Drupal CMS 2.0 launched January 28. We asked Pam Barone—CTO of Technocrat and Product Owner of Drupal CMS—to talk about what's new and what she's most excited for people to try.

What makes Drupal CMS 2.0 different from version 1.0?

Drupal CMS 1.0 was really a proof of concept, to show that we could create a version of Drupal that bundled all of the best practices that many sites were using, and that the community would come together to make it happen in a short amount of time. We did prove the concept, but the 1.0 release did not represent any major innovations, because we were mostly just packaging functionality and tools that we already had and were familiar with. That is not to downplay the accomplishment at all, because it was a huge leap forward for the project, and it provided the foundation for the next steps.

With 2.0, we are introducing two big new concepts: Drupal Canvas and site templates. These represent another huge leap for the project, each in different ways, as we continue with the strategy to empower marketers to create exceptional digital experiences without relying on developers.

What are you personally most excited about for people to try in 2.0?

Drupal Canvas! I am so excited about Canvas and can’t wait to get it into the hands of our end users. There were times during the development of 2.0 when I was working in the Canvas editor and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually having fun!’ I can’t say I remember thinking that with previous Drupal page building tools.

And it’s not just about end users; one of the goals of 2.0 is to introduce Canvas within the community and showcase its potential. It’s a paradigm shift, and this level of change is always challenging, but after trying it out and getting familiar with the concepts, I think it’ll be clear that it’s worth it.

Site templates are a big part of this release. Can you explain what they are and why they matter?

Site templates are near-feature-complete starting points for Drupal sites based on specific use cases. They provide a content model, some example content, a polished look and feel, as well as the functionality you would expect based on the use case. The first site template – Byte, which is included in Drupal CMS 2.0 – is for a SaaS-based product marketing site. It includes all of the baseline functionality from 1.0, plus Canvas-powered landing pages, a blog, a newsletter signup and contact form, and a new theme with a dark style. 

During the development of 1.0, we realized that we couldn’t build something that was both generic and useful. Either we would have to build something simple that would be widely applicable, or we would be making a lot of assumptions about the site’s content model and functionality, and providing things that many users wouldn't want.

We decided that in order to really make it easy to launch sites, we had to provide many different starting points, across many use cases. By identifying the use case and being opinionated about how to solve it, site templates can start you off with 95 percent of what you need to launch.

Of course, that assumes there is a site template for your use case – which means we’re going to need a lot of them. We’re currently working with a group of Drupal agencies who have signed up for a pilot to develop new site templates for the launch of the site template Marketplace.

Let's talk about Canvas—how will this change the way marketers can build with Drupal?

The most obvious thing is just that it provides marketers with a modern, intuitive visual page builder of the kind that any competitive platform needs to have. Up until now, adopting Drupal meant getting its many benefits but compromising on the user experience, because the page building tools were clunky. With Canvas, that compromise is gone. We can provide the experience that marketers have come to expect.

In some ways it feels like we are playing catch-up, especially since it’s still early (the first release was in December) and there are some big gaps. But it also feels like a new era for Drupal, and the enthusiasm and pace of adoption so far is really encouraging. So I think we don’t really even know yet what changes will come, because when the community is presented with a new way to build cool things, the possibilities are endless.

You've mentioned making integrations easier with recipes. What does that look like in practice?

One of the benefits of using Drupal is that it can be integrated with pretty much anything, and all of the common integrations have modules to make it easier. But they always require some configuration, and it can be tricky to figure out. With recipes, we can add default configuration, and we can prompt for the necessary details, so you don’t have to go hunting around for where to add them.

Drupal CMS 1.0 included two integrations that use the recipe prompt already, for Google Analytics and the AI Assistant. They’re pretty simple in that you are just adding an ID or an API key, but they still are a big improvement over the manual setup. 

For 2.0, with site templates, we have the opportunity to include additional integrations that are relevant to the use case and wanted to tackle something a bit more complicated. Byte ships with a newsletter signup that uses a webform out of the box, and has an optional “Recommended add-on” to integrate with Mailchimp. The Mailchimp module already did most of the heavy lifting, but we worked with the maintainers to develop a recipe that configures the module (and its submodules), and once you authenticate your site with Mailchimp, will automatically create signup blocks for each of your audiences. From there, you can add them to any page via the Canvas editor.

We think that easy integrations are going to be really critical to making site templates attractive as an offering, so we are planning to continue working on that. 

In your recent presentations, you've talked about "making easy things less hard" versus "making easy things easy." Where does 2.0 fall on that spectrum?

The initial site templates are very intentionally on the “making easy things less hard” side. Not only is it a totally new concept, but they are leveraging Canvas, which is also new. So we thought that the best chance for success would be to keep it simple and try to really nail the use cases. Once we’ve all built a few, and we’ve gotten feedback from real users, we can move into the more complex sites where Drupal thrives.

Drupal CMS 2.0 is available now.

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launched January 28. We asked Pam Barone—CTO of Technocrat and Product Owner of Drupal CMS—to talk about what's new and what she's most excited for people to try.

What makes Drupal CMS 2.0 different from version 1.0?

Drupal CMS 1.0 was really a proof of concept, to show that we could create a version of Drupal that bundled all of the best practices that many sites were using, and that the community would come together to make it happen in a short amount of time. We did prove the concept, but the 1.0 release did not represent any major innovations, because we were mostly just packaging functionality and tools that we already had and were familiar with. That is not to downplay the accomplishment at all, because it was a huge leap forward for the project, and it provided the foundation for the next steps.

With 2.0, we are introducing two big new concepts: Drupal Canvas and site templates. These represent another huge leap for the project, each in different ways, as we continue with the strategy to empower marketers to create exceptional digital experiences without relying on developers.

What are you personally most excited about for people to try in 2.0?

Drupal Canvas! I am so excited about Canvas and can’t wait to get it into the hands of our end users. There were times during the development of 2.0 when I was working in the Canvas editor and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually having fun!’ I can’t say I remember thinking that with previous Drupal page building tools.

And it’s not just about end users; one of the goals of 2.0 is to introduce Canvas within the community and showcase its potential. It’s a paradigm shift, and this level of change is always challenging, but after trying it out and getting familiar with the concepts, I think it’ll be clear that it’s worth it.

Site templates are a big part of this release. Can you explain what they are and why they matter?

Site templates are near-feature-complete starting points for Drupal sites based on specific use cases. They provide a content model, some example content, a polished look and feel, as well as the functionality you would expect based on the use case. The first site template – Byte, which is included in Drupal CMS 2.0 – is for a SaaS-based product marketing site. It includes all of the baseline functionality from 1.0, plus Canvas-powered landing pages, a blog, a newsletter signup and contact form, and a new theme with a dark style. 

During the development of 1.0, we realized that we couldn’t build something that was both generic and useful. Either we would have to build something simple that would be widely applicable, or we would be making a lot of assumptions about the site’s content model and functionality, and providing things that many users wouldn't want.

We decided that in order to really make it easy to launch sites, we had to provide many different starting points, across many use cases. By identifying the use case and being opinionated about how to solve it, site templates can start you off with 95 percent of what you need to launch.

Of course, that assumes there is a site template for your use case – which means we’re going to need a lot of them. We’re currently working with a group of Drupal agencies who have signed up for a pilot to develop new site templates for the launch of the site template Marketplace.

Let's talk about Canvas—how will this change the way marketers can build with Drupal?

The most obvious thing is just that it provides marketers with a modern, intuitive visual page builder of the kind that any competitive platform needs to have. Up until now, adopting Drupal meant getting its many benefits but compromising on the user experience, because the page building tools were clunky. With Canvas, that compromise is gone. We can provide the experience that marketers have come to expect.

In some ways it feels like we are playing catch-up, especially since it’s still early (the first release was in December) and there are some big gaps. But it also feels like a new era for Drupal, and the enthusiasm and pace of adoption so far is really encouraging. So I think we don’t really even know yet what changes will come, because when the community is presented with a new way to build cool things, the possibilities are endless.

You've mentioned making integrations easier with recipes. What does that look like in practice?

One of the benefits of using Drupal is that it can be integrated with pretty much anything, and all of the common integrations have modules to make it easier. But they always require some configuration, and it can be tricky to figure out. With recipes, we can add default configuration, and we can prompt for the necessary details, so you don’t have to go hunting around for where to add them.

Drupal CMS 1.0 included two integrations that use the recipe prompt already, for Google Analytics and the AI Assistant. They’re pretty simple in that you are just adding an ID or an API key, but they still are a big improvement over the manual setup. 

For 2.0, with site templates, we have the opportunity to include additional integrations that are relevant to the use case and wanted to tackle something a bit more complicated. Byte ships with a newsletter signup that uses a webform out of the box, and has an optional “Recommended add-on” to integrate with Mailchimp. The Mailchimp module already did most of the heavy lifting, but we worked with the maintainers to develop a recipe that configures the module (and its submodules), and once you authenticate your site with Mailchimp, will automatically create signup blocks for each of your audiences. From there, you can add them to any page via the Canvas editor.

We think that easy integrations are going to be really critical to making site templates attractive as an offering, so we are planning to continue working on that. 

In your recent presentations, you've talked about "making easy things less hard" versus "making easy things easy." Where does 2.0 fall on that spectrum?

The initial site templates are very intentionally on the “making easy things less hard” side. Not only is it a totally new concept, but they are leveraging Canvas, which is also new. So we thought that the best chance for success would be to keep it simple and try to really nail the use cases. Once we’ve all built a few, and we’ve gotten feedback from real users, we can move into the more complex sites where Drupal thrives.

Drupal CMS 2.0 is available now.

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Every year on 4th February, the world unites to mark World Cancer Day (WCD), a campaign that raises awareness, amplifies voices, and inspires collective action against cancer. Behind the scenes, the World Cancer Day website, built with Drupal, powers millions of people, providing a central platform for global engagement.

Campaign and its impact

The World Cancer Day 2025-2027 campaign embraces the theme “United by Unique”, emphasizing people-centered care. This approach prioritizes the needs, values, and active participation of individuals, families, and communities in cancer care. By putting people at the heart of the conversation, the campaign promotes a shift toward more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate health systems.

The 2025 campaign achieved remarkable global engagement:

• +900 activities in 120 countries
• +600 stories shared in text, video, and art
• +1,000 participants in the Upside Down Challenge
• +30,000 press mentions in 162 countries
• 6 billion digital impressions and 9 million social media engagements
• 530,000 website visitors and +300,000 campaign video views

These numbers highlight both the scale of the campaign and the critical need for a platform that can reliably support millions of users simultaneously.

Explore more about the campaign and join the global action at World Cancer Day.

Supporting global action with Drupal

Supporting a high-profile global campaign requires flexibility, scalability, and robustness, capabilities that are fundamental to Drupal’s architecture.

Key features

• Multilingual CMS: Centralized content management across multiple languages ensures the website can reach a large global audience.
• Scalable hosting: Drupal handles traffic surges exceeding 194 GB per hour, delivering consistent performance during peak activity.
• Complex interactive tools: Custom features such as poster creation, event planning tools, and a global activities map make it easy for users to participate and share initiatives.
• Dynamic content delivery: Scrollytelling, multimedia content, and personal stories from those affected by cancer create an engaging, meaningful experience.
• Accessibility: Drupal’s accessibility capabilities reinforce inclusivity by supporting diverse audiences at scale.

"I've been pleased with my experience with Drupal. While the earlier versions were sometimes technically complex, it always felt like a solid, robust platform to build upon. I have been genuinely pleased that we chose to stick with it over the long term and to witness its evolution into a more mature and flexible platform." 

Charles Andrew Revkin  Senior Digital Strategy Manager  Union for International Cancer Control ( UICC)

Scaling impact with Drupal AI

To manage the vast volume of user-submitted stories while maintaining quality, relevance and inclusivity, WCD integrated Drupal AI. This automation helps with content moderation and reduces manual workload, allowing more people to share their experiences and supporting the campaign’s people-centered mission as it scales.

Why Open Source matters for global health initiatives

For non-profit organizations in the healthcare sector, efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability are essential, especially when every investment must directly support the mission. As an open-source platform, Drupal eliminates licensing costs and avoids vendor lock-in, allowing resources to be focused on participation and impact rather than software fees. Supported by a global contributor community, Drupal benefits from continuous improvements in security, accessibility, and performance, making it a trusted foundation for sensitive, high-impact initiatives like World Cancer Day.

Technology that serves people at scale

The global fight against cancer requires collective action, and Drupal plays an important role in enabling that engagement. By managing large-scale data, complex interactive features, and high-traffic performance, the platform ensures that the campaign can reach millions of people, foster participation, and support socially impactful initiatives year after year.

Read the full case study on 1xINTERNET website

Every year on 4th February, the world unites to mark World Cancer Day (WCD), a campaign that raises awareness, amplifies voices, and inspires collective action against cancer. Behind the scenes, the World Cancer Day website, built with Drupal, powers millions of people, providing a central platform for global engagement.

Campaign and its impact

The World Cancer Day 2025-2027 campaign embraces the theme “United by Unique”, emphasizing people-centered care. This approach prioritizes the needs, values, and active participation of individuals, families, and communities in cancer care. By putting people at the heart of the conversation, the campaign promotes a shift toward more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate health systems.

The 2025 campaign achieved remarkable global engagement:

• +900 activities in 120 countries
• +600 stories shared in text, video, and art
• +1,000 participants in the Upside Down Challenge
• +30,000 press mentions in 162 countries
• 6 billion digital impressions and 9 million social media engagements
• 530,000 website visitors and +300,000 campaign video views

These numbers highlight both the scale of the campaign and the critical need for a platform that can reliably support millions of users simultaneously.

Explore more about the campaign and join the global action at World Cancer Day.

Supporting global action with Drupal

Supporting a high-profile global campaign requires flexibility, scalability, and robustness, capabilities that are fundamental to Drupal’s architecture.

Key features

• Multilingual CMS: Centralized content management across multiple languages ensures the website can reach a large global audience.
• Scalable hosting: Drupal handles traffic surges exceeding 194 GB per hour, delivering consistent performance during peak activity.
• Complex interactive tools: Custom features such as poster creation, event planning tools, and a global activities map make it easy for users to participate and share initiatives.
• Dynamic content delivery: Scrollytelling, multimedia content, and personal stories from those affected by cancer create an engaging, meaningful experience.
• Accessibility: Drupal’s accessibility capabilities reinforce inclusivity by supporting diverse audiences at scale.

"I've been pleased with my experience with Drupal. While the earlier versions were sometimes technically complex, it always felt like a solid, robust platform to build upon. I have been genuinely pleased that we chose to stick with it over the long term and to witness its evolution into a more mature and flexible platform." 

Charles Andrew Revkin  Senior Digital Strategy Manager  Union for International Cancer Control ( UICC)

Scaling impact with Drupal AI

To manage the vast volume of user-submitted stories while maintaining quality, relevance and inclusivity, WCD integrated Drupal AI. This automation helps with content moderation and reduces manual workload, allowing more people to share their experiences and supporting the campaign’s people-centered mission as it scales.

Why Open Source matters for global health initiatives

For non-profit organizations in the healthcare sector, efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability are essential, especially when every investment must directly support the mission. As an open-source platform, Drupal eliminates licensing costs and avoids vendor lock-in, allowing resources to be focused on participation and impact rather than software fees. Supported by a global contributor community, Drupal benefits from continuous improvements in security, accessibility, and performance, making it a trusted foundation for sensitive, high-impact initiatives like World Cancer Day.

Technology that serves people at scale

The global fight against cancer requires collective action, and Drupal plays an important role in enabling that engagement. By managing large-scale data, complex interactive features, and high-traffic performance, the platform ensures that the campaign can reach millions of people, foster participation, and support socially impactful initiatives year after year.

Read the full case study on 1xINTERNET website

Every year on 4th February, the world unites to mark World Cancer Day (WCD), a campaign that raises awareness, amplifies voices, and inspires collective action against cancer. Behind the scenes, the World Cancer Day website, built with Drupal, powers millions of people, providing a central platform for global engagement.

Campaign and its impact

The World Cancer Day 2025-2027 campaign embraces the theme “United by Unique”, emphasizing people-centered care. This approach prioritizes the needs, values, and active participation of individuals, families, and communities in cancer care. By putting people at the heart of the conversation, the campaign promotes a shift toward more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate health systems.

The 2025 campaign achieved remarkable global engagement:

• +900 activities in 120 countries
• +600 stories shared in text, video, and art
• +1,000 participants in the Upside Down Challenge
• +30,000 press mentions in 162 countries
• 6 billion digital impressions and 9 million social media engagements
• 530,000 website visitors and +300,000 campaign video views

These numbers highlight both the scale of the campaign and the critical need for a platform that can reliably support millions of users simultaneously.

Explore more about the campaign and join the global action at World Cancer Day.

Supporting global action with Drupal

Supporting a high-profile global campaign requires flexibility, scalability, and robustness, capabilities that are fundamental to Drupal’s architecture.

Key features

• Multilingual CMS: Centralized content management across multiple languages ensures the website can reach a large global audience.
• Scalable hosting: Drupal handles traffic surges exceeding 194 GB per hour, delivering consistent performance during peak activity.
• Complex interactive tools: Custom features such as poster creation, event planning tools, and a global activities map make it easy for users to participate and share initiatives.
• Dynamic content delivery: Scrollytelling, multimedia content, and personal stories from those affected by cancer create an engaging, meaningful experience.
• Accessibility: Drupal’s accessibility capabilities reinforce inclusivity by supporting diverse audiences at scale.

"I've been pleased with my experience with Drupal. While the earlier versions were sometimes technically complex, it always felt like a solid, robust platform to build upon. I have been genuinely pleased that we chose to stick with it over the long term and to witness its evolution into a more mature and flexible platform." 

Charles Andrew Revkin  Senior Digital Strategy Manager  Union for International Cancer Control ( UICC)

Scaling impact with Drupal AI

To manage the vast volume of user-submitted stories while maintaining quality, relevance and inclusivity, WCD integrated Drupal AI. This automation helps with content moderation and reduces manual workload, allowing more people to share their experiences and supporting the campaign’s people-centered mission as it scales.

Why Open Source matters for global health initiatives

For non-profit organizations in the healthcare sector, efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability are essential, especially when every investment must directly support the mission. As an open-source platform, Drupal eliminates licensing costs and avoids vendor lock-in, allowing resources to be focused on participation and impact rather than software fees. Supported by a global contributor community, Drupal benefits from continuous improvements in security, accessibility, and performance, making it a trusted foundation for sensitive, high-impact initiatives like World Cancer Day.

Technology that serves people at scale

The global fight against cancer requires collective action, and Drupal plays an important role in enabling that engagement. By managing large-scale data, complex interactive features, and high-traffic performance, the platform ensures that the campaign can reach millions of people, foster participation, and support socially impactful initiatives year after year.

Read the full case study on 1xINTERNET website

Every year on 4th February, the world unites to mark World Cancer Day (WCD), a campaign that raises awareness, amplifies voices, and inspires collective action against cancer. Behind the scenes, the World Cancer Day website, built with Drupal, powers millions of people, providing a central platform for global engagement.

Campaign and its impact

The World Cancer Day 2025-2027 campaign embraces the theme “United by Unique”, emphasizing people-centered care. This approach prioritizes the needs, values, and active participation of individuals, families, and communities in cancer care. By putting people at the heart of the conversation, the campaign promotes a shift toward more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate health systems.

The 2025 campaign achieved remarkable global engagement:

• +900 activities in 120 countries
• +600 stories shared in text, video, and art
• +1,000 participants in the Upside Down Challenge
• +30,000 press mentions in 162 countries
• 6 billion digital impressions and 9 million social media engagements
• 530,000 website visitors and +300,000 campaign video views

These numbers highlight both the scale of the campaign and the critical need for a platform that can reliably support millions of users simultaneously.

Explore more about the campaign and join the global action at World Cancer Day.

Supporting global action with Drupal

Supporting a high-profile global campaign requires flexibility, scalability, and robustness, capabilities that are fundamental to Drupal’s architecture.

Key features

• Multilingual CMS: Centralized content management across multiple languages ensures the website can reach a large global audience.
• Scalable hosting: Drupal handles traffic surges exceeding 194 GB per hour, delivering consistent performance during peak activity.
• Complex interactive tools: Custom features such as poster creation, event planning tools, and a global activities map make it easy for users to participate and share initiatives.
• Dynamic content delivery: Scrollytelling, multimedia content, and personal stories from those affected by cancer create an engaging, meaningful experience.
• Accessibility: Drupal’s accessibility capabilities reinforce inclusivity by supporting diverse audiences at scale.

"I've been pleased with my experience with Drupal. While the earlier versions were sometimes technically complex, it always felt like a solid, robust platform to build upon. I have been genuinely pleased that we chose to stick with it over the long term and to witness its evolution into a more mature and flexible platform." 

Charles Andrew Revkin  Senior Digital Strategy Manager  Union for International Cancer Control ( UICC)

Scaling impact with Drupal AI

To manage the vast volume of user-submitted stories while maintaining quality, relevance and inclusivity, WCD integrated Drupal AI. This automation helps with content moderation and reduces manual workload, allowing more people to share their experiences and supporting the campaign’s people-centered mission as it scales.

Why Open Source matters for global health initiatives

For non-profit organizations in the healthcare sector, efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability are essential, especially when every investment must directly support the mission. As an open-source platform, Drupal eliminates licensing costs and avoids vendor lock-in, allowing resources to be focused on participation and impact rather than software fees. Supported by a global contributor community, Drupal benefits from continuous improvements in security, accessibility, and performance, making it a trusted foundation for sensitive, high-impact initiatives like World Cancer Day.

Technology that serves people at scale

The global fight against cancer requires collective action, and Drupal plays an important role in enabling that engagement. By managing large-scale data, complex interactive features, and high-traffic performance, the platform ensures that the campaign can reach millions of people, foster participation, and support socially impactful initiatives year after year.

Read the full case study on 1xINTERNET website

Every year on 4th February, the world unites to mark World Cancer Day (WCD), a campaign that raises awareness, amplifies voices, and inspires collective action against cancer. Behind the scenes, the World Cancer Day website, built with Drupal, powers millions of people, providing a central platform for global engagement.

Campaign and its impact

The World Cancer Day 2025-2027 campaign embraces the theme “United by Unique”, emphasizing people-centered care. This approach prioritizes the needs, values, and active participation of individuals, families, and communities in cancer care. By putting people at the heart of the conversation, the campaign promotes a shift toward more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate health systems.

The 2025 campaign achieved remarkable global engagement:

• +900 activities in 120 countries
• +600 stories shared in text, video, and art
• +1,000 participants in the Upside Down Challenge
• +30,000 press mentions in 162 countries
• 6 billion digital impressions and 9 million social media engagements
• 530,000 website visitors and +300,000 campaign video views

These numbers highlight both the scale of the campaign and the critical need for a platform that can reliably support millions of users simultaneously.

Explore more about the campaign and join the global action at World Cancer Day.

Supporting global action with Drupal

Supporting a high-profile global campaign requires flexibility, scalability, and robustness, capabilities that are fundamental to Drupal’s architecture.

Key features

• Multilingual CMS: Centralized content management across multiple languages ensures the website can reach a large global audience.
• Scalable hosting: Drupal handles traffic surges exceeding 194 GB per hour, delivering consistent performance during peak activity.
• Complex interactive tools: Custom features such as poster creation, event planning tools, and a global activities map make it easy for users to participate and share initiatives.
• Dynamic content delivery: Scrollytelling, multimedia content, and personal stories from those affected by cancer create an engaging, meaningful experience.
• Accessibility: Drupal’s accessibility capabilities reinforce inclusivity by supporting diverse audiences at scale.

"I've been pleased with my experience with Drupal. While the earlier versions were sometimes technically complex, it always felt like a solid, robust platform to build upon. I have been genuinely pleased that we chose to stick with it over the long term and to witness its evolution into a more mature and flexible platform." 

Charles Andrew Revkin  Senior Digital Strategy Manager  Union for International Cancer Control ( UICC)

Scaling impact with Drupal AI

To manage the vast volume of user-submitted stories while maintaining quality, relevance and inclusivity, WCD integrated Drupal AI. This automation helps with content moderation and reduces manual workload, allowing more people to share their experiences and supporting the campaign’s people-centered mission as it scales.

Why Open Source matters for global health initiatives

For non-profit organizations in the healthcare sector, efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability are essential, especially when every investment must directly support the mission. As an open-source platform, Drupal eliminates licensing costs and avoids vendor lock-in, allowing resources to be focused on participation and impact rather than software fees. Supported by a global contributor community, Drupal benefits from continuous improvements in security, accessibility, and performance, making it a trusted foundation for sensitive, high-impact initiatives like World Cancer Day.

Technology that serves people at scale

The global fight against cancer requires collective action, and Drupal plays an important role in enabling that engagement. By managing large-scale data, complex interactive features, and high-traffic performance, the platform ensures that the campaign can reach millions of people, foster participation, and support socially impactful initiatives year after year.

Read the full case study on 1xINTERNET website

Heading to your very first DrupalCon? Lucky you. There’s nothing quite like that first DrupalCon — the energy, the discoveries, the “wow, I’m really here” feeling. Chicago, “The Windy City,” warmly welcomes you to see which way the wind is blowing in Drupal: latest trends, community initiatives, practical know-how, and hands-on tips.

At DrupalCon Chicago 2026, you’ll connect with fellow Drupal users and builders, swap stories, and finally match faces to names you may have seen online. You’ll meet the contributors behind the features that shape Drupal today, and they’re easy to talk to. Just come to their session or catch them nearby. The Drupal community is made up of people who enjoy sharing what they know and helping move Drupal forward together.

With so much happening at DrupalCon 2026 and an impressive choice of sessions, it can be hard to know where to start, especially on your first visit. The sessions below are hand-picked for first-time attendees and offer a balanced mix of context, inspiration, and practical takeaways.

Top sessions for first-time attendees at DrupalCon Chicago 2026

• “Drupal CMS, site templates and beyond” — by Pamela Barone and Cristina Chumillas

Want to discover the real gems of Drupal that everyone’s buzzing about? This helps you stay oriented and gives you shared reference points for meaningful conversations, collaboration, and deeper exploration throughout DrupalCon and after it.

First, meet Drupal CMS — a special, ready-to-go version of Drupal built with usability in mind. It’s designed so non‑tech users can jump right in and enjoy smooth, out‑of‑the‑box experiences.

Drupal CMS 1.0 wowed the community with its pre‑built feature sets called Recipes, smart AI tools, easier admin navigation, and friendlier content editing. Now, it’s time for Drupal CMS 2.0 to shine, and you have a chance to hear an insightful session about it.

Guided by top contributors to the project, Pamela Barone (pameeela) and Cristina Chumillas (ckrina), you’ll explore the standout features that make Drupal CMS 2.0 special. Among them certainly is Drupal Canvas — a new-generation page builder. Another feature that will definitely be discussed is the newly-implemented Site Templates that enable you to kickstart pre-configured sites for specific use industries or use cases.

Besides the ready‑to‑use features in Drupal CMS 2.0, you’ll hear about the areas of ongoing work, plans, and ways to contribute. And don’t wait too long to grab your seat — Pamela and Cristina’s sessions are known to pack the room, with people standing just to catch the insights.

“Drupal AI Initiative: A Year in Review with Panel Q&A” — by James Abrahams, Christoph Breidert, Dominique De Cooman, and Paul Johnson

AI adoption is yet another topic that will help first-time attendees feel in the loop with the Drupal community. Recent DrupalCons have featured jaw‑dropping demos: AI building page layouts from a prompt, migrating content between sites, generating webforms from a sketch, and much more. In Drupal CMS, AI is baked into the concept itself, with agents, assistants, and automators designed to take on the heavy lifting. 

The Drupal AI Initiative was launched in 2025 to organize, coordinate, and strategically guide AI adoption. It is in full swing, so it’s the perfect moment to attend this compelling session by its maintainers. Discover what AI capabilities have become available thanks to the Initiative, what to look forward to, and how to get involved.

And if you’re curious, stick around for the open “Ask Me Anything” segment in this session. James Abrahams (yautja_cetanu), Christoph Breidert (breidert), Dominique De Cooman (domidc), and Paul Johnson (pdjohnson) will be ready to answer your questions and share insights.

“Next steps for Drupal Canvas” — by Lauri Timmanee

We’ve already touched on Drupal Canvas, but it deserves a moment of its own. Canvas is on track to become the primary way page layouts are built across the entire Drupal ecosystem, so knowing how it works is a must.

Built with React, Drupal Canvas brings a visual, component-driven approach to Drupal. Among its features are:

• intuitive drag-and-drop visual editing
• reusable components that keep pages consistent and maintainable
• predefined content templates
• integration with top Drupal modules like CKEditor, Metatag, and Webform
• a developer-friendly architecture and an in-browser code editor for creating components
• AI integration for generating pages from prompts, as demoed at Driesnote Vienna 2025

Don’t miss this session by Lauri Timmanee (lauriii), one of the key maintainers and product leads behind Drupal Canvas. This is your chance to discover how it works, explore real demos, and see the exciting features to look forward to. 

Kicking off your contribution journey

Open‑source thrives because people show up — and in Drupal, every action counts. A small fix, a quick test, a bit of feedback — these tiny sparks can light up big changes. That’s the magic of contributing: each step adds to something larger, something shared.

In Drupal, those efforts don’t go unnoticed. Credits on drupal.org are one way your work is recognized — but the real reward is the respect and connection you’ll earn from a community that values every contribution.

DrupalCon is the perfect place to start contributing. Think of it as a launchpad — a welcoming space where you can learn, experiment, and make your first mark on Drupal.

Walk into a DrupalCon contribution workshop, and you’ll feel it right away — the buzz of laptops opening, sticky notes being scribbled, and people leaning in to help each other. It’s not just a session, it’s a hive of energy where newcomers and veterans sit side by side to move Drupal forward.

Contribution workshops

• First‑Time Contribution Workshop — perfect if you’ve never contributed before. You’ll learn how to navigate drupal.org, find beginner‑friendly tasks, and collaborate with the community. Multiple sessions are available, so you’ll have plenty of chances to join.
• Mentored Contribution Session — open to everyone, no matter if you’re brand new or already have some experience. You’ll work on real issues with guidance from seasoned contributors and maintainers, ask questions, and gain hands‑on practice while making a meaningful impact.

“How to Land an EPIC Contribution in Drupal (Without Losing Your Mind)” — by Mike Herchel and Matt Glaman

When it comes to discovering contribution opportunities, you might also find it very useful to attend this lively session by two seasoned and famous Drupal contributors. Mike Herchel (mherchel) and Matt Glaman (mglaman) will pull back the curtain on how contributions happen that might eventually become epic in Drupal.

So how does a future contribution start? Maybe you spot a bug, or you feel the urge to improve how something works. From that moment of drive, the journey begins — identifying the issue, pitching your idea to the right people, assembling a team, doing the work, navigating communication hurdles, and finally pushing your contribution across the finish line.

You’ll hear real stories of stubborn bug fixes, ambitious features, and the persistence it takes to get changes into Drupal core, Drupal CMS, or major contributed projects. Expect practical advice, case studies that show the highs and lows, plenty of humor, and the kind of motivation that makes you want to do something epic yourself.

Driesnote by Dries Buytaert

The central keynote of DrupalCon is a can’t‑miss session for everyone. For first‑time attendees, it’s an especially exciting chance to see Drupal’s founder in person and hear his insights.

You’ll get a firsthand look at the features, initiatives, and updates preparing to define Drupal’s next chapter. It’s a moment to see the bigger picture, feel the energy of the community, and glimpse what lies ahead together.

Each year, the Driesnote comes with its own creative theme — from space missions to Drupal villages — always kept secret until the big reveal. Whatever the theme this year, the Driesnote is guaranteed to be a breathtaking performance, delivered by the one speaker who knows how to keep the audience engaged, fascinated, and full of anticipation.

The Driesnote is where DrupalCon truly begins — vision, energy, and surprises from Drupal’s founder. Grab your seat in the big auditorium, right where the whole community will be gathering.

“Drupal in a Day” — by Acquia

The skill‑sharing spirit of the Drupal community shines brightest when welcoming new talent. Seasoned gurus are happy to help newcomers learn Drupal.

Can you really learn Drupal in a single day? You’ll keep uncovering its powerful site‑building capabilities as your journey continues, but one day can give you a real taste of Drupal — enough to explore its fundamentals and see what makes it one of the world’s leading open‑source CMS platforms.

Drupal in a Day at DrupalCon Chicago 2026 is a free, hands‑on workshop designed for beginners. This includes university or college students, or just anyone who is curious about Drupal and wants to see how it all comes together. No prior experience needed — just bring your laptop and a bit of curiosity.

Guided by experienced Drupalers, you’ll roll up your sleeves to build a site from scratch, pick up practical skills, and leave with a certificate, new connections, and the confidence to dive deeper. Who knows — this could be the first step toward a future Drupal career, where you’ll be the one teaching others or contributing to the next big Drupal feature.

Spots are limited, so register early if you want to join in.

Final thoughts

These sessions can help you get your bearings, spark new ideas, and show how the pieces of Drupal fit together today, and where they’re headed next. In addition to the sessions on this list, there is a great variety of others you might enjoy depending on your background. Pick what catches your interest, follow your curiosity, and leave room for a few surprises along the way.

Besides the sessions, it’s a great idea to visit the Expo Hall for informal chats with solution partners and companies using Drupal. Many first‑time attendees find the networking between sessions just as valuable as the sessions themselves.

With its welcoming spirit, DrupalCon has a way of turning first sessions and first conversations into lasting connections. Make your first visit exciting, and let your journey with Drupal be truly epic!

On the 27th of January 70+ developers, designers, UX, project leads joined forces in nine teams to attend the European Commission hackathon called Play to impact at The One building in the heart of the European Commission's executive arm in Brussels.

Article by Marcus Johansson.

Day 1: Challenge setting and ideation

The two tasks for the teams were clear - build something that helps the content editor using AI or build something that helps reimagine how websites are created in Canvas.

While the tasks were mainly around the development of new features and modules, other actual criteria were scored, including a final powerpoint presentation in front of everyone. This meant that a multidisciplinary team was needed to have the chance to win.

One of the other criterias was that you had to use Mistral AI for your solution. Mistral, being the powerhouse of European AI innovation in large language models, was sponsors of the event. Mistral is one of the key companies to digital sovereign AI solutions in Europe.

They were both helping to make sure that all the teams had enough credits to develop and show off their impressive solutions using likewise impressive models, but also being able to support on site and helping in jury duty when selecting the winners.

amazee.ai and DrupalForge/Devpanel was also sponsoring the event, making sure that the provider setup was smooth for the teams and that the teams were given platforms where they could deploy their solutions for the jury to test.

The teams full at work

The event was the second time the commission had a hackathon specifically around Drupal and AI and this time it was a two day event, meaning people had much more time to prepare, plan, code and present the solutions.

This time there were also prep events where you could ask actual stakeholders, like editors of platforms, what their main problems they were facing.

As one of the core maintainers of the AI module, seeing the amount of people using something you helped create, was a feeling of pride, joy and satisfaction. And as someone that was on site to help technically for the second year around, two things stood out to me:

1. At the first event I had to provide a lot of assistance, the event helped us identify areas for improvement at code level. If that year was a stress test, this year was smooth sailing. The modules are robust and people are more familiar with them.
2. The usage of actual working AI code generation meant that the demos looked nicer, worked better and made sure that you can generate incredibly more impressive proof of concepts.

Group photo of most of the participants and organizers. Photo credit: Antonio De Marco.

Day 2: Sprinting to be presentation ready

On the second day all the teams had to stop at the deadline of 14:40 and have their presentation ready, code committed and Drupal instances set up.

After that started the presentation round, where each of the teams had exactly five minutes to present their solutions to the jury and answer questions from the jury. The jury consisted of people from the European Commission, one person representing Mistral, Tim Lehnen from the Drupal Association and Jamie Abrahams from the AI Initiative.

Bram ten Hove and Ronald te Brake presenting their ACE! Solution.

And the winners are ...

The winners in the end was team #4 aptly named Token Burners, that ended up making a solution that did not just spawn one actual contributed module, but two! They also had an very impressive presentation.

We now have the FlowDrop Agents that puts the AI Agents we have had in Drupal into the awesome Workflow management system FlowDrop and also the FlowDrop Node Sessions, which makes sure to support workflows to be initialized via a Drupal entity.

The winning team Token Burners and the hackathon jury.

From my point of view the hackathon was a huge success - the energy in the room, the collaboration, the brainstorming was just impressive.

A huge thanks to the organizers Sabina La Felice, Monika Vladimirova, Raquel Fialho, Antonio De Marco and Rosa. Ordinana-Calabuig and the European Commission in general for such a great event!

On the 27th of January 70+ developers, designers, UX, project leads joined forces in nine teams to attend the European Commission hackathon called Play to impact at The One building in the heart of the European Commission's executive arm in Brussels.

Article by Marcus Johansson.

Day 1: Challenge setting and ideation

The two tasks for the teams were clear - build something that helps the content editor using AI or build something that helps reimagine how websites are created in Canvas.

While the tasks were mainly around the development of new features and modules, other actual criteria were scored, including a final powerpoint presentation in front of everyone. This meant that a multidisciplinary team was needed to have the chance to win.

One of the other criterias was that you had to use Mistral AI for your solution. Mistral, being the powerhouse of European AI innovation in large language models, was sponsors of the event. Mistral is one of the key companies to digital sovereign AI solutions in Europe.

They were both helping to make sure that all the teams had enough credits to develop and show off their impressive solutions using likewise impressive models, but also being able to support on site and helping in jury duty when selecting the winners.

amazee.ai and DrupalForge/Devpanel was also sponsoring the event, making sure that the provider setup was smooth for the teams and that the teams were given platforms where they could deploy their solutions for the jury to test.

The teams full at work

The event was the second time the commission had a hackathon specifically around Drupal and AI and this time it was a two day event, meaning people had much more time to prepare, plan, code and present the solutions.

This time there were also prep events where you could ask actual stakeholders, like editors of platforms, what their main problems they were facing.

As one of the core maintainers of the AI module, seeing the amount of people using something you helped create, was a feeling of pride, joy and satisfaction. And as someone that was on site to help technically for the second year around, two things stood out to me:

1. At the first event I had to provide a lot of assistance, the event helped us identify areas for improvement at code level. If that year was a stress test, this year was smooth sailing. The modules are robust and people are more familiar with them.
2. The usage of actual working AI code generation meant that the demos looked nicer, worked better and made sure that you can generate incredibly more impressive proof of concepts.

Group photo of most of the participants and organizers. Photo credit: Antonio De Marco.

Day 2: Sprinting to be presentation ready

On the second day all the teams had to stop at the deadline of 14:40 and have their presentation ready, code committed and Drupal instances set up.

After that started the presentation round, where each of the teams had exactly five minutes to present their solutions to the jury and answer questions from the jury. The jury consisted of people from the European Commission, one person representing Mistral, Tim Lehnen from the Drupal Association and Jamie Abrahams from the AI Initiative.

Bram ten Hove and Ronald te Brake presenting their ACE! Solution.

And the winners are ...

The winners in the end was team #4 aptly named Token Burners, that ended up making a solution that did not just spawn one actual contributed module, but two! They also had an very impressive presentation.

We now have the FlowDrop Agents that puts the AI Agents we have had in Drupal into the awesome Workflow management system FlowDrop and also the FlowDrop Node Sessions, which makes sure to support workflows to be initialized via a Drupal entity.

The winning team Token Burners and the hackathon jury.

From my point of view the hackathon was a huge success - the energy in the room, the collaboration, the brainstorming was just impressive.

A huge thanks to the organizers Sabina La Felice, Monika Vladimirova, Raquel Fialho, Antonio De Marco and Rosa. Ordinana-Calabuig and the European Commission in general for such a great event!

January 28, 2026 – Today marks one of the biggest evolutions in Drupal's 25-year history.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launches with Drupal Canvas, AI-powered tools, and introduces a component system along with the first site template that enables marketing teams to launch fully branded, professional websites in days instead of weeks. Built on Drupal core, it maintains the enterprise-grade security, scalability, and flexibility Drupal is known for.

Try it now → drupal.org/drupal-cms

What's in 2.0

Drupal CMS 2.0 is built on top of Drupal Core 11.3, which is the biggest performance improvement in a decade, allowing you to serve 26-33% more requests with the same setup.

We are introducing Drupal Canvas as the default editing experience. Drag components onto pages with live preview and real-time editing. No more switching between admin forms and preview windows for your landing pages – build directly on the page. No Drupal knowledge required to get started.

The custom built Mercury component library provides common building blocks like cards, testimonials, heroes, menus and accordions.

We are introducing site templates that provide feature-complete starting points for specific use cases. Byte is the first template included with Drupal CMS 2.0. It is preconfigured as a marketing site for a SaaS-based product, with blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, and a contact form, with an elegant dark design. All built with Canvas. Installs in under 3 minutes.

Recipe-based integrations automate complex configurations:

• Mailchimp integration, automatically grabs audiences from your instance after you authenticate, and creates signup form blocks ready to drop into Canvas pages
• Recipe system turns "how did I do this last time?" into one-click operations

AI tools (optional):

• Generate complete pages from text prompts using all available Canvas components
• Admin chatbot helps with site-building tasks like creating content types, defining taxonomy terms, and adding fields - guiding you from intent to configuration faster
• AI-assisted alt text generation for images improves accessibility across your site while allowing human review 
• Built-in support for amazee.ai Private AI Provider (free tokens included), plus OpenAI and Anthropic - no complex setup required 
• AI Dashboard provides central visibility into available AI features and configured providers

Plus all of these proven goodies from Drupal CMS 1 (January 2025):

• Streamlined installer with smart defaults
• Project Browser for discovering and installing modules
• Automatic updates for security patches
• Recipes system for packaging and sharing configurations
• Modern admin UI with Gin theme
• SEO tools out-of-the-box
• Accessibility checking built-in
• Data privacy compliance features

Thank you to the community

Drupal CMS 2.0 would not have been possible without the innovations in Drupal core and the visual tools and components built specifically for this release. Thanks to the hundreds of contributors across dozens of organizations. Special thanks to the AI initiative partners, and everyone who tested, filed issues, and pushed boundaries outward.

This is community-driven development at scale.

Download and get started

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS builds on Drupal Core with full ecosystem compatibility, adding visual building tools, AI assistance, and industry-specific templates. Learn more →

January 28, 2026 – Today marks one of the biggest evolutions in Drupal's 25-year history.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launches with Drupal Canvas, AI-powered tools, and introduces a component system along with the first site template that enables marketing teams to launch fully branded, professional websites in days instead of weeks. Built on Drupal core, it maintains the enterprise-grade security, scalability, and flexibility Drupal is known for.

Try it now → drupal.org/drupal-cms

What's in 2.0

Drupal CMS 2.0 is built on top of Drupal Core 11.3, which is the biggest performance improvement in a decade, allowing you to serve 26-33% more requests with the same setup.

We are introducing Drupal Canvas as the default editing experience. Drag components onto pages with live preview and real-time editing. No more switching between admin forms and preview windows for your landing pages – build directly on the page. No Drupal knowledge required to get started.

The custom built Mercury component library provides common building blocks like cards, testimonials, heroes, menus and accordions.

We are introducing site templates that provide feature-complete starting points for specific use cases. Byte is the first template included with Drupal CMS 2.0. It is preconfigured as a marketing site for a SaaS-based product, with blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, and a contact form, with an elegant dark design. All built with Canvas. Installs in under 3 minutes.

Recipe-based integrations automate complex configurations:

• Mailchimp integration, automatically grabs audiences from your instance after you authenticate, and creates signup form blocks ready to drop into Canvas pages
• Recipe system turns "how did I do this last time?" into one-click operations

AI tools (optional):

• Generate complete pages from text prompts using all available Canvas components
• Admin chatbot helps with site-building tasks like creating content types, defining taxonomy terms, and adding fields - guiding you from intent to configuration faster
• AI-assisted alt text generation for images improves accessibility across your site while allowing human review 
• Built-in support for amazee.ai Private AI Provider (free tokens included), plus OpenAI and Anthropic - no complex setup required 
• AI Dashboard provides central visibility into available AI features and configured providers

Plus all of these proven goodies from Drupal CMS 1 (January 2025):

• Streamlined installer with smart defaults
• Project Browser for discovering and installing modules
• Automatic updates for security patches
• Recipes system for packaging and sharing configurations
• Modern admin UI with Gin theme
• SEO tools out-of-the-box
• Accessibility checking built-in
• Data privacy compliance features

Thank you to the community

Drupal CMS 2.0 would not have been possible without the innovations in Drupal core and the visual tools and components built specifically for this release. Thanks to the hundreds of contributors across dozens of organizations. Special thanks to the AI initiative partners, and everyone who tested, filed issues, and pushed boundaries outward.

This is community-driven development at scale.

Download and get started

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS builds on Drupal Core with full ecosystem compatibility, adding visual building tools, AI assistance, and industry-specific templates. Learn more →

January 28, 2026 – Today marks one of the biggest evolutions in Drupal's 25-year history.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launches with Drupal Canvas, AI-powered tools, and introduces a component system along with the first site template that enables marketing teams to launch fully branded, professional websites in days instead of weeks. Built on Drupal core, it maintains the enterprise-grade security, scalability, and flexibility Drupal is known for.

Try it now → drupal.org/drupal-cms

What's in 2.0

Drupal CMS 2.0 is built on top of Drupal Core 11.3, which is the biggest performance improvement in a decade, allowing you to serve 26-33% more requests with the same setup.

We are introducing Drupal Canvas as the default editing experience. Drag components onto pages with live preview and real-time editing. No more switching between admin forms and preview windows for your landing pages – build directly on the page. No Drupal knowledge required to get started.

The custom built Mercury component library provides common building blocks like cards, testimonials, heroes, menus and accordions.

We are introducing site templates that provide feature-complete starting points for specific use cases. Byte is the first template included with Drupal CMS 2.0. It is preconfigured as a marketing site for a SaaS-based product, with blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, and a contact form, with an elegant dark design. All built with Canvas. Installs in under 3 minutes.

Recipe-based integrations automate complex configurations:

• Mailchimp integration, automatically grabs audiences from your instance after you authenticate, and creates signup form blocks ready to drop into Canvas pages
• Recipe system turns "how did I do this last time?" into one-click operations

AI tools (optional):

• Generate complete pages from text prompts using all available Canvas components
• Admin chatbot helps with site-building tasks like creating content types, defining taxonomy terms, and adding fields - guiding you from intent to configuration faster
• AI-assisted alt text generation for images improves accessibility across your site while allowing human review 
• Built-in support for amazee.ai Private AI Provider (free tokens included), plus OpenAI and Anthropic - no complex setup required 
• AI Dashboard provides central visibility into available AI features and configured providers

Plus all of these proven goodies from Drupal CMS 1 (January 2025):

• Streamlined installer with smart defaults
• Project Browser for discovering and installing modules
• Automatic updates for security patches
• Recipes system for packaging and sharing configurations
• Modern admin UI with Gin theme
• SEO tools out-of-the-box
• Accessibility checking built-in
• Data privacy compliance features

Thank you to the community

Drupal CMS 2.0 would not have been possible without the innovations in Drupal core and the visual tools and components built specifically for this release. Thanks to the hundreds of contributors across dozens of organizations. Special thanks to the AI initiative partners, and everyone who tested, filed issues, and pushed boundaries outward.

This is community-driven development at scale.

Download and get started

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS builds on Drupal Core with full ecosystem compatibility, adding visual building tools, AI assistance, and industry-specific templates. Learn more →

January 28, 2026 – Today marks one of the biggest evolutions in Drupal's 25-year history.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launches with Drupal Canvas, AI-powered tools, and introduces a component system along with the first site template that enables marketing teams to launch fully branded, professional websites in days instead of weeks. Built on Drupal core, it maintains the enterprise-grade security, scalability, and flexibility Drupal is known for.

Try it now → drupal.org/drupal-cms

What's in 2.0

Drupal CMS 2.0 is built on top of Drupal Core 11.3, which is the biggest performance improvement in a decade, allowing you to serve 26-33% more requests with the same setup.

We are introducing Drupal Canvas as the default editing experience. Drag components onto pages with live preview and real-time editing. No more switching between admin forms and preview windows for your landing pages – build directly on the page. No Drupal knowledge required to get started.

The custom built Mercury component library provides common building blocks like cards, testimonials, heroes, menus and accordions.

We are introducing site templates that provide feature-complete starting points for specific use cases. Byte is the first template included with Drupal CMS 2.0. It is preconfigured as a marketing site for a SaaS-based product, with blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, and a contact form, with an elegant dark design. All built with Canvas. Installs in under 3 minutes.

Recipe-based integrations automate complex configurations:

• Mailchimp integration, automatically grabs audiences from your instance after you authenticate, and creates signup form blocks ready to drop into Canvas pages
• Recipe system turns "how did I do this last time?" into one-click operations

AI tools (optional):

• Generate complete pages from text prompts using all available Canvas components
• Admin chatbot helps with site-building tasks like creating content types, defining taxonomy terms, and adding fields - guiding you from intent to configuration faster
• AI-assisted alt text generation for images improves accessibility across your site while allowing human review 
• Built-in support for amazee.ai Private AI Provider (free tokens included), plus OpenAI and Anthropic - no complex setup required 
• AI Dashboard provides central visibility into available AI features and configured providers

Plus all of these proven goodies from Drupal CMS 1 (January 2025):

• Streamlined installer with smart defaults
• Project Browser for discovering and installing modules
• Automatic updates for security patches
• Recipes system for packaging and sharing configurations
• Modern admin UI with Gin theme
• SEO tools out-of-the-box
• Accessibility checking built-in
• Data privacy compliance features

Thank you to the community

Drupal CMS 2.0 would not have been possible without the innovations in Drupal core and the visual tools and components built specifically for this release. Thanks to the hundreds of contributors across dozens of organizations. Special thanks to the AI initiative partners, and everyone who tested, filed issues, and pushed boundaries outward.

This is community-driven development at scale.

Download and get started

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS builds on Drupal Core with full ecosystem compatibility, adding visual building tools, AI assistance, and industry-specific templates. Learn more →

January 28, 2026 – Today marks one of the biggest evolutions in Drupal's 25-year history.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launches with Drupal Canvas, AI-powered tools, and introduces a component system along with the first site template that enables marketing teams to launch fully branded, professional websites in days instead of weeks. Built on Drupal core, it maintains the enterprise-grade security, scalability, and flexibility Drupal is known for.

Try it now → drupal.org/drupal-cms

What's in 2.0

Drupal CMS 2.0 is built on top of Drupal Core 11.3, which is the biggest performance improvement in a decade, allowing you to serve 26-33% more requests with the same setup.

We are introducing Drupal Canvas as the default editing experience. Drag components onto pages with live preview and real-time editing. No more switching between admin forms and preview windows for your landing pages – build directly on the page. No Drupal knowledge required to get started.

The custom built Mercury component library provides common building blocks like cards, testimonials, heroes, menus and accordions.

We are introducing site templates that provide feature-complete starting points for specific use cases. Byte is the first template included with Drupal CMS 2.0. It is preconfigured as a marketing site for a SaaS-based product, with blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, and a contact form, with an elegant dark design. All built with Canvas. Installs in under 3 minutes.

Recipe-based integrations automate complex configurations:

• Mailchimp integration, automatically grabs audiences from your instance after you authenticate, and creates signup form blocks ready to drop into Canvas pages
• Recipe system turns "how did I do this last time?" into one-click operations

AI tools (optional):

• Generate complete pages from text prompts using all available Canvas components
• Admin chatbot helps with site-building tasks like creating content types, defining taxonomy terms, and adding fields - guiding you from intent to configuration faster
• AI-assisted alt text generation for images improves accessibility across your site while allowing human review 
• Built-in support for amazee.ai Private AI Provider (free tokens included), plus OpenAI and Anthropic - no complex setup required 
• AI Dashboard provides central visibility into available AI features and configured providers

Plus all of these proven goodies from Drupal CMS 1 (January 2025):

• Streamlined installer with smart defaults
• Project Browser for discovering and installing modules
• Automatic updates for security patches
• Recipes system for packaging and sharing configurations
• Modern admin UI with Gin theme
• SEO tools out-of-the-box
• Accessibility checking built-in
• Data privacy compliance features

Thank you to the community

Drupal CMS 2.0 would not have been possible without the innovations in Drupal core and the visual tools and components built specifically for this release. Thanks to the hundreds of contributors across dozens of organizations. Special thanks to the AI initiative partners, and everyone who tested, filed issues, and pushed boundaries outward.

This is community-driven development at scale.

Download and get started

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS builds on Drupal Core with full ecosystem compatibility, adding visual building tools, AI assistance, and industry-specific templates. Learn more →

January 28, 2026 – Today marks one of the biggest evolutions in Drupal's 25-year history.

Drupal CMS 2.0 launches with Drupal Canvas, AI-powered tools, and introduces a component system along with the first site template that enables marketing teams to launch fully branded, professional websites in days instead of weeks. Built on Drupal core, it maintains the enterprise-grade security, scalability, and flexibility Drupal is known for.

Try it now → drupal.org/drupal-cms

What's in 2.0

Drupal CMS 2.0 is built on top of Drupal Core 11.3, which is the biggest performance improvement in a decade, allowing you to serve 26-33% more requests with the same setup.

We are introducing Drupal Canvas as the default editing experience. Drag components onto pages with live preview and real-time editing. No more switching between admin forms and preview windows for your landing pages – build directly on the page. No Drupal knowledge required to get started.

The custom built Mercury component library provides common building blocks like cards, testimonials, heroes, menus and accordions.

We are introducing site templates that provide feature-complete starting points for specific use cases. Byte is the first template included with Drupal CMS 2.0. It is preconfigured as a marketing site for a SaaS-based product, with blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, and a contact form, with an elegant dark design. All built with Canvas. Installs in under 3 minutes.

Recipe-based integrations automate complex configurations:

• Mailchimp integration, automatically grabs audiences from your instance after you authenticate, and creates signup form blocks ready to drop into Canvas pages
• Recipe system turns "how did I do this last time?" into one-click operations

AI tools (optional):

• Generate complete pages from text prompts using all available Canvas components
• Admin chatbot helps with site-building tasks like creating content types, defining taxonomy terms, and adding fields - guiding you from intent to configuration faster
• AI-assisted alt text generation for images improves accessibility across your site while allowing human review 
• Built-in support for amazee.ai Private AI Provider (free tokens included), plus OpenAI and Anthropic - no complex setup required 
• AI Dashboard provides central visibility into available AI features and configured providers

Plus all of these proven goodies from Drupal CMS 1 (January 2025):

• Streamlined installer with smart defaults
• Project Browser for discovering and installing modules
• Automatic updates for security patches
• Recipes system for packaging and sharing configurations
• Modern admin UI with Gin theme
• SEO tools out-of-the-box
• Accessibility checking built-in
• Data privacy compliance features

Thank you to the community

Drupal CMS 2.0 would not have been possible without the innovations in Drupal core and the visual tools and components built specifically for this release. Thanks to the hundreds of contributors across dozens of organizations. Special thanks to the AI initiative partners, and everyone who tested, filed issues, and pushed boundaries outward.

This is community-driven development at scale.

Download and get started

Try it now: drupal.org/drupal-cms/trial 

Download: drupal.org/download

Learn more: drupal.org/drupal-cms

Twenty-five years in. Still building.

Drupal CMS builds on Drupal Core with full ecosystem compatibility, adding visual building tools, AI assistance, and industry-specific templates. Learn more →

In the Dropsolid diaries series, I talk in-depth about the journey of Dropsolid company that has Drupal at its core. It contains Drupal insights, company insights, personal experiences, DXP and CMS market insights, and many other learnings I learned as the founder of Dropsolid & Dropsolid AI.

Becoming the Intelligent Open Digital Experience Company