Site templates are available through two distinct pathways, each serving different needs within the community.

The official Drupal.org Marketplace provides a curated collection of site templates that meet certain quality standards, and are built on top of Drupal CMS as a foundation.

Community templates offer an alternative pathway for innovation and experimentation without the constraints of the curation process, by publishing the template as a general project on Drupal.org.

Official Marketplace Site Templates

The Drupal.org Marketplace are built on top of Drupal CMS, and curated to provide new users with confidence that they're starting with a consistent, solid and professionally built foundation that follows established best practices.

Key characteristics

• Templates undergo a review processes

• Must follow Drupal CMS best practices for security, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA), performance, and code quality

• In the beginning, focus is solely on growing Drupal CMS adoption; site templates accelerate adoption of Drupal CMS by providing context relevant demo content and Drupal Canvas-compatible theme

• Clear documentation, maintenance commitments, and user support expectations

• Currently open to Drupal Certified Partners (for organizations) and Ripplemakers (for individuals or very small companies). Apply to become a creator here.

Benefits

• Consistency for users who need reliable, production-ready starting points

• Quality assurance through professional review processes

• Support and maintenance commitments for long-term sustainability

• Revenue opportunities for professional template creators

• Sustainability for the Drupal Association through revenue sharing

Community Site Templates

Anyone interested in contributing a template can do so now, by publishing it as a general project on Drupal.org. All free site templates, including marketplace templates, are general projects for packaging and distribution purposes. Community site templates will be considered for inclusion in the Drupal.org Marketplace based on their compatibility with the outlined criteria.

Key characteristics

• Can be published without formal review or approval

• Not bound by the same standards as Marketplace templates

• Can be built using Drupal CMS or Drupal Core

• Available to all community members

• Can take risks and explore directions that might not fit Marketplace criteria

Benefits:

• Innovation by removing barriers to experimentation

• Diversity of approaches and implementations

• Learning opportunities for the community to explore what's possible

• Stepping stones that might eventually evolve into Marketplace templates

• Lower barriers to entry for community contribution

Site templates are available through two distinct pathways, each serving different needs within the community.

The official Drupal.org Marketplace provides a curated collection of site templates that meet certain quality standards, and are built on top of Drupal CMS as a foundation.

Community templates offer an alternative pathway for innovation and experimentation without the constraints of the curation process, by publishing the template as a general project on Drupal.org.

Official Marketplace Site Templates

The Drupal.org Marketplace are built on top of Drupal CMS, and curated to provide new users with confidence that they're starting with a consistent, solid and professionally built foundation that follows established best practices.

Key characteristics

• Templates undergo a review processes

• Must follow Drupal CMS best practices for security, accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA), performance, and code quality

• In the beginning, focus is solely on growing Drupal CMS adoption; site templates accelerate adoption of Drupal CMS by providing context relevant demo content and Drupal Canvas-compatible theme

• Clear documentation, maintenance commitments, and user support expectations

• Currently open to Drupal Certified Partners (for organizations) and Ripplemakers (for individuals or very small companies). Apply to become a creator here.

Benefits

• Consistency for users who need reliable, production-ready starting points

• Quality assurance through professional review processes

• Support and maintenance commitments for long-term sustainability

• Revenue opportunities for professional template creators

• Sustainability for the Drupal Association through revenue sharing

Community Site Templates

Anyone interested in contributing a template can do so now, by publishing it as a general project on Drupal.org. All free site templates, including marketplace templates, are general projects for packaging and distribution purposes. Community site templates will be considered for inclusion in the Drupal.org Marketplace based on their compatibility with the outlined criteria.

Key characteristics

• Can be published without formal review or approval

• Not bound by the same standards as Marketplace templates

• Can be built using Drupal CMS or Drupal Core

• Available to all community members

• Can take risks and explore directions that might not fit Marketplace criteria

Benefits:

• Innovation by removing barriers to experimentation

• Diversity of approaches and implementations

• Learning opportunities for the community to explore what's possible

• Stepping stones that might eventually evolve into Marketplace templates

• Lower barriers to entry for community contribution

Drupal 11.3 comes with support for completing entity suggestions whilst adding a link to CKEditor 5.

The suggestions aren't sufficiently sanitized and a malicious user could trigger a stored cross site scripting attack against another user.

Install the latest version:

• If you use Drupal 11.3.x, update to Drupal 11.3.7
• Drupal versions below 11.3 are not affected by this vulnerability

• cantina_security
• Dries Buytaert (dries)
• Shirsendu Mondal

• Lee Rowlands (larowlan) of the Drupal Security Team
• Drew Webber (mcdruid) of the Drupal Security Team
• Mingsong (mingsong), provisional member of the Drupal Security Team

• Damien McKenna (damienmckenna) of the Drupal Security Team
• Greg Knaddison (greggles) of the Drupal Security Team
• Lee Rowlands (larowlan) of the Drupal Security Team
• Juraj Nemec (poker10) of the Drupal Security Team
• Jess (xjm) of the Drupal Security Team

Drupal core contains a chain of methods that could be exploitable when an insecure deserialization vulnerability exists on the site. This so-called "gadget chain" presents no direct threat, but is a vector that can be used to achieve remote code execution or SQL injection if the application deserializes untrusted data due to another vulnerability.

This issue is not directly exploitable.

This issue is mitigated by the fact that in order for it to be exploitable, a separate vulnerability must be present to allow an attacker to pass unsafe input to unserialize(). There are no such known exploits in Drupal core.

Install the latest version:

• If you use Drupal 10.5.x, update to Drupal 10.5.9.
• If you use Drupal 10.6.x, update to Drupal 10.6.7.
• If you use Drupal 11.2.x, update to Drupal 11.2.11.
• If you use Drupal 11.3.x, update to Drupal 11.3.7.

Drupal 11.1.x, Drupal 11.0.x, Drupal 10.4.x, and below are end-of-life and do not receive security coverage. (Drupal 8 and Drupal 9 have both reached end-of-life.)

• Truong Le (hswww)
• menon
• t-chen

• Benji Fisher (benjifisher) of the Drupal Security Team
• cilefen (cilefen) of the Drupal Security Team
• Neil Drumm (drumm) of the Drupal Security Team
• Greg Knaddison (greggles) of the Drupal Security Team
• Lee Rowlands (larowlan) of the Drupal Security Team
• Dave Long (longwave) of the Drupal Security Team
• Drew Webber (mcdruid) of the Drupal Security Team
• Ra Mänd (ram4nd), provisional member of the Drupal Security Team
• Jess (xjm) of the Drupal Security Team

• Greg Knaddison (greggles) of the Drupal Security Team
• Lee Rowlands (larowlan) of the Drupal Security Team
• Dave Long (longwave) of the Drupal Security Team
• Drew Webber (mcdruid) of the Drupal Security Team
• Juraj Nemec (poker10) of the Drupal Security Team
• Jess (xjm) of the Drupal Security Team

Drupal core's jQuery integration for AJAX modal dialog boxes does not sufficiently sanitize certain options, which which can lead to a cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability.

Install the latest version:

• If you use Drupal 10.5.x, update to Drupal 10.5.9.
• If you use Drupal 10.6.x, update to Drupal 10.6.7.
• If you use Drupal 11.2.x, update to Drupal 11.2.11.
• If you use Drupal 11.3.x, update to Drupal 11.3.7.

Drupal 11.1.x, Drupal 11.0.x, Drupal 10.4.x, and below are end-of-life and do not receive security coverage. (Drupal 8 and Drupal 9 have both reached end-of-life.)

• Murat Kekiç (murat_kekic)

• Anna Kalata (akalata) of the Drupal Security Team
• Benji Fisher (benjifisher) of the Drupal Security Team
• Neil Drumm (drumm) of the Drupal Security Team
• Lee Rowlands (larowlan) of the Drupal Security Team
• Michael Hess (mlhess) of the Drupal Security Team
• James Gilliland (neclimdul) of the Drupal Security Team
• Joseph Zhao (pandaski) of the Drupal Security Team
• Juraj Nemec (poker10) of the Drupal Security Team
• Ra Mänd (ram4nd), provisional member of the Drupal Security Team
• Jess (xjm) of the Drupal Security Team

• Greg Knaddison (greggles) of the Drupal Security Team
• Lee Rowlands (larowlan) of the Drupal Security Team
• Pierre Rudloff (prudloff) of the Drupal Security Team
• Jess (xjm) of the Drupal Security Team

DrupalCon Chicago 2026 brought together leading experts in digital experience development, open source innovation, and enterprise technology.

The event provided a unique opportunity to connect with decision-makers, technical leaders, and innovators shaping the future of digital experiences.  More than 1,300 tech leaders, CEOs, developers, marketing executives, agencies, and enterprise decision-makers gathered to help define the future of the Open Web.

​A Diverse and Multilingual Global Community

Participants from 26 separate countries brought with them an estimated 15+ languages, reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the Drupal ecosystem.  The United States (82.4%), Canada (6%), India (2%), Germany (1.2%) and Costa Rica (1.1%) were topping the list in terms of attendee numbers, with Brazil (1%), Colombia (0.8%) and the United Kingdom (0.8%) close behind.

This global span not only highlights Drupal’s widespread adoption, but also underscores the strength of a community shaped by varied perspectives, experiences, and ideas from around the world. Next year we’d love to add more blue!​

​Event Attendance

A total of 1,316 participants attended in Chicago, an increase from 1,288 for Atlanta 2025.  Of these we saw 394 first-time attendees, marking a 10.67% increase from those new to the event in 2025.  

539 of 1,316 also chose to extend their learning at the Summits & Trainings, with the AI Summit seeing the largest turnout in its first year, with 104 attendees joining to learn about the latest insights connected to Drupal AI.

Welcoming the Next Generation: Drupal in a Day

Outside of the main conference, and following the successful Drupal in a Day organized ahead of DrupalCon Vienna by Hilmar Kári Hallbjörnsson, DrupalCon Chicago saw the North America inaugural program take place alongside the contribution day. 

The training session, organized and staffed by ten volunteers, welcomed 55 learners of high school and college age to interact with Drupal CMS for the first time, helping to expand the reach of the community to new users of all ages. We thank the mentors and supporters who made this event a welcoming place for students, and particularly thank all the individual donors who made this happen, as well as Acquia for sponsoring, and Martin Anderson-Clutz and Jordan Thompson for instructing.

Grassroots to Global 

Building on the momentum of 2025, the local community ticket-sharing initiative (1 complimentary ticket for every 5th sold through participating organizations) resulted in an increase of 77.5% of ticket purchases which were affiliated with a local group at registration.  This initiative continued to grow in both reach and impact, what began as a strong show of grassroots participation has evolved into a more connected and collaborative global network of local camps and meetups celebrating together at DrupalCon. 

Participation has expanded beyond the initial groups, with 61 communities engaging through shared resources, cross-promotion, and increased visibility at the 2026 conference. This growth reflects not just higher numbers, but a deeper alignment across the community, where local leaders feel empowered, recognized, and increasingly integrated into the broader Drupal ecosystem.​

A Community Spanning All Skill Levels

DrupalCon Chicago 2026 showcased a well-balanced and highly skilled community, with attendees representing every stage of the Drupal journey. Experienced professionals made up the majority, including 348 advanced practitioners (32%) and 301 self-identified Drupal experts (27.7%), creating a strong foundation for in-depth technical exchange and innovation.

Intermediate attendees accounted for 297 participants (27.3%), playing a key role in connecting emerging talent with seasoned leaders. At the same time, the event remained welcoming to newcomers, with 117 beginners (10.8%) and 25 individuals completely new to Drupal (2.3%) joining the community.​

​

Special Luncheons 

The Drupal Association formerly required sponsors, who provided programming support for community interest luncheons. These were folded into general programming this year, and we’d like to acknowledge that not all programs had an assigned, designated host. In the next year, our focus is on strengthening local, regional, topical, and community interest groups, so please reach out to us on how to get connected.

See You in Orlando

DrupalCon Orlando will see vision meet execution. Whether you're architecting enterprise platforms, launching your next big project, or scaling what you've already built in Drupal, this is the event that meets you where you are and pushes you further. 

Save the date!

DrupalCon Chicago 2026 brought together leading experts in digital experience development, open source innovation, and enterprise technology.

The event provided a unique opportunity to connect with decision-makers, technical leaders, and innovators shaping the future of digital experiences.  More than 1,300 tech leaders, CEOs, developers, marketing executives, agencies, and enterprise decision-makers gathered to help define the future of the Open Web.

Image: Group photo in Chicago (Photo by Curt Rochon, CC BY-NC 4.0)

​A Diverse and Multilingual Global Community

Participants from 26 separate countries brought with them an estimated 15+ languages, reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the Drupal ecosystem.  The United States (82.4%), Canada (6%), India (2%), Germany (1.2%) and Costa Rica (1.1%) were topping the list in terms of attendee numbers, with Brazil (1%), Colombia (0.8%) and the United Kingdom (0.8%) close behind.

This global span not only highlights Drupal’s widespread adoption, but also underscores the strength of a community shaped by varied perspectives, experiences, and ideas from around the world. Next year we’d love to add more blue!​

​Event Attendance

A total of 1,316 participants attended in Chicago, an increase from 1,288 for Atlanta 2025.  Of these we saw 394 first-time attendees, marking a 10.67% increase from those new to the event in 2025.  

539 of 1,316 also chose to extend their learning at the Summits & Trainings, with the AI Summit seeing the largest turnout in its first year, with 104 attendees joining to learn about the latest insights connected to Drupal AI.

Welcoming the Next Generation: Drupal in a Day

Outside of the main conference, and following the successful Drupal in a Day organized ahead of DrupalCon Vienna by Hilmar Kári Hallbjörnsson, DrupalCon Chicago saw the North America inaugural program take place alongside the contribution day. 

The training session, organized and staffed by ten volunteers, welcomed 55 learners of high school and college age to interact with Drupal CMS for the first time, helping to expand the reach of the community to new users of all ages. We thank the mentors and supporters who made this event a welcoming place for students, and particularly thank all the individual donors who made this happen, as well as Acquia for sponsoring, and Martin Anderson-Clutz and Jordan Thompson for instructing.

Image: Drupal in a day in Chicago (Photo by Paul Johnson, CC BY-NC 4.0)

Grassroots to Global 

Building on the momentum of 2025, the local community ticket-sharing initiative (1 complimentary ticket for every 5th sold through participating organizations) resulted in an increase of 77.5% of ticket purchases which were affiliated with a local group at registration.  This initiative continued to grow in both reach and impact, what began as a strong show of grassroots participation has evolved into a more connected and collaborative global network of local camps and meetups celebrating together at DrupalCon. 

Participation has expanded beyond the initial groups, with 61 communities engaging through shared resources, cross-promotion, and increased visibility at the 2026 conference. This growth reflects not just higher numbers, but a deeper alignment across the community, where local leaders feel empowered, recognized, and increasingly integrated into the broader Drupal ecosystem.​

A Community Spanning All Skill Levels

DrupalCon Chicago 2026 showcased a well-balanced and highly skilled community, with attendees representing every stage of the Drupal journey. Experienced professionals made up the majority, including 348 advanced practitioners (32%) and 301 self-identified Drupal experts (27.7%), creating a strong foundation for in-depth technical exchange and innovation.

Intermediate attendees accounted for 297 participants (27.3%), playing a key role in connecting emerging talent with seasoned leaders. At the same time, the event remained welcoming to newcomers, with 117 beginners (10.8%) and 25 individuals completely new to Drupal (2.3%) joining the community.​

​

Special Luncheons 

The Drupal Association formerly required sponsors, who provided programming support for community interest luncheons. These were folded into general programming this year, and we’d like to acknowledge that not all programs had an assigned, designated host. In the next year, our focus is on strengthening local, regional, topical, and community interest groups, so please reach out to us on how to get connected.

See You in Orlando

DrupalCon Orlando will see vision meet execution. Whether you're architecting enterprise platforms, launching your next big project, or scaling what you've already built in Drupal, this is the event that meets you where you are and pushes you further. 

Save the date!

As DrupalCon continues to evolve, so does our responsibility to understand and reduce the impact of the events we create.

Great digital experiences don’t exist in isolation. They are shaped not only by the technology we build and the communities we nurture, but also by the environmental footprint we leave behind.

At DrupalCon Vienna 2025, we took an important step forward by measuring the event’s carbon footprint in detail, with measurement conducted by TerraVerde Sustainability, and the results tell a meaningful story.

Why measuring impact matters

Sustainability is not a one-time achievement. It is an ongoing process of learning, improving, and making better decisions over time.

The 2025 Event Carbon Measurement Report provides a comprehensive view of DrupalCon’s environmental impact, helping us move from assumptions to data-driven action.

The total carbon footprint of the event was 512.8 tCO₂e, down significantly from 1,574.57 tCO₂e in 2024.

This progress reflects not only better planning, but also more intentional decisions, particularly in location and venue selection, where more efficient energy use and improved waste management played a key role.

What we learned from DrupalCon Vienna 2025

One of the most important insights is clear: Travel remains the dominant source of emissions.

94–95% of emissions came from delegate travel, mostly driven by flights.

However, while travel still represents the largest share, overall travel emissions were significantly lower than in 2024, supported in part by Vienna’s central location and strong rail connectivity.

The remaining emissions are distributed across several categories. Excluding travel, the total footprint was 26.97 tCO₂e, with heating accounting for 48% of emissions, while materials, food & beverage, and accommodation were other large contributors.

Across the event, we also saw:

• Energy consumption significantly decreased compared to previous years
• Waste was reduced through improved recycling and diversion strategies

These insights help us move from general intentions to targeted action.

What sustainability looks like at DrupalCon

Sustainability at DrupalCon is built through intentional choices across the entire event experience:

• Catering – Plant-forward meals, locally sourced ingredients, no disposables, and food donation
• Wellbeing – Quiet spaces, wellness activities, and opportunities to recharge
• Climate action – Energy-efficient venues, low-emission travel, and carbon reduction strategies
• Community – Inclusive programs, scholarships, and initiatives that support diverse participation
• Waste reduction – Minimal printing, refill stations, and reduced single-use materials
• Partnerships – Working with sponsors and suppliers to align on sustainability goals

A shared responsibility

Drupal has always been more than just technology. It is a global community built on collaboration, openness, and shared values. Sustainability is a natural extension of those values.

By sharing these insights openly, we invite the Drupal community to be part of the solution.

Whether you are:

• Choosing more sustainable travel options
• Stay in green-certified hotels
• Being mindful of materials and waste
• Supporting more responsible event practices
• Providing more detailed travel information during registration to help improve measurement accuracy

Your decisions matter.

Together, we can continue building DrupalCons that are not only impactful and inspiring, but also responsible and sustainable.

We're excited to announce updates to the Drupal CMS leadership team, with the addition of Bálint Kléri as our new Frontend Lead.

Bálint Kléri named Drupal CMS Frontend Lead

Bálint Kléri has been named Frontend Lead, a new leadership role created to oversee the frontend architecture for Drupal CMS, Mercury and Mercury-based themes. Bálint is a full-time contributor to Drupal Canvas, leading the development of Code Components for Acquia and a key contributor to Mercury, the Drupal CMS design system. 

During development of Mercury, Bálint stepped in to guide the Tailwind CSS implementation and advocate for the use of best practices. We are grateful for his contributions already, and are excited to have him formally join the team. The addition of this frontend role is critical as we refine the Drupal CMS design system, providing users with a modern and adaptable foundation for Drupal sites and site templates.

Pamela Barone promoted to Product Lead

Pamela Barone is now Drupal CMS Product Lead, overseeing product direction, roadmap, prioritization, and delivery. Serving as Product Owner previously, this shift recognizes the product management responsibilities that Pamela has taken on during the evolution of Drupal CMS.

She will continue to work closely with me as I lead the Drupal CMS initiative. I’ll continue to set direction, align teams, and ensure we have the support and momentum to achieve our goals.

We appreciate the ongoing support from Technocrat support in giving Pamela the time to contribute to Drupal CMS.

Tim Plunkett is stepping down as Technical Lead

Tim Plunkett is transitioning out of his role as Drupal CMS Technical Lead to dedicate his full focus to the development of Drupal Canvas. We thank Tim for his leadership and his employer Acquia for all of his contributions.

Adam Hoenich, Lead Architect for Drupal CMS, has been ably overseeing all things technical in the meantime and he will remain in that role. Adam's contribution to Drupal CMS is generously supported by Acquia.

Looking ahead

During DrupalCon Chicago, our leadership team met to discuss the future of Drupal CMS. The first question we asked was 'Do we still think this initiative is important for Drupal's future?' We think it is. We're proud of what we have delivered so far in version 2, with Canvas enablement and site templates as the highlights, but we know there is a lot more to do to meet our objective: To enable marketing teams to launch fully-branded, professional websites in hours, not weeks.

The leadership team is currently working to define the product roadmap for the next 6-12 months, with a strategic focus on launching sites faster with Drupal. We'd love to see new site templates in the marketplace and want to promote easier pathways from installation to going live with a range of hosting options. Other areas we are looking to pursue are: onboarding, better AI tooling, multilingual support for Canvas and site templates, and better support for common third-party integrations.

We're excited to announce updates to the Drupal CMS leadership team, with the addition of Bálint Kléri as our new Frontend Lead.

Bálint Kléri named Drupal CMS Frontend Lead

Bálint Kléri has been named Frontend Lead, a new leadership role created to oversee the frontend architecture for Drupal CMS, Mercury and Mercury-based themes. Bálint is a full-time contributor to Drupal Canvas, leading the development of Code Components for Acquia and a key contributor to Mercury, the Drupal CMS design system. 

During development of Mercury, Bálint stepped in to guide the Tailwind CSS implementation and advocate for the use of best practices. We are grateful for his contributions already, and are excited to have him formally join the team. The addition of this frontend role is critical as we refine the Drupal CMS design system, providing users with a modern and adaptable foundation for Drupal sites and site templates.

Pamela Barone promoted to Product Lead

Pamela Barone is now Drupal CMS Product Lead, overseeing product direction, roadmap, prioritization, and delivery. Serving as Product Owner previously, this shift recognizes the product management responsibilities that Pamela has taken on during the evolution of Drupal CMS.

She will continue to work closely with me as I lead the Drupal CMS initiative. I’ll continue to set direction, align teams, and ensure we have the support and momentum to achieve our goals.

We appreciate the ongoing support from Technocrat support in giving Pamela the time to contribute to Drupal CMS.

Tim Plunkett is stepping down as Technical Lead

Tim Plunkett is transitioning out of his role as Drupal CMS Technical Lead to dedicate his full focus to the development of Drupal Canvas. We thank Tim for his leadership and his employer Acquia for all of his contributions.

Adam Hoenich, Lead Architect for Drupal CMS, has been ably overseeing all things technical in the meantime and he will remain in that role. Adam's contribution to Drupal CMS is generously supported by Acquia.

Looking ahead

During DrupalCon Chicago, our leadership team met to discuss the future of Drupal CMS. The first question we asked was 'Do we still think this initiative is important for Drupal's future?' We think it is. We're proud of what we have delivered so far in version 2, with Canvas enablement and site templates as the highlights, but we know there is a lot more to do to meet our objective: To enable marketing teams to launch fully-branded, professional websites in hours, not weeks.

The leadership team is currently working to define the product roadmap for the next 6-12 months, with a strategic focus on launching sites faster with Drupal. We'd love to see new site templates in the marketplace and want to promote easier pathways from installation to going live with a range of hosting options. Other areas we are looking to pursue are: onboarding, better AI tooling, multilingual support for Canvas and site templates, and better support for common third-party integrations.

We're excited to announce updates to the Drupal CMS leadership team, with the addition of Bálint Kléri as our new Frontend Lead.

Bálint Kléri named Drupal CMS Frontend Lead

Bálint Kléri has been named Frontend Lead, a new leadership role created to oversee the frontend architecture for Drupal CMS, Mercury and Mercury-based themes. Bálint is a full-time contributor to Drupal Canvas, leading the development of Code Components for Acquia and a key contributor to Mercury, the Drupal CMS design system. 

During development of Mercury, Bálint stepped in to guide the Tailwind CSS implementation and advocate for the use of best practices. We are grateful for his contributions already, and are excited to have him formally join the team. The addition of this frontend role is critical as we refine the Drupal CMS design system, providing users with a modern and adaptable foundation for Drupal sites and site templates.

Pamela Barone promoted to Product Lead

Pamela Barone is now Drupal CMS Product Lead, overseeing product direction, roadmap, prioritization, and delivery. Serving as Product Owner previously, this shift recognizes the product management responsibilities that Pamela has taken on during the evolution of Drupal CMS.

She will continue to work closely with me as I lead the Drupal CMS initiative. I’ll continue to set direction, align teams, and ensure we have the support and momentum to achieve our goals.

We appreciate the ongoing support from Technocrat support in giving Pamela the time to contribute to Drupal CMS.

Tim Plunkett is stepping down as Technical Lead

Tim Plunkett is transitioning out of his role as Drupal CMS Technical Lead to dedicate his full focus to the development of Drupal Canvas. We thank Tim for his leadership and his employer Acquia for all of his contributions.

Adam Hoenich, Lead Architect for Drupal CMS, has been ably overseeing all things technical in the meantime and he will remain in that role. Adam's contribution to Drupal CMS is generously supported by Acquia.

Looking ahead

During DrupalCon Chicago, our leadership team met to discuss the future of Drupal CMS. The first question we asked was 'Do we still think this initiative is important for Drupal's future?' We think it is. We're proud of what we have delivered so far in version 2, with Canvas enablement and site templates as the highlights, but we know there is a lot more to do to meet our objective: To enable marketing teams to launch fully-branded, professional websites in hours, not weeks.

The leadership team is currently working to define the product roadmap for the next 6-12 months, with a strategic focus on launching sites faster with Drupal. We'd love to see new site templates in the marketplace and want to promote easier pathways from installation to going live with a range of hosting options. Other areas we are looking to pursue are: onboarding, better AI tooling, multilingual support for Canvas and site templates, and better support for common third-party integrations.

We're excited to announce updates to the Drupal CMS leadership team, with the addition of Bálint Kléri as our new Frontend Lead.

Bálint Kléri named Drupal CMS Frontend Lead

Bálint Kléri has been named Frontend Lead, a new leadership role created to oversee the frontend architecture for Drupal CMS, Mercury and Mercury-based themes. Bálint is a full-time contributor to Drupal Canvas, leading the development of Code Components for Acquia and a key contributor to Mercury, the Drupal CMS design system. 

During development of Mercury, Bálint stepped in to guide the Tailwind CSS implementation and advocate for the use of best practices. We are grateful for his contributions already, and are excited to have him formally join the team. The addition of this frontend role is critical as we refine the Drupal CMS design system, providing users with a modern and adaptable foundation for Drupal sites and site templates.

Pamela Barone promoted to Product Lead

Pamela Barone is now Drupal CMS Product Lead, overseeing product direction, roadmap, prioritization, and delivery. Serving as Product Owner previously, this shift recognizes the product management responsibilities that Pamela has taken on during the evolution of Drupal CMS.

She will continue to work closely with me as I lead the Drupal CMS initiative. I’ll continue to set direction, align teams, and ensure we have the support and momentum to achieve our goals.

We appreciate the ongoing support from Technocrat support in giving Pamela the time to contribute to Drupal CMS.

Tim Plunkett is stepping down as Technical Lead

Tim Plunkett is transitioning out of his role as Drupal CMS Technical Lead to dedicate his full focus to the development of Drupal Canvas. We thank Tim for his leadership and his employer Acquia for all of his contributions.

Adam Hoenich, Lead Architect for Drupal CMS, has been ably overseeing all things technical in the meantime and he will remain in that role. Adam's contribution to Drupal CMS is generously supported by Acquia.

Looking ahead

During DrupalCon Chicago, our leadership team met to discuss the future of Drupal CMS. The first question we asked was 'Do we still think this initiative is important for Drupal's future?' We think it is. We're proud of what we have delivered so far in version 2, with Canvas enablement and site templates as the highlights, but we know there is a lot more to do to meet our objective: To enable marketing teams to launch fully-branded, professional websites in hours, not weeks.

The leadership team is currently working to define the product roadmap for the next 6-12 months, with a strategic focus on launching sites faster with Drupal. We'd love to see new site templates in the marketplace and want to promote easier pathways from installation to going live with a range of hosting options. Other areas we are looking to pursue are: onboarding, better AI tooling, multilingual support for Canvas and site templates, and better support for common third-party integrations.

Join us THURSDAY, April 16 at 1pm ET / 10am PT, for our regularly scheduled call to chat about all things Drupal and nonprofits. (Convert to your local time zone.)

We don't have anything specific on the agenda this month, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss anything that's on our minds at the intersection of Drupal and nonprofits. Got something specific you want to talk about? Feel free to share ahead of time in our collaborative Google document at https://nten.org/drupal/notes!

All nonprofit Drupal devs and users, regardless of experience level, are always welcome on this call.

This free call is sponsored by NTEN.org and open to everyone.

Information on joining the meeting can be found in our collaborative Google document.

Join us THURSDAY, April 16 at 1pm ET / 10am PT, for our regularly scheduled call to chat about all things Drupal and nonprofits. (Convert to your local time zone.)

We don't have anything specific on the agenda this month, so we'll have plenty of time to discuss anything that's on our minds at the intersection of Drupal and nonprofits. Got something specific you want to talk about? Feel free to share ahead of time in our collaborative Google document at https://nten.org/drupal/notes!

All nonprofit Drupal devs and users, regardless of experience level, are always welcome on this call.

This free call is sponsored by NTEN.org and open to everyone.

Information on joining the meeting can be found in our collaborative Google document.

​AI coding tools have evolved fast — from inline suggestions to full-blown agents that can scaffold modules, write tests, and refactor code across files. But what does that actually mean for your day-to-day work, and where should a seasoned developer start?

Our next session on Tuesday, April 14th at 11:30am Pacific (what is that in my timezone?) is led by Scott Falconer of the Drupal AI Initiative, breaks down the current landscape of AI-assisted coding into clear, practical tiers: inline completions (think autocomplete on steroids), chat-in-your-IDE copilot workflows, and the newer "agentic" coding loops where AI plans and executes multi-step tasks with your oversight. We'll look at what each style is good at, where it falls down, and — critically — how much control you keep at each level.

​You'll come away understanding what tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, and others actually do under the hood, how to evaluate which approach fits your workflow, and how to move up the ladder at your own pace without feeling like you're handing the keys to a junior dev who doesn't know what <?php print 'hello world'; ?> does.

​No hype, no "AI will replace you" nonsense — just a clear-eyed look at what's useful now and how to adopt it without abandoning the engineering discipline that got you here.

➡️ Register here: https://luma.com/namxz1gf 

➡️ Session summary

​Coming out of DrupalCon Chicago 2026, we're starting the #ai-learners club, where we share tips and tricks and answer questions about how to use Drupal and AI together. Think of it kind of like Drupal Dojo, but for AI.

​For our inaugural meeting, the topic is: What's your Drupal + AI setup?

​Join us on Wednesday, April 8 at 9:30am Pacific (What is that in my timezone?) for a live "show and tell" of what folks who attend are using for things like: models, modules, skills, tools, agents, IDEs, workflows... whatever! Let's share what's working and what's not and try and help each other level up. :)

​Note: The session will be recorded and uploaded afterwards for those who can't make it live. But it's way more fun if you can! ;)

➡️ Register here: https://luma.com/8tzrlljr

➡️ Session summary

Are you a Drupal enthusiast who’s ever thought, “I’m not expert enough to speak at DrupalCon”? You’re not alone. Imposter syndrome can affect even the most experienced developers, designers, and site builders. But here’s the truth: real-world experience matters far more than textbook expertise. Your lessons learned, project insights, and practical workflows are exactly what the community wants to hear.

Speaking at DrupalCon isn’t just about sharing knowledge. It’s a chance to grow personally and professionally. You’ll gain visibility in the Drupal community, advance your career through skill development and recognition, and connect with peers, mentors, and potential collaborators.

Don’t let self-doubt hold you back. If you’ve tackled real Drupal challenges, you already have a story worth sharing.
 

                               ^{Photo by PdJohnson}

What Makes a Great DrupalCon Talk Proposal

When reviewers look at submissions, they’re seeking talks that are educational, clear, and actionable, not sales pitches. Here’s what makes a proposal stand out:

• Clear takeaway: What will attendees actually learn?
• Specific audience: Who benefits most from your talk?
• Drupal relevance: Make it explicit why this matters to the community.

Tips for a strong proposal:

• Avoid vague titles like “Drupal Tips & Tricks”
• Focus on outcomes rather than just features
• Be specific about your context, challenges, and solutions

Top Ideas for DrupalCon Rotterdam 2026 Talks

Need inspiration? Here are some trending topics that resonate with the community and demonstrate thought leadership:

• AI and Drupal: How AI tools can enhance content creation and user experiences
• Decoupled & composable architectures: Building flexible, modern sites
• Accessibility & inclusive design: Making Drupal sites usable for everyone
• Performance at scale: Lessons from high-traffic projects
• Real client success stories: Challenges, solutions, and wins
• Content workflows & editorial UX: Improving efficiency and satisfaction

Your unique experience in these areas could spark the next great DrupalCon session.

                               ^{Photo by PdJohnson}

From Submission to Stage: How to Get Selected

Wondering how your proposal moves from idea to spotlight? Here’s a peek behind the curtain:

1. Choose the right track and format: DrupalCon has multiple tracks: technical, design, strategy, and more. Pick the one your talk aligns with.
2. Craft a compelling description: Clearly state the problem, your approach, and what attendees will take away.
3. Match difficulty level to audience: Beginners, intermediate, or advanced. Be honest to set expectations.
4. Focus on practical value: Share actionable insights, not theory alone.

Remember, clarity and relevance are key. The more concrete your examples and lessons, the stronger your submission.

Call for Papers: Key Dates & How to Submit

Don’t miss your chance to speak at DrupalCon Rotterdam 2026!

Deadline: 13 April 2026

Tracks: 

• Community Health
• Digital Sovereignty & Open Web
• Drupal CMS
• Development AI and Agentic Architecture
• Agency, Business & Marketing
• Success Stories and Innovation
• User Experience, Accessibility, and Design

Formats: Sessions (45 or 20 minutes), workshops (45 or 2x45 minutes), panels (45 minutes)

How to submit:

1. Visit the DrupalCon CFP page
2. Choose your track and format
3. Write your title and description with clear takeaways
4. Submit before the deadline!

Whether you’re a first-time speaker or a seasoned presenter, DrupalCon is the perfect platform to share your story, contribute to the community, and grow your career. Your insights matter, so step up to the mic and make your mark!

SUBMIT YOUR SESSION
 

Where AI Moves from Experiment to Operation

The Drupal AI Summit NYC, taking place on May 14, 2026

Photo by Gryffindor , CC BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia

The conversation around AI is changing.

Not long ago, most discussions focused on what AI could do. That phase is largely behind us. Organisations are now dealing with a more difficult and more important question: how do you operate AI systems in a way that holds up over time, under real conditions, and with real consequences?

The Drupal AI Summit NYC is designed to address that shift directly. This is not a standalone Drupal event. It is co-located with apidays New York and Generation AI, placing Drupal into a broader ecosystem of technology leaders, platform owners, and organisations actively working through the realities of AI adoption at scale.

This is a different kind of conversation

This Summit is not structured as a traditional developer track, and it is not focused on early-stage experimentation. The intent is to create space for people who are already responsible for delivery and are dealing with the complexity that comes with it.

The audience includes CTOs, digital leaders, and platform owners who are navigating challenges such as governance, compliance, data ownership, and long-term operational stability. These are not theoretical concerns. They emerge quickly once AI is integrated into production systems and begin to affect real users, real data, and real outcomes.

We're In the Storm, This is the Way Through

AI is already embedded in how organisations operate, whether they realise it or not. It is present in content workflows, search systems, personalisation engines, and automation pipelines. In many cases, it has been introduced incrementally, often without a clear understanding of how data is being handled or where control ultimately resides.

This creates a gap between perceived responsibility and actual control.

The Drupal AI Initiative has been working to close that gap by focusing on approaches that are open, inspectable, and governable. This is not an abstract position. It is a practical requirement for organisations that need to understand how their systems behave, where their data is processed, and how decisions can be audited over time.

What the Summit will focus on

The programme is centred on real implementation work. The goal is to surface the decisions, trade-offs, and operational realities that teams encounter when AI moves beyond pilot projects and into production environments.

Sessions will focus on areas such as:

• AI implementations currently running in production within Drupal
• Architectural decisions and integration patterns that support long-term use
• Governance and compliance considerations in regulated environments
• Operational lessons learned from scaling AI systems
• Practical insights from projects that required course correction

The emphasis is on experience rather than theory. Attendees should expect to hear what actually happens when systems are deployed, maintained, and evolved over time.

This builds on the foundation established by the first Drupal AI Summit in Paris, which brought together global contributors to focus on practical architecture, governance, and real-world application of open source AI systems. 

Why is Drupal part of this conversation?

Drupal is not approaching AI as an external add-on. The work being done through the Drupal AI Initiative is focused on integrating AI directly into the platform in a way that preserves control, flexibility, and transparency.

That includes the ability to choose where models run, how data is processed, and how AI capabilities are embedded into content and workflow systems. It also reflects Drupal’s long-standing strengths as an open source platform built around extensibility, governance, and long-term ownership.

For organisations that need to operate AI responsibly, those characteristics are not optional. They are foundational.

Who should attend?

This Summit is intended for organisations and individuals who are already engaged in applying AI in meaningful ways and are now working through the implications of doing so at scale. In short, YOU SHOULD ATTEND.

It is particularly relevant for those who are responsible for platform decisions, architectural direction, or operational oversight, and who need to ensure that AI systems remain reliable, governable, and aligned with organisational requirements.

Join us in New York City

Early bird tickets are currently available for $150 until April 13. For an event of this scale, and with access to a much larger federated conference environment, that price is difficult to justify passing up.

The Drupal AI Summit NYC is an opportunity to engage directly with practitioners who are doing this work today, in environments where the stakes are real and the outcomes matter.

Drupal powers websites for governments, universities, major media organisations, and global brands - but historically it's demanded specialist knowledge just to get started. Last year's release of Drupal CMS changed that, putting Drupal's power within reach of the marketers, content teams, and site builders who actually run websites day to day.

Last week at DrupalCon Chicago, that vision took another huge step forward with the pilot launch of the Drupal Site Template Marketplace at marketplace.drupal.org.

Ready-made starting points, built the right way

The marketplace launches with an initial set of purpose-built site templates covering the use cases where Drupal has always excelled: nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, government, events, SaaS, and more, with more templates to follow as the programme grows.

Each template is a complete, working starting point. Not a design skin, but a fully configured site with real content models, editorial workflows, and Drupal's full architecture underneath. Install one inside DrupalCMS and you have a professional, sector-appropriate website that's ready to customise, not a blank slate dressed up nicely.

Free and premium options are available.

Why this is different from a WordPress theme

This distinction matters, and it's worth being direct about it.

Theme marketplaces, the kind WordPress is known for, offer visual overlays. They change how a site looks. They don't change how it works. That's fine for simple sites, but organisations that need real editorial workflows, structured content, access controls, multilingual support, or compliance requirements quickly find that a theme doesn't help. They're building the architecture from scratch regardless of how they started.

A Drupal site template includes that architecture from day one. The content models, the configuration, the editorial structure, all of it is already there, built to production standards, ready to extend.

That means the ceiling is genuinely different. Other tools can generate something that looks right. Drupal templates give you something that actually works, at scale, with a team, under real operational conditions.

Built for the sectors that need it most

Each template is designed around a specific use case, which means the features that matter for that sector are already configured and ready.

A nonprofit template arrives with the tools a nonprofit actually needs. A healthcare template is built around the trust and clarity that patients expect. A government template starts from the accessibility and security standards that aren't optional in the public sector.

Drupal's sector expertise, applied earlier in the process, so organisations can spend their time on what's specific to them, not on rebuilding foundations that have already been solved.

Expert support, built in

Every template in the marketplace connects you directly to the team that built it. If you need help customising, extending, or getting the most out of your starting point, the expertise is right there.

This is just the beginning

The marketplace is launching as a pilot, a deliberate decision to get the foundations right before scaling. The initial templates have been built to a high bar by agencies with deep Drupal expertise, and the programme will expand as more makers come on board.

It's an early but meaningful moment. The vision: a rich catalogue of sector-specific, production-ready starting points that make Drupal accessible to any organisation, is now becoming real.

Browse the current templates at marketplace.drupal.org.

Drupal powers websites for governments, universities, major media organisations, and global brands - but historically it's demanded specialist knowledge just to get started. Last year's release of Drupal CMS changed that, putting Drupal's power within reach of the marketers, content teams, and site builders who actually run websites day to day.

Last week at DrupalCon Chicago, that vision took another huge step forward with the pilot launch of the Drupal Site Template Marketplace at marketplace.drupal.org.

Ready-made starting points, built the right way

The marketplace launches with an initial set of purpose-built site templates covering the use cases where Drupal has always excelled: nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, government, events, SaaS, and more, with more templates to follow as the programme grows.

Each template is a complete, working starting point. Not a design skin, but a fully configured site with real content models, editorial workflows, and Drupal's full architecture underneath. Install one inside DrupalCMS and you have a professional, sector-appropriate website that's ready to customise, not a blank slate dressed up nicely.

Free and premium options are available.

Why this is different from a WordPress theme

This distinction matters, and it's worth being direct about it.

Theme marketplaces, the kind WordPress is known for, offer visual overlays. They change how a site looks. They don't change how it works. That's fine for simple sites, but organisations that need real editorial workflows, structured content, access controls, multilingual support, or compliance requirements quickly find that a theme doesn't help. They're building the architecture from scratch regardless of how they started.

A Drupal site template includes that architecture from day one. The content models, the configuration, the editorial structure, all of it is already there, built to production standards, ready to extend.

That means the ceiling is genuinely different. Other tools can generate something that looks right. Drupal templates give you something that actually works, at scale, with a team, under real operational conditions.

Built for the sectors that need it most

Each template is designed around a specific use case, which means the features that matter for that sector are already configured and ready.

A nonprofit template arrives with the tools a nonprofit actually needs. A healthcare template is built around the trust and clarity that patients expect. A government template starts from the accessibility and security standards that aren't optional in the public sector.

Drupal's sector expertise, applied earlier in the process, so organisations can spend their time on what's specific to them, not on rebuilding foundations that have already been solved.

Expert support, built in

Every template in the marketplace connects you directly to the team that built it. If you need help customising, extending, or getting the most out of your starting point, the expertise is right there.

This is just the beginning

The marketplace is launching as a pilot, a deliberate decision to get the foundations right before scaling. The initial templates have been built to a high bar by agencies with deep Drupal expertise, and the programme will expand as more makers come on board.

It's an early but meaningful moment. The vision: a rich catalogue of sector-specific, production-ready starting points that make Drupal accessible to any organisation, is now becoming real.

Browse the current templates at marketplace.drupal.org.