We’re excited to announce that a draft Drupal Site Template MVP Marketplace proposal will be released next week for public comment. This version outlines a clear Minimum Valuable Product (MVP) focused on early value, sustainability, and trust.
But first — here’s a look at what’s been shaping the direction of this proposal.
The Business Model Canvas: A Snapshot
To help align on strategy and priorities for the Site Template Marketplace, the Working Group created a Business Model Canvas—a simple tool that breaks down the core elements of how the Marketplace can deliver value and remain sustainable. The Working Group landed on an MVP model that centers:
Primary Users: Low-code/no-code marketers and freelancer agencies
Key Value: Trusted, flexible site templates that reduce time-to-launch and lower adoption barriers
Revenue Stream: application and referral fees on sales and upsell opportunities to support Drupal Association infrastructure
Cost Structure: Low-overhead pilot with both automated and staff-supported review
What We Heard: Shared Priorities Across Surveys and Slack
More than 500 people have shared their perspectives across four surveys—and others have weighed in through Slack discussions, real-time collaboration, and open conversations.
This community and end-user input has been honest, nuanced, and incredibly generous. It has revealed clear patterns, thoughtful tensions, and strong signals of where the community wants to go. So as in advance of the MVP proposal’s release, let’s reflect back what we’ve heard so far.
1. Trust Starts with Quality, Transparency, and Previews
Both in survey responses and in Slack, the message was the same: don’t launch unless people can trust what they’re getting.
Top trust signals:
A live demo or preview (most consistently requested signal across all channels)
Clear documentation of dependencies and limitations
Visible signals of quality (badges, reviews, contributor reputation)
In Slack, people emphasized that even a great theme becomes untrustworthy if it’s hardcoded, inaccessible, or unclear about what it installs.
Show me a demo. Let me see the code. If it’s a mystery box, I won’t touch it.”
2. People Want a Marketplace That Reflects Drupal’s Open Source Values
From contributors and module maintainers to end users and evaluators, we heard a common theme: this effort should feel like Drupal.
Governance should be fair, transparent, and enforceable—not performative.
Monetization is okay—but must support the whole ecosystem, not just those selling templates.
Attribution matters. Contributors want to be credited, not cloned.
If someone else is profiting off my work, I need to at least be recognized.”
Slack also raised the importance of review pathways that aren’t vulnerable to sabotage or bias—suggesting a need for a mix of automation and paid staff to ensure fairness.
3. There’s Real Enthusiasm—for the Right Version of This
End users want this. Freelancers want this. Agencies want this.
85% of end-user survey respondents said vetted templates would increase their likelihood of recommending Drupal.
Agencies see templates as a powerful tool for demos, pre-sales, and fast-start projects.
Contributors are eager to participate—if it’s worth their time.
Key Tensions: Where We’ll Need to Find Balance
Pricing Expectations Don’t Match (Yet)
Users: Many want free or low-cost templates, especially smaller orgs and nonprofits.
Contributors: Cite $300–$1,000 as reasonable price points for a complete, maintained, accessible, and documented product.
Slack conversations added nuance: Some contributors are fine with lower prices if the marketplace generates leads or recognition. Others say without fair compensation, they simply won’t participate.
Certification: Signal or Gate?
Users want badges that help them sort and trust.
Contributors fear certification could slow things down or create an unfair playing field.
Slack participants suggested offering optional badges or tiers, not mandatory certification at launch. A common theme: start lightweight, evolve with real usage.
Monetization: Supportive or Distracting?
There’s broad support for monetization—but only if it’s done with intention.
Contributors want clear, fair revenue splits—and protection against cloned or stripped-down copies.
Users don’t want to encounter bait-and-switch upsells or gated features.
Slack conversations reinforced a desire to avoid WordPress-style chaos, emphasizing community moderation, ranking hygiene, and a meaningful DA role.
This has to feel like Drupal, not like a spammy plugin store.”
What’s Next: Your Turn
The Community public comment period will be open from 29 June 2025 through 13 July 2025. The Marketplace Working Group will meet on 15 July 2025 to review feedback and draft its final recommendation to the board for their go/no-go decision on 24 July 2025.
You will be able to share your thoughts by:
Anonymous feedback form
Issue queue
In Drupal Slack in #drupal-cms-marketplace
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who contributed through surveys, Slack, working sessions, and feedback. Your ideas, critiques, hopes, and flags are shaping this from the inside out. All of this feedback has resulted in a proposal that’s practical, community-aligned, and intentionally minimal.
This Marketplace effort is grounded in community—not just as a value, but as a working method. We’re exploring the Marketplace potential together — ideally, to create something not just to reduce friction for new users, but to grow a stronger, more sustainable Drupal ecosystem for all.
Stay tuned.
A Coordinated Leap Forward: Introducing the Drupal AI Strategic Initiative
Filmed at the AI Summit at London Tech Week 2025, this two-minute video captures the passion and purpose behind the newly-launched Drupal AI Strategic Initiative.
Join Baddý and Jamie as they explain why this work is important and why we need the Drupal community to rally behind it.
“In order to get fast innovation in Drupal AI, we need people to work on the project—and we’re doing that by getting funding and full-time contributors from participating companies.”
— Baddý Sonja Breidert
“I’ve never seen something quite like this in the Drupal community… It’s coordinated innovation not for one company, but for the whole open source community.”
— Jamie Abrahams
Join Baddý and Jamie as they explain why this work is important and why we need the Drupal community to rally behind it.
“In order to get fast innovation in Drupal AI, we need people to work on the project—and we’re doing that by getting funding and full-time contributors from participating companies.”
— Baddý Sonja Breidert
“I’ve never seen something quite like this in the Drupal community… It’s coordinated innovation not for one company, but for the whole open source community.”
— Jamie Abrahams
DrupalCon North America 2026: Evolving for the Community
DrupalCon has always been a conference by the community, for the community—and as we look ahead to DrupalCon North America 2026 in Chicago, we’re making thoughtful changes to ensure it continues to reflect those values.
After a successful DrupalCon Atlanta, we’ve taken time to reflect, gather feedback, and make updates that prioritize access, sustainability, and community connection. Each of the changes outlined below is rooted in one or more of these values—whether it's improving affordability, building lasting relationships, or creating a more efficient and inclusive event experience. With guidance from the DrupalCon North America Steering Committee, we’re excited to share a refreshed ticket structure, updated volunteer policies, a reimagined Expo Hall, and a renewed focus on summits, trainings, and collaboration.
What’s New for 2026
Ticket Pricing: More Affordable, More Accessible
We’ve simplified and lowered the cost of general admission tickets to make DrupalCon more accessible—without sacrificing the quality of experience our community expects. These changes were driven by feedback from past DrupalCon attendees, the North American Steering Committee, and the community at large, all of whom expressed a strong desire for more affordable access to the event.
Ticket Tier
Atlanta 2025
Chicago 2026
Savings
Early Bird
$890
$575
$315
Regular
$990
$700
$290
Late/Onsite
$1,190
$850
$340
Early Bird registration opens September 15, 2025 and is open for 16 weeks!
Secure your ticket early to lock in the best rate.
Camp & Local Association Ticket Perks
For every 5 tickets purchased from a Drupal camp or local association, that community will receive 1 complimentary ticket to share with a deserving community member, with a max of 10 complimentary tickets per local camp or association. It's our way of reinvesting in local leadership and participation.
Updated Volunteer Ticket Policy
This change reflects our focus on access and sustainability. In our DrupalCon Atlanta recap blog, we highlighted how streamlined operations improved the event experience for attendees and volunteers alike. Building on that momentum, we recognized the need for clearer guidelines to ensure volunteer opportunities are distributed fairly and effectively.
We’ve updated the volunteer ticket structure to make it more equitable and scalable:
Volunteer under 20 hours → 25% discount
Volunteer 20+ hours → Complimentary ticket
These tickets are non-transferable and may not be combined with other discounts.
Previously, volunteer ticket codes were sometimes misused or distributed without proper oversight. These updated guidelines help preserve full complimentary tickets for those who contribute a significant amount of time and effort, while also creating new opportunities for others to attend at a reduced rate.
Additionally, we’ve streamlined the on-site registration process with self-check-in, reducing the need for a large number of on-site volunteers and allowing us to focus support where it’s most impactful.
Learn more and sign up to volunteer.
Summits & Trainings: Real Talk, Real Skills
Summits are one of DrupalCon’s most valuable opportunities for industry-specific collaboration and knowledge sharing. Designed to connect attendees working in the same verticals, these events offer focused access to speakers with real-world experience, engaging roundtable discussions with peers in similar roles, and meaningful conversations about shared challenges. Attendees walk away with practical takeaways and lasting connections, while participating sponsors have a chance to introduce themselves to leaders in the space in an organic, relevant way.
Taking place Monday, 23 March 2026.
Industry & Community Summits
Join peers in:
Healthcare
Higher Education
Government
Nonprofit
Community
Each summit features two half-day sessions that do not conflict with the main conference program, creating space for meaningful discussion and idea sharing.
Summit Type
Atlanta 2025
Chicago 2026
Industry Summit
$250
$300
Community Summit
Free
Free for RippleMaker members, $50 for non-member
(Click HERE to become a Ripple Maker)
Lunch is not included with the Community Summit, but a lunch ticket add-on will be available for purchase during registration.
Trainings
DrupalCon Trainings remain at $500 and offer deep-dive, expert-led learning opportunities on a wide range of Drupal skills.
More Community Updates
You’ll notice more networking spaces, and informal meeting zones—especially in the Expo Hall and hallways. We’re doubling down on meaningful, unstructured connections.
These changes are only possible through thoughtful cost management and the continued support of our sponsors. Their partnership helps us keep ticket prices accessible while delivering the high-quality experience the community expects. We’re grateful to those who invest in DrupalCon and help us create an event that welcomes and supports everyone.
Traveling from Outside the U.S.?
The Drupal Association is happy to issue official invitation letters for those requiring a visa.
Request your visa letter here.
Letters are generated automatically—just complete the form and check your email (including spam folders).
Key Dates
Milestone
Date
Program at a Glance Released
6 June 2025
Call for Speakers Opens
21 July 2025
Early Bird Registration Opens
15 September 2025
Call for Speakers Closes
26 September 2025
Grants & Scholarships Applications Open
1 October 2025
Grants & Scholarships Applications Close
31 October 2025
Session Notifications to Speakers
12 November 2025
Grant & Scholarship Recipients Announced
12 November 2025
Regular Registration Opens
5 January 2026
Conference Schedule Available
13 January 2026
Late Registration Opens
23 February 2026
DrupalCon Chicago
23-26 March 2026
Stay at the Heart of the Action
Hilton Chicago is DrupalCon’s official headquarters hotel—and it's where the magic happens.
From morning coffee chats to late-night strategy sessions in the lobby, this is where the community connects. Staying on-site helps you maximize your time, make spontaneous connections, and be part of the full experience.
Book your room at the Hilton Chicago.
Sponsorship Updates
We’re reimagining our sponsorship offerings to better connect you with the Drupal community—bringing fresh opportunities and updated packages designed for greater visibility, value, and impact.
Want to be the first to know when they go live? Email partnerships@association.drupal.org and we’ll make sure you're on the list.
Let’s Build What’s Next—Together
DrupalCon is more than just a conference—it’s the beating heart of our community. These changes help us keep that heart strong, inclusive, and accessible.
We can’t wait to see you in Chicago, 23-26 March 2026.
After a successful DrupalCon Atlanta, we’ve taken time to reflect, gather feedback, and make updates that prioritize access, sustainability, and community connection. Each of the changes outlined below is rooted in one or more of these values—whether it's improving affordability, building lasting relationships, or creating a more efficient and inclusive event experience. With guidance from the DrupalCon North America Steering Committee, we’re excited to share a refreshed ticket structure, updated volunteer policies, a reimagined Expo Hall, and a renewed focus on summits, trainings, and collaboration.
What’s New for 2026
Ticket Pricing: More Affordable, More Accessible
We’ve simplified and lowered the cost of general admission tickets to make DrupalCon more accessible—without sacrificing the quality of experience our community expects. These changes were driven by feedback from past DrupalCon attendees, the North American Steering Committee, and the community at large, all of whom expressed a strong desire for more affordable access to the event.
Ticket Tier
Atlanta 2025
Chicago 2026
Savings
Early Bird
$890
$575
$315
Regular
$990
$700
$290
Late/Onsite
$1,190
$850
$340
Early Bird registration opens September 15, 2025 and is open for 16 weeks!
Secure your ticket early to lock in the best rate.
Camp & Local Association Ticket Perks
For every 5 tickets purchased from a Drupal camp or local association, that community will receive 1 complimentary ticket to share with a deserving community member, with a max of 10 complimentary tickets per local camp or association. It's our way of reinvesting in local leadership and participation.
Updated Volunteer Ticket Policy
This change reflects our focus on access and sustainability. In our DrupalCon Atlanta recap blog, we highlighted how streamlined operations improved the event experience for attendees and volunteers alike. Building on that momentum, we recognized the need for clearer guidelines to ensure volunteer opportunities are distributed fairly and effectively.
We’ve updated the volunteer ticket structure to make it more equitable and scalable:
Volunteer under 20 hours → 25% discount
Volunteer 20+ hours → Complimentary ticket
These tickets are non-transferable and may not be combined with other discounts.
Previously, volunteer ticket codes were sometimes misused or distributed without proper oversight. These updated guidelines help preserve full complimentary tickets for those who contribute a significant amount of time and effort, while also creating new opportunities for others to attend at a reduced rate.
Additionally, we’ve streamlined the on-site registration process with self-check-in, reducing the need for a large number of on-site volunteers and allowing us to focus support where it’s most impactful.
Learn more and sign up to volunteer.
Summits & Trainings: Real Talk, Real Skills
Summits are one of DrupalCon’s most valuable opportunities for industry-specific collaboration and knowledge sharing. Designed to connect attendees working in the same verticals, these events offer focused access to speakers with real-world experience, engaging roundtable discussions with peers in similar roles, and meaningful conversations about shared challenges. Attendees walk away with practical takeaways and lasting connections, while participating sponsors have a chance to introduce themselves to leaders in the space in an organic, relevant way.
Taking place Monday, 23 March 2026.
Industry & Community Summits
Join peers in:
Healthcare
Higher Education
Government
Nonprofit
Community
Each summit features two half-day sessions that do not conflict with the main conference program, creating space for meaningful discussion and idea sharing.
Summit Type
Atlanta 2025
Chicago 2026
Industry Summit
$250
$300
Community Summit
Free
Free for RippleMaker members, $50 for non-member
(Click HERE to become a Ripple Maker)
Lunch is not included with the Community Summit, but a lunch ticket add-on will be available for purchase during registration.
Trainings
DrupalCon Trainings remain at $500 and offer deep-dive, expert-led learning opportunities on a wide range of Drupal skills.
More Community Updates
You’ll notice more networking spaces, and informal meeting zones—especially in the Expo Hall and hallways. We’re doubling down on meaningful, unstructured connections.
These changes are only possible through thoughtful cost management and the continued support of our sponsors. Their partnership helps us keep ticket prices accessible while delivering the high-quality experience the community expects. We’re grateful to those who invest in DrupalCon and help us create an event that welcomes and supports everyone.
Traveling from Outside the U.S.?
The Drupal Association is happy to issue official invitation letters for those requiring a visa.
Request your visa letter here.
Letters are generated automatically—just complete the form and check your email (including spam folders).
Key Dates
Milestone
Date
Program at a Glance Released
6 June 2025
Call for Speakers Opens
21 July 2025
Early Bird Registration Opens
15 September 2025
Call for Speakers Closes
26 September 2025
Grants & Scholarships Applications Open
1 October 2025
Grants & Scholarships Applications Close
31 October 2025
Session Notifications to Speakers
12 November 2025
Grant & Scholarship Recipients Announced
12 November 2025
Regular Registration Opens
5 January 2026
Conference Schedule Available
13 January 2026
Late Registration Opens
23 February 2026
DrupalCon Chicago
23-26 March 2026
Stay at the Heart of the Action
Hilton Chicago is DrupalCon’s official headquarters hotel—and it's where the magic happens.
From morning coffee chats to late-night strategy sessions in the lobby, this is where the community connects. Staying on-site helps you maximize your time, make spontaneous connections, and be part of the full experience.
Book your room at the Hilton Chicago.
Sponsorship Updates
We’re reimagining our sponsorship offerings to better connect you with the Drupal community—bringing fresh opportunities and updated packages designed for greater visibility, value, and impact.
Want to be the first to know when they go live? Email partnerships@association.drupal.org and we’ll make sure you're on the list.
Let’s Build What’s Next—Together
DrupalCon is more than just a conference—it’s the beating heart of our community. These changes help us keep that heart strong, inclusive, and accessible.
We can’t wait to see you in Chicago, 23-26 March 2026.
Introducing a free Drupal AI Webinar Series in Partnership with the European Commission
Drupal is entering a new era, transforming into an AI-first CMS. Powered by open, ethical, and human-centred AI.
We’re proud to launch the free webinar training series offered in partnership with the European Commission. These free, public webinars are designed to equip the global Drupal community with practical skills, architectural understanding, and the ethical frameworks needed to work with AI inside Drupal. Whether you’re a developer, site builder, content strategist, or part of a digital agency team, there’s something here for you.
The series brings together contributors from across the open source AI ecosystem, featuring maintainers of the AI module, members of the Drupal AI Strategic Initiative, and the wider Drupal CMS innovation team.
We really believe that the process of contributing—of trying things out, experimenting on difficult problems—helps bring AI knowledge into both individuals and their organisations.
Jamie Abrahams
Watch the first session recording today
“Bringing Drupal AI into your DNA - How to Learn, Use and Contribute to the Drupal AI Ecosystem”, aired live on 10 June and is available to watch on YouTube. Hosted by Jamie Abrahams (FreelyGive) with a guest appearance from Drupal founder Dries Buytaert (Acquia), this session outlined the architecture, vision, and community momentum behind Drupal’s approach to AI.
It introduced viewers to:
The AI module and its plugin-based approach to LLM providers
Use cases like content automation, accessibility improvements, and semantic search
The ethical principles guiding Drupal’s AI efforts: Trust, Transparency, and Choice
Drupal AI Agents and Swarms: modular, no-code AI orchestration already in use today
A strategic roadmap that includes tight integration with upcoming Experience Builder features and MCP (Model Context Protocol)
We imagine a future where site builders define the goal—like 300 event signups—and AI agents get to work alongside humans to make it happen.
Dries Buytaert
Upcoming Sessions
In the coming months, the webinar series continues with targeted training sessions that build upon each other. All sessions are free, recorded, and open to the public.
1 July: Installing the AI Module & Basic Features
2 September: AI Search
23 September: AI Agents (No-Code Creation)
7 October: Advanced: Build AI Agents with Code
Each webinar will include demonstrations, practical walk-throughs, and guidance on how to get started, contribute back, and explore AI ethically in your Drupal projects.
AI is not a substitute for human intelligence—it’s a tool to amplify human creativity and ingenuity.
Jamie Abrahams
Do You Want to Get Involved?
You can sign up for upcoming sessions and explore the series details. This is your opportunity to learn from the team building the future of Drupal and to participate in shaping it. Are you interested in content automation, smarter search, accessibility tooling, or advanced AI orchestration? Then this series is for you.
We can’t skip the human-in-the-loop. It’s essential that humans stay in control, and that AI in Drupal remains transparent, auditable, and ethical.
Dries Buytaert
If you believe in the power of open source, ethical tech, and community-led innovation, this is where to begin.
We’re proud to launch the free webinar training series offered in partnership with the European Commission. These free, public webinars are designed to equip the global Drupal community with practical skills, architectural understanding, and the ethical frameworks needed to work with AI inside Drupal. Whether you’re a developer, site builder, content strategist, or part of a digital agency team, there’s something here for you.
The series brings together contributors from across the open source AI ecosystem, featuring maintainers of the AI module, members of the Drupal AI Strategic Initiative, and the wider Drupal CMS innovation team.
We really believe that the process of contributing—of trying things out, experimenting on difficult problems—helps bring AI knowledge into both individuals and their organisations.
Jamie Abrahams
Watch the first session recording today
“Bringing Drupal AI into your DNA - How to Learn, Use and Contribute to the Drupal AI Ecosystem”, aired live on 10 June and is available to watch on YouTube. Hosted by Jamie Abrahams (FreelyGive) with a guest appearance from Drupal founder Dries Buytaert (Acquia), this session outlined the architecture, vision, and community momentum behind Drupal’s approach to AI.
It introduced viewers to:
The AI module and its plugin-based approach to LLM providers
Use cases like content automation, accessibility improvements, and semantic search
The ethical principles guiding Drupal’s AI efforts: Trust, Transparency, and Choice
Drupal AI Agents and Swarms: modular, no-code AI orchestration already in use today
A strategic roadmap that includes tight integration with upcoming Experience Builder features and MCP (Model Context Protocol)
We imagine a future where site builders define the goal—like 300 event signups—and AI agents get to work alongside humans to make it happen.
Dries Buytaert
Upcoming Sessions
In the coming months, the webinar series continues with targeted training sessions that build upon each other. All sessions are free, recorded, and open to the public.
1 July: Installing the AI Module & Basic Features
2 September: AI Search
23 September: AI Agents (No-Code Creation)
7 October: Advanced: Build AI Agents with Code
Each webinar will include demonstrations, practical walk-throughs, and guidance on how to get started, contribute back, and explore AI ethically in your Drupal projects.
AI is not a substitute for human intelligence—it’s a tool to amplify human creativity and ingenuity.
Jamie Abrahams
Do You Want to Get Involved?
You can sign up for upcoming sessions and explore the series details. This is your opportunity to learn from the team building the future of Drupal and to participate in shaping it. Are you interested in content automation, smarter search, accessibility tooling, or advanced AI orchestration? Then this series is for you.
We can’t skip the human-in-the-loop. It’s essential that humans stay in control, and that AI in Drupal remains transparent, auditable, and ethical.
Dries Buytaert
If you believe in the power of open source, ethical tech, and community-led innovation, this is where to begin.
Welcome to the Drupal AI Initiative: Webinar with the AI Initiative leadership team
You have probably heard about the new strategic Drupal AI Initiative announced by Dries and the DA a couple of weeks ago. Let’s get together to learn more about it!
We’ll discuss:
Initiative history and overview
How we are organized
Who’s involved, and how can you join
Where to find the latest information
Bring your questions for an AMA
Looking forward to seeing you. If the time doesn’t work for you, don’t worry, the webinar will be recorded and made available within a few days. And, you can ask follow-up questions in the #ai-initiative Slack channel.
Time: 26 June Thursday 1600 UK / 1700 CEST / 0800 Pacific / 1100 Eastern / 2030 India
To join the session, please, use this link to register.
We’ll discuss:
Initiative history and overview
How we are organized
Who’s involved, and how can you join
Where to find the latest information
Bring your questions for an AMA
Looking forward to seeing you. If the time doesn’t work for you, don’t worry, the webinar will be recorded and made available within a few days. And, you can ask follow-up questions in the #ai-initiative Slack channel.
Time: 26 June Thursday 1600 UK / 1700 CEST / 0800 Pacific / 1100 Eastern / 2030 India
To join the session, please, use this link to register.
Security Matters: Keeping your Drupal 7 site safe under Extended Support
Still have Drupal 7 (D7) website? That’s okay for now. But let’s be honest: in today’s threat landscape, security is not optional. With D7 reaching its official end-of-life, staying protected means relying on more than just luck or legacy systems. That’s where Extended Support comes in, and why it matters now more than ever.
Why security should be your #1 Priority
Cyber threats have evolved. So have regulations. Older platforms like D7 are prime targets if not properly maintained. Without official support, vulnerabilities go unpatched, and your organization could face:
Data breaches or theft
Damage to your brand reputation
Compliance issues (GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, etc.)
Unexpected downtime and recovery costs
Technical problems (e.g. unsupported modules affecting your website’s SEO)
Complete lack of updates
In short: no security = high risk.
Extended Support: your digital safety net
With Extended Support (ES), you're not left in the dark. At Dropsolid, we’re one of only three official D7 ES partners worldwide and the only one based in Europe.
From day one, we have focused primarily on Drupal. Many of our senior developers have worked with D7 for years. Unlike many young developers, they do have the deep knowledge to keep your website secure and performing. This makes us part of a highly specialized group with the tools, access, and knowledge to keep your site secure long after official support has ended.
Here’s how we protect your D7 site:
Proactive security patches
We receive enterprise-grade patches before release, backed by a bug bounty program and ethical hackers
Continuous vulnerability monitoring
We proactively scan for threats and respond before damage can occur
Infrastructure hardening
Whether you stay on your current hosting or migrate to our Experience Platform, we secure your environment at every level
Expert D7 knowledge
Our ISO 27001-certified team, with thousands of Drupal contributions, ensures that patches are applied correctly and modules remain compatible
Custom code support & compliance auditing
We help maintain your custom functionality and monitor GDPR/accessibility compliance
Sticking with D7 doesn’t mean compromising on safety. With ES, your platform stays stable and protected, buying you valuable time to plan a thoughtful migration without rushing under pressure. And let’s face it: nothing beats peace of mind when your digital presence is at stake.
What’s next? From security to innovation
Extended Support is not forever, but it is your strongest shield in right now. At Dropsolid, we help you stay secure today while preparing you for what’s next. We can help you with:
Drupal 7 Extend Support to stay secure today
Seamlessly migrate to a newer Drupal version
Unlock future innovation through Drupal AI, helping you automate content, personalize user experiences and streamline workflows
As a founding partner of the Drupal AI Initiative, Dropsolid is helping shape the future of AI in Drupal. From training to implementation, we bring the tools and expertise to turn AI into real value for your organization.
Get in touch
Get in touch with us and have a call with our Drupal experts. We’ll assess your current setup, explore your goals, and help you choose the smartest path forward.
Contact us: https://dropsolid.com/en/contact
Why security should be your #1 Priority
Cyber threats have evolved. So have regulations. Older platforms like D7 are prime targets if not properly maintained. Without official support, vulnerabilities go unpatched, and your organization could face:
Data breaches or theft
Damage to your brand reputation
Compliance issues (GDPR, PCI, HIPAA, etc.)
Unexpected downtime and recovery costs
Technical problems (e.g. unsupported modules affecting your website’s SEO)
Complete lack of updates
In short: no security = high risk.
Extended Support: your digital safety net
With Extended Support (ES), you're not left in the dark. At Dropsolid, we’re one of only three official D7 ES partners worldwide and the only one based in Europe.
From day one, we have focused primarily on Drupal. Many of our senior developers have worked with D7 for years. Unlike many young developers, they do have the deep knowledge to keep your website secure and performing. This makes us part of a highly specialized group with the tools, access, and knowledge to keep your site secure long after official support has ended.
Here’s how we protect your D7 site:
Proactive security patches
We receive enterprise-grade patches before release, backed by a bug bounty program and ethical hackers
Continuous vulnerability monitoring
We proactively scan for threats and respond before damage can occur
Infrastructure hardening
Whether you stay on your current hosting or migrate to our Experience Platform, we secure your environment at every level
Expert D7 knowledge
Our ISO 27001-certified team, with thousands of Drupal contributions, ensures that patches are applied correctly and modules remain compatible
Custom code support & compliance auditing
We help maintain your custom functionality and monitor GDPR/accessibility compliance
Sticking with D7 doesn’t mean compromising on safety. With ES, your platform stays stable and protected, buying you valuable time to plan a thoughtful migration without rushing under pressure. And let’s face it: nothing beats peace of mind when your digital presence is at stake.
What’s next? From security to innovation
Extended Support is not forever, but it is your strongest shield in right now. At Dropsolid, we help you stay secure today while preparing you for what’s next. We can help you with:
Drupal 7 Extend Support to stay secure today
Seamlessly migrate to a newer Drupal version
Unlock future innovation through Drupal AI, helping you automate content, personalize user experiences and streamline workflows
As a founding partner of the Drupal AI Initiative, Dropsolid is helping shape the future of AI in Drupal. From training to implementation, we bring the tools and expertise to turn AI into real value for your organization.
Get in touch
Get in touch with us and have a call with our Drupal experts. We’ll assess your current setup, explore your goals, and help you choose the smartest path forward.
Contact us: https://dropsolid.com/en/contact
Drupal core will adopt Gin admin theme to replace Claro
Drupal effectively has two default administration themes: Claro for core, and Gin for Drupal CMS. This causes difficulty for UX designers and product managers, because new features must work well with both themes.
Gin is no longer an experimental fork of Claro to experiment with new ideas. It has matured into a state-of-the-art admin theme, while Claro has fallen behind, as evident by the decision to use Gin as the admin theme for Drupal CMS. As a result, we feel it is time for Gin to become the default theme for Drupal core.
We are aspiring to have this work completed by November 2025 in order to get Gin into core for the release of 11.3 in December.
What's next?
A core-ready version of Gin will be developed outside of core in a 6.x branch of Gin. Our goal is for the Gin maintainers to collaborate with the Drupal Core Product, UX, Release, and Frontend Framework Managers to identify which issues are blockers for Gin in core.
Once the identified blockers are completed, the result would be merged into core for Drupal 11.3 by the beta deadline in November 2025. The most important step for including Gin in core is to remove its dependency on Claro, since Gin will replace Claro as the default admin theme.
Other work will include removing features that are not needed for core; simplifying the code now that Gin only needs to support the version of core that includes it; and other tasks like adding necessary test coverage to ensure a smooth transition from contrib to core.
What happens to Claro?
Claro will no longer be the default theme for new sites, but it will remain in Drupal 11 for use on existing sites. When Gin becomes the default admin theme of Drupal core, Claro will be removed from the next major version. Claro may then be available as a contributed theme to provide sites an upgrade path.
How can I get involved?
This is a big job with an ambitious timeline, so we will need many contributors to meet it. For contribution, you can get started with the two meta issues (#3530849 Gin 6.x and #3530852: Admin theme modernisation) to track this work, one for core tasks and one for Gin tasks. These will be updated and many new tasks created as the scope of work is clarified.
The Gin maintainers are also seeking sponsors for their time, which is a great way to contribute to this effort if you want to see this happen but are not able to work on tasks directly.
All those interested, please join us in the #admin-ui Drupal Slack channel for collaboration.
Gin is no longer an experimental fork of Claro to experiment with new ideas. It has matured into a state-of-the-art admin theme, while Claro has fallen behind, as evident by the decision to use Gin as the admin theme for Drupal CMS. As a result, we feel it is time for Gin to become the default theme for Drupal core.
We are aspiring to have this work completed by November 2025 in order to get Gin into core for the release of 11.3 in December.
What's next?
A core-ready version of Gin will be developed outside of core in a 6.x branch of Gin. Our goal is for the Gin maintainers to collaborate with the Drupal Core Product, UX, Release, and Frontend Framework Managers to identify which issues are blockers for Gin in core.
Once the identified blockers are completed, the result would be merged into core for Drupal 11.3 by the beta deadline in November 2025. The most important step for including Gin in core is to remove its dependency on Claro, since Gin will replace Claro as the default admin theme.
Other work will include removing features that are not needed for core; simplifying the code now that Gin only needs to support the version of core that includes it; and other tasks like adding necessary test coverage to ensure a smooth transition from contrib to core.
What happens to Claro?
Claro will no longer be the default theme for new sites, but it will remain in Drupal 11 for use on existing sites. When Gin becomes the default admin theme of Drupal core, Claro will be removed from the next major version. Claro may then be available as a contributed theme to provide sites an upgrade path.
How can I get involved?
This is a big job with an ambitious timeline, so we will need many contributors to meet it. For contribution, you can get started with the two meta issues (#3530849 Gin 6.x and #3530852: Admin theme modernisation) to track this work, one for core tasks and one for Gin tasks. These will be updated and many new tasks created as the scope of work is clarified.
The Gin maintainers are also seeking sponsors for their time, which is a great way to contribute to this effort if you want to see this happen but are not able to work on tasks directly.
All those interested, please join us in the #admin-ui Drupal Slack channel for collaboration.
Drupal 11.2.0 is now available
New in Drupal 11.2
The second feature release of Drupal 11 improves backend and frontend performance and scalability, completes the introduction of OOP support of hooks, adds JSON Schema support, includes AVIF image format capability, supports SDC variants, and more.
Extension and site installation is three to four times as fast as Drupal 11.1.0
Thanks to various optimizations to container rebuilding and the installer, installing Drupal itself or extensions is now three to four times as fast. There are similar improvements when using the user interface, but it is more apparent when using Drush. In this video, we show Drupal 11.2 installing 60 modules in 5.7 seconds while Drupal 11.1 takes four times as much to do the same:
.module files are not needed anymore!
Starting with Drupal 11.2, the last APIs that needed .module files can be implemented as object-oriented hooks too! Developers can make use of [#RemoveHook] attributes to remove hooks, [#ReOrderHook] to change hook ordering and #[Hook('preprocess')] attributes to declare object-oriented preprocess hooks. Now there is no need for a .module file if all of the hooks are on classes in the Hook namespace.
Built-in JSON Schema generation for content entities
When working with Drupal entities over an API, it is important for developer experience to have a schema for the data structure of a particular entity. This allows clients to know, for instance, what acceptable values may be sent or received for the value and format properties of a formatted text field.
Drupal core can now generate JSON Schemas for content entity types. The typed data, serialization and field APIs have been enhanced to allow field-level schemas to be generated based on their storage configuration.
All field types shipped by core now provide JSON Schemas out of the box through their default normalizers. In addition, all the core typed data plugins provide JSON Schemas as well. This means that all core fields can generate JSON Schemas for their properties out of the box. Additionally, most field types provided by contributed projects or custom modules will generate JSON Schemas automatically so long as they do not provide a custom normalizer or depend on non-core typed data plugins.
Native variant support added to Single-Directory Components
In design systems, a variant allows grouping multiple component properties into a predefined set. The variant can then be used as a shortcut to render a component. Front-end developers could previously define a variant as a prop, but this approach did not support custom titles or descriptions to convey the variant’s purpose.
Now, you can use variants as a property at the root of your component declaration:
name: Card
variants:
primary:
title: Primary
description: ...
secondary:
title: Secondary
description: ...
props: {}
slots: {}
AVIF support added with fallback to WebP
Drupal 11.2 now supports AVIF in our image toolkit. AVIF offers better compression and image quality than WebP, especially for high-resolution images and HDR content. However, not all servers support conversion to AVIF. For that reason, a fallback mechanism was added to convert to WebP when AVIF support is not available.
CSS page weight improvements
Drupal core has long supported component-based CSS organization and conditional loading that depends on page elements. Using this system, the default CSS added to every page by Drupal core has been reduced from around 7 KB to 1 KB. This will improve bandwidth requirements and page rendering times for all but the most highly customized sites running on 11.2.
Navigation improvements
The modern Navigation module now automatically enables the built-in top bar functionality as well. An "overview" link is now shown when a menu item is a container for child items, making it easier to find the right page. Numerous other blockers have also been resolved, and this experimental module is close to becoming stable in a future minor release.
Recipe dependencies are now unpacked
Drupal recipes are special Composer packages designed to bootstrap Drupal projects with necessary dependencies. When a recipe is required, a new Composer plugin "unpacks" it by moving the recipe's dependencies directly into your project's root composer.json, and removes the recipe as a project dependency. This makes it possible to update those dependencies later and to not have the recipe as an active dependency of the site anymore.
Changes to Update Status module to better support modern workflows
Update Status now checks the status of uninstalled extensions, making your site even more secure.
Updating themes and modules in the Update Status module with authorize.php was not Composer-aware. This could cause various serious problems for sites and site deployment workflows. Therefore, this legacy feature has now been removed. Projects should generally be updated on the command line with Composer. The experimental Update Manager (Automatic Updates) will also be used for this in the future.
Cache efficiency improvements
Significant improvements have been made to Drupal's render cache performance due to optimizations in placeholder processing and cache tag invalidation checks. This results in smaller cache entries with fewer cache dependencies in the dynamic page cache, leading to higher cache hit rates and reduced cache storage requirements. The reduction in cache tag lookups reduces round trips to persistent cache storage backends on every HTML response. This applies whether the cache tag backend is using database, memcache, or redis, and leads to slightly faster page rendering performance on both dynamic page cache hits and misses. There is also a significant reduction in queries per second (QPS) for high-traffic sites, which should allow caching servers to handle more traffic with lower hardware requirements.
PHPUnit 11 support added
PHPUnit 11 can now be used for testing. While the default version remains PHPUnit 10, it's possible to update to PHPUnit with the command composer update phpunit/phpunit --with-dependencies. Drupal core testing on PHP 8.4 requires PHPUnit 11 as a minimum.
Core maintainer team updates
Since Drupal 11.1, Emma Horrel and Cristina Chumillas were announced as UX Managers.
Griffyn Heels joined as a provisional Core Leadership Team Facilitator. Juraj Nemec and Drew Webber were added as general core committers, and Pierre Dureau was added as a provisional Frontend Framework Manager. Check out their announcement.
Six people stepped up to become subsystem maintainers! Nic Laflin became a maintainer of the Extension API, Lee Rowlands became a co-maintainer of the Form and Render APIs, Adam Bramley became maintainer of Node module, Jean Valverde became a co-maintainer of Single-Directory Components. Mark Conroy became the maintainer of the Stable 9 theme and Brad Jones became a co-maintainer of Serialization. Many of the improvements above are thanks to leadership from these new maintainers!
Three subsystem maintainers stepped back. We thank Claudiu Cristea, Christian Fritsch, and Daniel Wehner for their immense contributions.
Finally, there have also been changes in the mentoring coordinator team: James Shields joined, while Mauricio Dinarte, AmyJune Hineline and Tara King stepped back from the role. Many Drupal contributors are thankful to have been mentored by them!
Drupal 10.5 is also available
The next maintenance minor release of Drupal 10 has also been released. Drupal 10 will be supported until December 9, 2026, after the release of Drupal 12. Long-term support for Drupal 10 is managed with a new maintenance minor release every 6 months that receives twelve months of support. This allows the maintenance minor to adapt to evolving dependencies. It also gives more flexibility for sites to move to Drupal 11 when they are ready.
This release schedule allows sites to move from one LTS version to the next if that is the best strategy for their needs. For more information on maintenance minors, read the previous post on the new major release schedule.
Want to get involved?
If you are looking to make the leap from Drupal user to Drupal contributor, or you want to share resources with your team as part of their professional development, there are many opportunities to deepen your Drupal skill set and give back to the community. Check out the Drupal contributor guide. Join us at DrupalCon Vienna in October 2025 or DrupalCon Nara in November 2025 to attend sessions, network, and enjoy mentorship for your first contributions.
The second feature release of Drupal 11 improves backend and frontend performance and scalability, completes the introduction of OOP support of hooks, adds JSON Schema support, includes AVIF image format capability, supports SDC variants, and more.
Extension and site installation is three to four times as fast as Drupal 11.1.0
Thanks to various optimizations to container rebuilding and the installer, installing Drupal itself or extensions is now three to four times as fast. There are similar improvements when using the user interface, but it is more apparent when using Drush. In this video, we show Drupal 11.2 installing 60 modules in 5.7 seconds while Drupal 11.1 takes four times as much to do the same:
.module files are not needed anymore!
Starting with Drupal 11.2, the last APIs that needed .module files can be implemented as object-oriented hooks too! Developers can make use of [#RemoveHook] attributes to remove hooks, [#ReOrderHook] to change hook ordering and #[Hook('preprocess')] attributes to declare object-oriented preprocess hooks. Now there is no need for a .module file if all of the hooks are on classes in the Hook namespace.
Built-in JSON Schema generation for content entities
When working with Drupal entities over an API, it is important for developer experience to have a schema for the data structure of a particular entity. This allows clients to know, for instance, what acceptable values may be sent or received for the value and format properties of a formatted text field.
Drupal core can now generate JSON Schemas for content entity types. The typed data, serialization and field APIs have been enhanced to allow field-level schemas to be generated based on their storage configuration.
All field types shipped by core now provide JSON Schemas out of the box through their default normalizers. In addition, all the core typed data plugins provide JSON Schemas as well. This means that all core fields can generate JSON Schemas for their properties out of the box. Additionally, most field types provided by contributed projects or custom modules will generate JSON Schemas automatically so long as they do not provide a custom normalizer or depend on non-core typed data plugins.
Native variant support added to Single-Directory Components
In design systems, a variant allows grouping multiple component properties into a predefined set. The variant can then be used as a shortcut to render a component. Front-end developers could previously define a variant as a prop, but this approach did not support custom titles or descriptions to convey the variant’s purpose.
Now, you can use variants as a property at the root of your component declaration:
name: Card
variants:
primary:
title: Primary
description: ...
secondary:
title: Secondary
description: ...
props: {}
slots: {}
AVIF support added with fallback to WebP
Drupal 11.2 now supports AVIF in our image toolkit. AVIF offers better compression and image quality than WebP, especially for high-resolution images and HDR content. However, not all servers support conversion to AVIF. For that reason, a fallback mechanism was added to convert to WebP when AVIF support is not available.
CSS page weight improvements
Drupal core has long supported component-based CSS organization and conditional loading that depends on page elements. Using this system, the default CSS added to every page by Drupal core has been reduced from around 7 KB to 1 KB. This will improve bandwidth requirements and page rendering times for all but the most highly customized sites running on 11.2.
Navigation improvements
The modern Navigation module now automatically enables the built-in top bar functionality as well. An "overview" link is now shown when a menu item is a container for child items, making it easier to find the right page. Numerous other blockers have also been resolved, and this experimental module is close to becoming stable in a future minor release.
Recipe dependencies are now unpacked
Drupal recipes are special Composer packages designed to bootstrap Drupal projects with necessary dependencies. When a recipe is required, a new Composer plugin "unpacks" it by moving the recipe's dependencies directly into your project's root composer.json, and removes the recipe as a project dependency. This makes it possible to update those dependencies later and to not have the recipe as an active dependency of the site anymore.
Changes to Update Status module to better support modern workflows
Update Status now checks the status of uninstalled extensions, making your site even more secure.
Updating themes and modules in the Update Status module with authorize.php was not Composer-aware. This could cause various serious problems for sites and site deployment workflows. Therefore, this legacy feature has now been removed. Projects should generally be updated on the command line with Composer. The experimental Update Manager (Automatic Updates) will also be used for this in the future.
Cache efficiency improvements
Significant improvements have been made to Drupal's render cache performance due to optimizations in placeholder processing and cache tag invalidation checks. This results in smaller cache entries with fewer cache dependencies in the dynamic page cache, leading to higher cache hit rates and reduced cache storage requirements. The reduction in cache tag lookups reduces round trips to persistent cache storage backends on every HTML response. This applies whether the cache tag backend is using database, memcache, or redis, and leads to slightly faster page rendering performance on both dynamic page cache hits and misses. There is also a significant reduction in queries per second (QPS) for high-traffic sites, which should allow caching servers to handle more traffic with lower hardware requirements.
PHPUnit 11 support added
PHPUnit 11 can now be used for testing. While the default version remains PHPUnit 10, it's possible to update to PHPUnit with the command composer update phpunit/phpunit --with-dependencies. Drupal core testing on PHP 8.4 requires PHPUnit 11 as a minimum.
Core maintainer team updates
Since Drupal 11.1, Emma Horrel and Cristina Chumillas were announced as UX Managers.
Griffyn Heels joined as a provisional Core Leadership Team Facilitator. Juraj Nemec and Drew Webber were added as general core committers, and Pierre Dureau was added as a provisional Frontend Framework Manager. Check out their announcement.
Six people stepped up to become subsystem maintainers! Nic Laflin became a maintainer of the Extension API, Lee Rowlands became a co-maintainer of the Form and Render APIs, Adam Bramley became maintainer of Node module, Jean Valverde became a co-maintainer of Single-Directory Components. Mark Conroy became the maintainer of the Stable 9 theme and Brad Jones became a co-maintainer of Serialization. Many of the improvements above are thanks to leadership from these new maintainers!
Three subsystem maintainers stepped back. We thank Claudiu Cristea, Christian Fritsch, and Daniel Wehner for their immense contributions.
Finally, there have also been changes in the mentoring coordinator team: James Shields joined, while Mauricio Dinarte, AmyJune Hineline and Tara King stepped back from the role. Many Drupal contributors are thankful to have been mentored by them!
Drupal 10.5 is also available
The next maintenance minor release of Drupal 10 has also been released. Drupal 10 will be supported until December 9, 2026, after the release of Drupal 12. Long-term support for Drupal 10 is managed with a new maintenance minor release every 6 months that receives twelve months of support. This allows the maintenance minor to adapt to evolving dependencies. It also gives more flexibility for sites to move to Drupal 11 when they are ready.
This release schedule allows sites to move from one LTS version to the next if that is the best strategy for their needs. For more information on maintenance minors, read the previous post on the new major release schedule.
Want to get involved?
If you are looking to make the leap from Drupal user to Drupal contributor, or you want to share resources with your team as part of their professional development, there are many opportunities to deepen your Drupal skill set and give back to the community. Check out the Drupal contributor guide. Join us at DrupalCon Vienna in October 2025 or DrupalCon Nara in November 2025 to attend sessions, network, and enjoy mentorship for your first contributions.
