drupal

The Drop Times: "We Really Want More People Contributing to Drupal"

Georgia’s Chief Digital and AI Officer, Nikhil Deshpande, shares insights with The DropTimes on how open-source technology and Drupal have transformed state services. In this interview, conducted by sub-editor Alka Elizabeth, Nikhil discusses accessibility, AI integration, community contribution, and the future of digital government platforms.

Drupal AI Initiative: Drupal AI 1.1.0 is out and brings major new features!

A huge joint stable release of AI was made yesterday, where 10 modules were updated to 1.1.0. This is a major milestone in the Drupal AI brings a host of improvements and significant new features. 

Announcement by Marcus Johansson.

Some technical facts of the AI release:

  • 105 issues fixed on AI Core, 75 issues fixed on AI Agents and roughly 25 issues on providers.
  • 90 unique contributors on AI Core
  • 244 files changed, 6500 lines added, 15044 lines removed on AI Core.

The most important update is function calling and a new agent framework, but here is a list of some other new features:

  • Custom Operation Types
  • Drush command to run AI
  • Make the chatbot tell it what its doing, while its doing it
  • Make it possible to add autocomplete fields to AI Automator Chains on CKEditor
  • AI Content Suggestion can be based on the rendered HTML of the entity
  • Normalized Structured Response
  • Any many more

Some things directly connected to it:

  • Drupal CMS AI agents have been updated and are now 90% effective up from 80%.
  • A new test framework has been created so can see their effectiveness more clearly and non developers can create new tests.
  • Improvements to AI search making use of function calling means they will more accurately search when you ask it to.
  • Over 1000 people in the #ai slack
  • An officially funded AI position and a Strategic initiative with multiple companies to make this sustainable
  • 4600 installs of AI up from 3000 at Atlanta

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Full details of Drupal AI 1.1.0

🚀 Major New Feature: Agentic Framework

The by far largest feature is the new Agentic framework where anyone can build agents without writing a single line of code. They are stored as configurations, meaning that you can build once, export and ship anywhere. And you can trigger them from anywhere you want - Chatbot, CLI, widgets, via an API etc.

Because Drupal is such a flexible and stable CMF, it will be the perfect agent runner. It adheres automatically to your contents permissions, files etc. while also keeping humans in the loop.

With the announcement of the new AI Initiative the future looks bright for Drupal and AI, the announcement is here if you haven't seen it.

🔧 Standards-Based Tooling

We’ve implemented the tooling in a MCP-standardized way, which opens the door for seamless integration with external tools—and makes it easier to share and reuse agents and tools across systems and languages.

🧠 Visual Tools for Everyone

Outside of this we have also added a visual AI Agents Testing Tool where you can setup complex scenarios and retest them over and over, without having to be a developer. An advanced agent tracing tool is also in the pipeline!

And in the 1.1.0 release we also have the possibility to setup the agents via the modeler api and BMPN.io in a graphical way thanks to Jürgen Haas! He also has a visual way of building tools on the way.

The hope is that everything we build, should be possible to use directly from the browser!

🙌 Thank You

I thought I would thank a list of people that have contributed to this, but I checked the unique contributors via git and got 90 people. So I will not try to list everyone, because I will surely forget someone - but special thanks to James Abrahams and FreelyGive Ltd for giving me the opportunity to work with this full time (and more :) )!

It will be really exciting what kind of agents people will build, we have already tried everything from agents that checks configuration diffs for you, to agents that builds components from images. Hopefully your imagination, and not the framework, will be the limit ;)

We have a MR that can be tested for using this within Drupal CMS as well.

For anyone interested in the new agent framework I did a presentation on it at Drupal Days Leuven and also have a longer developers preview. More videos and documentation to follow.

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DDEV Blog: DDEV June 2025 Newsletter

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Welcome to the June 2025 DDEV Newsletter
This month: TYPO3 Community Budget Proposal (VOTE NOW), Randy is back from bikepacking, Running Old PHP versions, Vite and DDEV with WordPress, DDEV Architecture, and more.

TYPO3: Your Vote Requested Before June 16!

  • Q3 TYPO3 Budget Proposal: Improved GitHub Codespaces and Dev Containers support - We’ve proposed significant enhancements to make DDEV shine in GitHub Codespaces and Dev Containers. This will help TYPO3 and all DDEV users. If you're a TYPO3 member, please cast your vote to help the DDEV proposal using the email you received from the TYPO3 Foundation before June 16. → Read more↗

What’s New

  • Randy is back from bikepacking!
    We covered lots of territory out in the state of New Mexico and had a great time. I'll never forget though, laying in my tent when we had some coverage and watching the DDEV community continue on supporting each other so very successfully. And every support answer from Stas was exactly what I would have said. I'm proud and amazed by this wonderful community.
  • Using DDEV to Spin Up A Legacy PHP Application
    A guest blog by TYPO3 contributor Garvin Hickling on how to use DDEV to run a (very) old PHP 5.3/MySQL 5.5 application → Read more↗
  • Securing DDEV’s Future: Our Commitment to Financial & Community Sustainability Read more↗
  • 106 GitHub Sponsors
    We now have 106 GitHub Sponsors! Breaking our aggregation script was a delightful milestone—thank you for believing in DDEV.
  • May 2025 Advisory Group Meeting NotesRead more↗. Join us July 2; ask for a calendar invitation in the DDEV Discord or the contact page.

Community Tutorials

  • Integrating Vite and DDEV into WordPressRead more↗
  • AI-generated DDEV Architecture by DeepWiki, pretty impressive! → Read more↗
  • Setup an existing WordPress multisite locally with DDEV (with Bonus Pantheon support!) from Kalamuna → Read more↗

Governance & Roadmap

  • Apache Foundation-inspired Project Management Committee Exploration
    We’re exploring a governance model inspired by the Apache Foundation and Backdrop CMS to better support long-term sustainability and shared leadership. Take a look and join the conversation about future DDEV governance → Details↗

Sponsorship Status

  • Monthly average income up from $7,639 to $7,809 (65% of $12,000 goal, up a percent since early May!). Every contribution helps sustain our work—thank you! → Become a sponsor↗

Stay in the loop—follow us and join the conversation

Drupal blog: Accelerating AI innovation in Drupal

This blog has been re-posted and edited with permission from Dries Buytaert's blog.

Drupal launches its AI Initiative with more than $100,000 in funding and a dedicated team to build AI tools for website creation and content management.
 

Imagine a marketer opening Drupal and with a clear goal in mind: launch a campaign for an upcoming event.

They start by uploading a brand kit to Drupal CMS: logos, fonts, and color palette. They define the campaign's audience as mid-sized business owners interested in digital transformation. Then they create a creative guide that outlines the event's goals, key messages, and tone.

With this in place, AI agents within Drupal step in to assist. Drawing from existing content and media, the agents help generate landing pages, each optimized for a specific audience segment. They suggest headlines, refine copy based on the creative guide, create components based on the brand kit, insert a sign-up form, and assemble everything into cohesive, production-ready pages.

Using Drupal's built-in support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the AI agents connect to analytics tools and monitor performance. If a page is not converting well, the system makes overnight updates. It might adjust layout, improve clarity, or refine the calls to action.

Every change is tracked. The marketer can review, approve, revert, or adjust anything. They stay in control, even as the system takes on more of the routine work.

Why it matters

AI is changing how websites are built and managed faster than most people expected. The digital experience space is shifting from manual workflows to outcome-driven orchestration. Instead of building everything from scratch, users will set goals, and AI will help deliver results.

This future is not about replacing people. It is about empowering them. It is about freeing up time for creative and strategic work while AI handles the rest. AI will take care of routine tasks, suggest improvements, and respond to real-time feedback. People will remain in control, but supported by powerful new tools that make their work easier and faster.

The path forward won't be perfect. Change is never easy, and there are still many lessons to learn, but standing still isn't an option. If we want AI to head in the right direction, we have to help steer it. We are excited to move fast, but just as committed to doing it thoughtfully and with purpose.

The question is not whether AI will change how we build websites, but how we as a community will shape that change.

A coordinated push forward

Drupal already has a head start in AI. At DrupalCon Barcelona 2024, I showed how Drupal's AI tools help a site creator market wine tours. Since then, we have seen a growing ecosystem of AI modules, active integrations, and a vibrant community pushing boundaries. Today, about 1,000 people are sharing ideas and collaborating in the #ai channel on Drupal Slack.

At DrupalCon Atlanta in March 2025, I shared our latest AI progress. We also brought together key contributors working on AI in Drupal. Our goal was simple: get organized and accelerate progress. After the event, the group committed to align on a shared vision and move forward together.

Since then, this team has been meeting regularly, almost every day. I've been working with the team to help guide the direction. With a lot of hard work behind us, I'm excited to introduce the Drupal AI Initiative.

The Drupal AI Initiative builds on the momentum in our community by bringing structure and shared direction to the work already in progress. By aligning around a common strategy, we can accelerate innovation.

What we're launching today

The Drupal AI Initiative is closely aligned with the broader Drupal CMS strategy, particularly in its focus on making site building both faster and easier. At the same time, this work is not limited to Drupal CMS. It is also intended to benefit people building custom solutions on Drupal Core, as well as those working with alternative distributions of Drupal.

To support this initiative, we are announcing:

  • A clear strategy to guide Drupal's AI vision and priorities (PDF mirror).
  • A Drupal AI leadership team to drive product direction, fundraising, and collaboration across work tracks.
  • A funded delivery team focused on execution, with the equivalent of several full-time roles already committed, including technical leads, UX and project managers, and release coordination.
  • Active work tracks covering areas like AI Core, AI Products, AI Marketing, and AI UX.
  • USD $100,000 in operational funding, contributed by the initiative's founding companies.

For more details, read the full announcement on the Drupal AI Initiative page on Drupal.org.

Founding members and early support

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Some of the founding members of the Drupal AI initiative during our launch call on Google Hangouts.

Over the past few months, we've invested hundreds of hours shaping our AI strategy, defining structure, and taking first steps.

I want to thank the founding members of the Drupal AI Initiative. These individuals and organizations played a key role in getting things off the ground. The list is ordered alphabetically by last name to recognize all contributors equally:

These individuals, along with the companies supporting them, have already contributed significant time, energy, and funding. I am grateful for their early commitment.

I also want to thank the staff at the Drupal Association and the Drupal CMS leadership team for their support and collaboration.

What comes next

I'm glad the Drupal AI Initiative is now underway. The Drupal AI strategy is published, the structure is in place, and multiple work tracks are open and moving forward. We'll share more details and updates in the coming weeks.

With every large initiative, we are evolving how we organize, align, and collaborate. The Drupal AI Initiative builds on that progress. As part of that, we are also exploring more ways to recognize and reward meaningful contributions.

We are creating ways for more of you to get involved with Drupal AI. Whether you are a developer, designer, strategist, or sponsor, there is a place for you in this work. If you're part of an agency, we encourage you to step forward and become a Maker. The more agencies that contribute, the more momentum we build.

Update: In addition to the initiative's founding members, Amazee.io already stepped forward with another commitment of USD $20,000 and one full-time contributor. Thank you! This brings the total operating budget to USD $120,000. Please consider joining as well.

AI is changing how websites and digital experiences are built. This is our moment to be part of the change and help define what comes next.

Join us in the #ai-initiative channel on Drupal Slack to get started.

LakeDrops Drupal Consulting, Development and Hosting: Drupal Modeler API ready for testing

Drupal Modeler API ready for testing Image removed.Jürgen Haas Wed 11 Jun 2025 - 08:35

The Modeler API is a new module that has been created by the Drupal community to address the requirement of existing modules and ecosystems with complex configurations, providing modern and easy-to-use UIs for non-technical users so they can independently create, modify, and maintain their own sites. Examples of such ecosystems are ECA (Events, Conditions, Actions - Drupal's modern rules engine), AI Agents, and Migrations.

Talking Drupal: TD Cafe #004 - Ivan Stegic & Randy Oest

In this episode, Ivan Stegic and Randy Oest discuss the impact of AI on junior developers and other roles, debating whether AI will be a disruptive force in the job market. They delve into the complexities of using LinkedIn for job hunting and effective networking strategies. The conversation shifts to new features in Figma, the potential of AI-driven coding tools like Cursor, and the importance of investing in junior developers. They also explore higher education design systems, innovative business strategies, and reflect on the balance between tactical and digital controls in modern cars. The episode wraps up with a light-hearted chat about slang, parental roles, and mentorship.

For show notes visit: https://www.talkingDrupal.com/cafe004

Topics Ivan Stegic

Ivan is a prominent leader in the Drupal community and the founder of TEN7, a Minneapolis-based technology studio specializing in Drupal development, strategy, and digital transformation. With a background in physics and a passion for problem-solving, Ivan transitioned from science to tech, ultimately finding a perfect fit in the open-source world of Drupal. Since founding TEN7 in 2007, Ivan has championed Drupal as a powerful, scalable platform for mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, and enterprises. Under his leadership, TEN7 has delivered impactful Drupal solutions for clients across education, healthcare, and government sectors. Ivan is also known for fostering a people-first company culture grounded in trust, transparency, and continuous improvement. Beyond his work at TEN7, Ivan is an active contributor to the Drupal project, frequently speaking at DrupalCons and camps, hosting the ONE OF 8 BILLION podcast (formerly the TEN7 Podcast), and mentoring others in the community. His advocacy for open source and ethical tech underscores his commitment to using Drupal to make the internet—and the world—a better place.

Randy Oest

Randy is a design strategist, creative director, and accessibility advocate helping mission-driven organizations craft inclusive, user-centered digital experiences. With a background that spans visual design, front-end development, and content strategy, Randy specializes in building scalable design systems and digital platforms—particularly within the Drupal ecosystem. As the former Creative Director at Four Kitchens, Randy led cross-functional teams in developing cohesive design strategies, architecting front-end systems, and aligning user experience with organizational goals. He’s known for bridging the gap between high-level vision and implementation, ensuring that every project is both beautiful and deeply usable. Beyond his client work, Randy is a frequent speaker at DrupalCon, regional camps, and virtual events, where he shares insights on accessibility, usability, and design systems. A passionate advocate for open-source collaboration and digital equity, he is committed to making the web a more inclusive and empowering space for everyone.

  • Debunking AI Myths: Junior Developers Are Here to Stay
  • Casual Catch-Up: Podcast Conversations and AI Avatars
  • LinkedIn: A Wasteland or a Goldmine?
  • Creative Networking: From Fortune Tellers to Meaningful Connections
  • Figma Innovations: Draw and Sites
  • The Future of Coding: AI Tools and Junior Developers
  • Flying Cars and Spam Texts
  • Dealing with Spam Texts
  • Exploring Higher Education Design Systems
  • The Onion's Creative Agency
  • The Importance of Tactile Controls in Cars
  • Wrapping Up and Future Plans
Guests

Ivan Stegic - TEN7 ivanstegic Randy Oest - amazingrando.com amazingrando

The Drop Times: Drupal Public Data, Statistics & Silver Linings? An Exploration #6

In this final installment of a multi-part series, Professor Graham Leach examines the Drupal Project’s 2024 decision to end support for Drupal 7. The article analyzes why migration efforts failed, assesses the project's strategic shift, and outlines the broader consequences for open source users and maintainers. Key insights include the limits of technology adoption, the realities of long-term support, and the need for new governance models in Free and Open Source Software.

Zoocha: Making Regression Testing Work for You

Making Regression Testing Work for... QA Testing duncan Mon, 09/06/2025 - 15:46 Why Regression Testing Matters Every time a new version of your website is prepared for deployment, whether it’s a minor update, a major upgrade, or a bug fix, there’s a risk that something unexpected breaks. That’s where regression testing comes in. Regression testing is a repeatable suite of checks designed to ensure that recent changes haven't unintentionally…