{"id":5639,"date":"2024-10-20T21:13:12","date_gmt":"2024-10-20T15:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/?p=5639"},"modified":"2026-04-21T21:57:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:27:35","slug":"drupal-overview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Drupal CMS: Complete Helpful Guide (2026) \u2013 Features, Installation, Advantages &#038; More"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div><p>In this introduction, we&#8217;ll explore what Drupal is, its core features, its advantages and drawbacks, and why it&#8217;s considered one of the leading CMS platforms for websites of all scales\u2014from personal blogs to government portals and large-scale corporate websites.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<\/div><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#what-is-drupal\" >What is Drupal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#history\" >History:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#key-features\" >Key Features<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#installations\" >Installations:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#advantages-and-disadvantages\" >Advantages and Disadvantages:<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#advantages\" >Advantages<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#disadvantages\" >Disadvantages<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#references\" >References:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#credits\" >Credits:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/drupal-overview\/#conclusion\" >Conclusion:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p data-start=\"276\" data-end=\"616\">In today\u2019s fast-evolving digital ecosystem, choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) is critical for building scalable, secure, and high-performing websites. Among the many CMS platforms available, <strong data-start=\"484\" data-end=\"494\">Drupal<\/strong> continues to stand out as a powerful and flexible solution trusted by developers, enterprises, and governments worldwide.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"618\" data-end=\"958\">From simple blogs to complex enterprise-grade platforms, Drupal offers unmatched customization, strong security, and enterprise-level scalability. In this guide, we\u2019ll explore everything you need to know about Drupal in <strong data-start=\"838\" data-end=\"846\">2026<\/strong>, including its features, history, installation, advantages, disadvantages, and why it remains a top CMS choice.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-is-drupal\"><\/span>What is Drupal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Drupal is a free and\u00a0<a title=\"wikipedia.org - Open-source model\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Open-source_model\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">open-source<\/a>\u00a0<a title=\"wikipedia.org - List of content management frameworks\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/List_of_content_management_frameworks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">content-management framework<\/a>\u00a0that can be customized and is suitable for developing simple websites or complex web applications.\u00a0<strong>Drupal grows as you grow<\/strong>\u00a0with thousands of free modules and themes that will help you attract the web audience you need to deliver your message, grow brand awareness, and build your community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start\">It is an open-source Content Management System built by a community of over 630,000+ developers and users. Its open-source model ensures continuous development with the help of the latest technologies and abilities characterized by standard, ease of use, and modularity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start\">It is a convenient solution that enables its users to develop and administer comprehensive web content. It comes with a special structure, that can be utilized to develop various kinds of web applications, this distinguishes Drupal from CMS systems.<\/p>\n<p class=\"q-text qu-display--block qu-wordBreak--break-word qu-textAlign--start\">The Drupal engine is coded in the <a href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/category\/core-php\/\">PHP language<\/a> and uses PostgreSQL and MySQL databases at the backend. Unlike other CMS, it offers the ability to inflate its functionality by incorporating additional modules.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"history\"><\/span>History:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It was created by Dries Buytaert in 2001 as a message board. Over time, it evolved into a full-fledged open-source CMS. Since then, Drupal has grown into one of the most <a href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/category\/php-cms\/\">popular CMS platforms<\/a> in the world, supported by a large and active global community of developers, contributors, and users.<\/p>\n<p>Each new version of it has brought with it significant improvements in functionality, usability, and performance. Drupal 7, released in 2011, introduced major usability improvements, especially for non-technical users. Drupal 8, launched in 2015, brought modern object-oriented programming practices to the core and introduced powerful tools like the Symfony framework and Twig templating engine.<\/p>\n<p>Drupal 9, released in 2020, streamlined the upgrade process and moved toward deprecating outdated code, ensuring a smoother transition between versions. Drupal 10, launched in December 2022, brought significant updates, including Symfony 6 support, a new admin theme (Claro), and the next-generation text editor CKEditor 5.<\/p>\n<p>In 2024, the release of <strong>Drupal<\/strong>\u00a0marks the latest chapter in the platform\u2019s evolution. Drupal 11 continues to build on its reputation for being a secure, customizable, and future-proof CMS, with updates designed to make site management even more efficient and intuitive.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"key-features\"><\/span>Key Features<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Here are some of its most defining features:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Modular System: <\/strong>Its modular system is one of its most powerful aspects. The core system is minimal, with only the essential features needed to run a basic website. Additional functionality can be added through <strong>modules<\/strong>, which are packages of code that extend Drupal\u2019s capabilities. The Drupal community offers thousands of contributed modules for everything from search engine optimization (SEO) to e-commerce.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Content Types and Taxonomy: <\/strong>It excels at managing structured content. You can create custom <strong>content types<\/strong>, each with its fields and settings, allowing you to organize different types of information efficiently. The <strong>taxonomy<\/strong> system allows for easy categorization and tagging of content, making it easier to organize and present information to your users.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Advanced User Permissions: <\/strong>It&#8217;s permission system is highly customizable, allowing you to define specific roles for users and assign them detailed access rights. This is particularly useful for websites with multiple contributors or large organizations that need to control access at granular levels.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Scalability and Performance: <\/strong>One of the reasons large enterprises and governments favor Drupal is its ability to handle large volumes of traffic and data. Drupal\u2019s caching capabilities, along with support for external caching systems like <strong>Varnish<\/strong> and <strong>Memcache<\/strong>, help to ensure that even the most content-heavy websites can perform well under high traffic loads.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Multilingual Support: <\/strong>It comes with built-in multilingual capabilities, making it easy to create websites that support multiple languages. This feature is essential for global organizations, as it allows them to deliver content to users in their native language while maintaining a unified website architecture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Security: <\/strong>It is known for its strong security framework. It has a dedicated security team that regularly releases updates and patches to protect websites from vulnerabilities. The platform includes features like role-based permissions, database encryption, and support for best-in-class security modules, making it a trusted choice for high-security websites like government portals and financial institutions.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Responsive Design and Accessibility: <\/strong>Modern Drupal themes are responsive, ensuring that websites built on the platform work well across devices, from mobile phones to large desktop screens. It is also highly focused on <strong>web accessibility<\/strong>, ensuring that websites meet standards for users with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Headless CMS Capabilities: <\/strong>It has embraced the idea of decoupled or headless architecture, which allows the CMS to be used as a backend system while using a modern JavaScript framework (such as React, Vue.js, or Angular) to build the front-end experience. This approach is particularly useful for delivering content across multiple platforms, including web apps, mobile apps, and IoT devices.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"installations\"><\/span>Installations:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Below is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to install it, either on a local machine (for development) or a production server.<\/p>\n<p><strong>System Requirements<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Before starting the installation, ensure your server meets these minimum requirements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Web Server<\/strong>: Apache (recommended), Nginx, or IIS<\/li>\n<li><strong>PHP Version<\/strong>: PHP 8.1 or higher<\/li>\n<li><strong>Database<\/strong>: MySQL 5.7.8 or higher, MariaDB 10.3.7 or higher, PostgreSQL 12 or higher, SQLite 3.28 or higher<\/li>\n<li><strong>Composer<\/strong>: Required for managing Drupal dependencies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Step 1: Download Drupal<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once Composer is installed, you can download Drupal using the following command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950\">\n<pre class=\"overflow-y-auto p-4\" dir=\"ltr\">composer create-project drupal\/recommended-project my_site_name_dir<code class=\"!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash\">\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>This command will create a new directory for your Drupal project with all necessary dependencies. Change to that directory:<\/p>\n<div class=\"contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950\">\n<pre class=\"overflow-y-auto p-4\" dir=\"ltr\">cd my_site_name_dir<code class=\"!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash\">\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p><strong>Step 2: Set Up a Database<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It requires a database to store its content and configuration. Create a new database using your preferred database management system (MySQL, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL). For example, in MySQL:<\/p>\n<div class=\"contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950\">\n<pre class=\"overflow-y-auto p-4\" dir=\"ltr\">CREATE DATABASE drupal11_db;\r\nCREATE USER 'drupaluser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';\r\nGRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON drupal11_db.* TO 'drupaluser'@'localhost';\r\nFLUSH PRIVILEGES;<code class=\"!whitespace-pre hljs language-sql\">\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>Take note of the database name, username, and password, as you will need them during the installation process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 3: Configure the Web Server<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For Apache, ensure that <strong>mod_rewrite<\/strong> is enabled, as It requires clean URLs. You can enable it with the following command:<\/p>\n<div class=\"contain-inline-size rounded-md border-[0.5px] border-token-border-medium relative bg-token-sidebar-surface-primary dark:bg-gray-950\">\n<pre class=\"overflow-y-auto p-4\" dir=\"ltr\">sudo a2enmod rewrite\r\nsudo service apache2 restart<code class=\"!whitespace-pre hljs language-bash\">\r\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<p>For Nginx, make sure the server block is configured correctly to point to your Drupal directory.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Step 4: Install Drupal<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Navigate to your Drupal site URL using your web browser. If installed locally, it may be something like <code>http:\/\/localhost\/my_site_name_dir\/web<\/code>.<\/li>\n<li>You will be greeted by the Drupal installation screen. Select your preferred language and click &#8220;Save and Continue.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>In the &#8220;Choose Profile&#8221; section, select <strong>Standard<\/strong> for a full Drupal installation with commonly used modules, or <strong>Minimal<\/strong> if you prefer to install only the essential components.<\/li>\n<li>On the &#8220;Set up Database&#8221; screen, enter the database credentials (name, username, and password) you created earlier, then click &#8220;Save and Continue.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Drupal will now install the necessary files and modules. Once installation is complete, you will be prompted to configure your site.<\/li>\n<li>Provide a site name, administrative email, and credentials for the site administrator. You can also configure regional settings such as time zone and default country.<\/li>\n<li>Click <strong>Save and Continue<\/strong> to finalize the installation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Step 5: Post-Installation Configuration<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once it is installed, you\u2019ll be directed to the administrative dashboard, where you can:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Install and configure additional modules.<\/li>\n<li>Set up themes to customize the appearance of your site.<\/li>\n<li>Manage content types and user roles.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"advantages-and-disadvantages\"><\/span>Advantages and Disadvantages:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"advantages\"><\/span><strong>Advantages<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Technically Advanced<\/strong> \u2013 It stands out as the most technically advanced of the three major content management systems. It uses fewer system resources than WordPress, which means users won\u2019t need to upgrade to more expensive hosting options as quickly.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Improved Performance<\/strong> \u2013 Websites built with it generally load faster and offer better response times compared to those built on WordPress or Joomla. However, performance can vary depending on the number of plug-ins and customizations you add.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Highly Customizable<\/strong> \u2013 It offers extensive customization options through various modules, themes, and configuration settings. For users with programming expertise, even the core files of the system can be modified, making it the most flexible platform among the three.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Robust and Flexible Content Management<\/strong> \u2013 It excels in content creation and management. It supports a wide range of content types such as video, polls, blogs, podcasts, user management, and more. With advanced features like revision control and real-time stats, it offers exceptional versatility.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Advanced Administrative Controls<\/strong> \u2013 It provides powerful tools for managing users and permissions. Administrators can set detailed user roles and permissions, ensuring fine-grained control over who can create, edit, and manage content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"disadvantages\"><\/span><strong>Disadvantages<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Steep Learning Curve<\/strong> \u2013 It is not the most user-friendly platform, particularly for beginners. It requires more technical knowledge than WordPress and Joomla, both of which are easier to use but lack the depth of It&#8217;s features.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Limited Backward Compatibility<\/strong> \u2013 It doesn\u2019t guarantee backward compatibility between major versions, which can require developers to update or rewrite modules and themes for compatibility. However, it ensures that user data is not affected during upgrades, providing some level of stability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"references\"><\/span>References:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.drupal.org\/docs\/getting-started\/understanding-drupal\/overview-of-drupal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.drupal.org\/docs\/getting-started\/understanding-drupal\/overview-of-drupal<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"credits\"><\/span>Credits:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@rubaitulazad?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rubaitul Azad<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/logo-CU2NF0Jz5pI?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Unsplash<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It stands as a robust <a href=\"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/category\/php-cms\/\">content management system<\/a> designed for developers and groups in need of extensive customization, adaptability, and protection. Although it presents a more challenging learning experience compared to certain other options, its versatility renders it perfect for creating intricate websites and applications.<\/p>\n<p>With the recent updates in Drupal 10, the system keeps advancing, solidifying its position as a leading force in content management. Whether your organization is a small company or a large corporation, it can be customized to suit your specific requirements for web development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this introduction, we&#8217;ll explore what Drupal is, its core features, its advantages and drawbacks, and why it&#8217;s considered one of the leading CMS platforms for websites of all scales\u2014from personal blogs to government portals and large-scale corporate websites. In today\u2019s fast-evolving digital ecosystem, choosing the right Content Management System (CMS) is critical for building [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Drupal Overview\r\n\r\nIn this introduction, we'll explore what Drupal is, its core features, its advantages and drawbacks, and why it's considered one of the leading CMS platforms.\r\n\r\n#drupal #drupaltutorial #drupaldevelopment #phptutorialpoints #webdevelopment","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[40],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drupal"],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/drupal-overview-1.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5639"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6794,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5639\/revisions\/6794"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/phptutorialpoints.in\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}