal website. They update meta descriptions to improve SEO and optimize tags to improve content discovery.
Watching the AI agents in action is incredible. In the video below, you'll see them effortlessly navigate my Drupal site — logging in, finding posts, and editing content. It's a glimpse into how AI could transform the role of digital marketers.
I built two AI agents to help optimize my blog posts. Here is how they work together:
All of this could be done in one step, or with a single agent, but keeping a 'human-in-the-loop' is good for quality assurance.
This was achieved with just 120 lines of Python code and a few hours of trial and error. As the video demonstrates, the code is approachable for developers with basic programming skills.
The secret ingredient is the browser_use framework, which acts as a bridge between various LLMs and Playwright, a framework for browser automation and testing.
What makes this exciting is the agent's ability to problem-solve. It's almost human-like.
Watching the AI agents operate my site, I noticed they often face the same UX challenges as humans. It likely means that the more we simplify a CMS like Drupal for human users, the more accessible it becomes for AI agents. I find this link between human and AI usability both striking and thought-provoking.
In the first part of the video, the agent was tasked with finding my DrupalCon Lille 2023 keynote. When scrolling through the blog section failed, it adapted by using Google search instead.
In the second part of the video, it navigated Drupal's more complex UI elements, like auto-complete taxonomy fields, though it required one trial-and-error attempt.
The results are incredible, but not flawless. I ran the agents multiple times, and while they performed well most of the time, they aren't reliable enough for production use. However, this field is evolving quickly, and agents like this could become highly reliable within a year or two.
In my mind, agents can be categorized as "explorer agents" or "native agents". I haven't seen these terms used before, so here is how I define them:
The browser_use framework, in my view, is best suited for explorer agents. While it can be applied to a single website, as shown in my demo, it's not the most efficient approach.
Native agents that directly interact with the CMS's APIs should be more effective. Rather than imitating human behavior to "search" for content, the agent could retrieve it directly through a single API call. It could then programmatically propose changes within a CMS-supported content editing workflow, complete with role-based permissions and moderation states
I can also imagine a future where native agents and explorer agents work together (hybrid agents), combining the strengths of both approaches to unlock even greater opportunities.
A next step for me is to build a similar solution using Drupal's AI agent capabilities. Drupal's native AI agents should make finding and updating content more efficiently.
Of course, other digital marketing use cases might benefit from explorer agents. I'd be happy to explore these possibilities as well. Let me know if you have ideas.
Building an AI assistant to handle digital marketing tasks is no longer science fiction. It's clear that, soon, AI agents will be working alongside digital marketers and site builders.
These tools are advancing rapidly and are surprisingly easy to create, even though they're not yet perfect. Their potential disruption is both exciting and hard to fully understand.
As Drupal, we need to stay ahead by asking questions like: are we fully imagining the disruption AI could bring? The future is ours to shape, but we need to rise to the challenge.
Drupal CMS offers a powerful launchpad for building new websites. By streamlining the setup process, it reduces decision fatigue and simplifies the path to a functional site. However, it’s important to understand what Drupal CMS is—and what it isn’t.
Drupal CMS is built on Drupal core, but it’s not a separate version of Drupal that you can “upgrade” or “switch” to. Think of it as a set of pre-configured tools and best practices designed to save time and effort. While you could replicate the same website using Drupal core alone, Drupal CMS eliminates many of the manual steps, providing a quicker route to success.
But what about organizations already using Drupal? How can they tap into the innovation baked into Drupal CMS?
Here are five ways to make the most of Drupal CMS—even if your organization already has a Drupal website.
Drupal CMS is an excellent resource for onboarding new team members if your company is already using Drupal. It offers an intuitive way to start building a site from scratch, so that staff have a playground or sandbox for learning Drupal. It fosters the training process and allows for experimentation with new modules and recipes, before tackling more complex projects with custom themes, extensive configurations, and numerous modules. This approach helps your new staff build confidence and skills in a controlled environment.
Drupal CMS comes with a set of recommended recipes. Let’s take Accessibility Tools as an example. This tool adds a content accessibility checker to your website. You can apply this recipe to a new site, or look at the configuration it adds and implement best practices on your existing Drupal sites. It’s a simple way to improve your accessibility without needing to reinvent the wheel.
If your organization manages multiple Drupal installations with different codebases, recipes can help standardize and share features. Recipes are pre-configured components tailored to specific website needs, such as forms or landing pages. They’re easy to customize, making them ideal for sharing across teams while accommodating unique site requirements.
For organizations already using a custom Drupal installation across multiple sites, Drupal CMS can serve as a source of inspiration. Its recipes and default modules provide a reference point for updates and improvements, helping you refine your own Drupal ecosystem.
Drupal CMS is a great solution for quick-turnaround projects, such as event microsites or campaign landing pages. By using Drupal CMS for these single-use cases, you benefit from consistency across your web properties. Tools, techniques, and modules already in use on your main website can be easily applied, saving time and ensuring consistency.
One of the most exciting innovations on the horizon is the Experience Builder—a no-code solution under active development. While not included in the initial release of Drupal CMS, Experience Builder will soon empower content creators, marketers, and even designers to take charge of creating and styling marketing content without heavy reliance on developers. This rapid innovation, driven by Drupal CMS’s ambitious timeline, will be included in Drupal core and benefit all Drupal users.
Drupal is now 24 years old! The launch of Drupal CMS 1.0, a revolutionary product aimed at disrupting the world of Content Management Systems, took place on January 15, adding an extra layer of excitement to Drupal's birthday celebrations. At The Drop Times, we were on our toes from the very beginning of the new year, ensuring that all developments surrounding the launch were closely covered and delivered promptly to the global Drupal community. And we did it!
The Drop Times created a dedicated Drupal CMS Launch-themed landing page, consolidating all the news and events related to the launch. We successfully tracked and listed details of 57 launch parties taking place across different parts of the world. The Drop Times became the go-to source for all developments related to the Drupal CMS Launch. Encouraged by the overwhelming response to our coverage, we plan to offer similar focused coverage for other significant events within the Drupal community.
10 days shy of the Drupal CMS launch, we had another significant moment when the legacy Drupal 7 had its official end of life after serving the community for 14 long years. Those websites still in Drupal 7 now have six options left.
As a considerable interest group is rallying behind one or many of these options, we plan to offer stories related to migrations and upgrades as the situation warrants. This includes a dedicated landing page for BackDrop CMS-related stories soon.
Reflecting on the Drupal CMS launch, the event infused a wave of fresh energy into the community. The Official Drupal Launch Party live stream attracted a record number of attendees, the largest gathering other than the virtual DrupalCon during the COVID lockdown. Participants joined from all continents except Antarctica. At The Drop Times, we are committed to sustaining this newfound enthusiasm throughout the year.
Let's have a look at the important stories from the past week.
Thank you for your unwavering support for The Drop Times. Let us build a sustainable model for tackling the maker-taker problem by highlighting the real makers across the spectrum.
Sincerely,
Thomas Alias K,
Sub Editor, TDT.
Today we are talking about AI Autonomy, How it could help Drupal Development, and AI in the future with guest Jay Callicott. We’ll also cover AI Agents as our module of the week.
For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/485
TopicsJay Callicott - drupalninja99
HostsNic Laflin - nLighteneddevelopment.com nicxvan John Picozzi - epam.com johnpicozzi Scott Weston - scott-weston
MOTW CorrespondentMartin Anderson-Clutz - mandclu.com mandclu