Tuesday at Drupalcon Atlanta 2025: A platform for learning, collaboration, and innovation

The Drupal community came together in Atlanta for an inspiring day of learning, collaboration, and innovation. On Tuesday, March 25th, attendees experienced a full schedule of engaging sessions led by passionate Drupal experts. These talks showcased the ongoing, exciting innovation of Drupal's power and flexibility, providing valuable insights and practical strategies to help developers build ever better digital experiences. 

The diverse range of topics once again encouraged deeper understanding and empowered participants to take their skills and projects to the next level. Let’s take a more detailed look at some of the innovation that transpired.

 

Aaron Winborn Award

The day began with a heartfelt welcome address that set the tone for the conference. The Aaron Winborn Award was presented, reminding us of the incredible contributions made by community members who go above and beyond. It was a powerful moment that celebrated the spirit of collaboration and dedication that defines Drupal. The Aaron Winborn Award-winner this year is long-time Drupal community contributor Kristen Pol. A warm congratulations to Kristen and her two Starshot-contributing teens, Aaron and Jacob!! 

Driesnote Highlights

Dries Buytaert’s keynote was a highlight of the day, providing crucial insights into Drupal's current state and future direction. Dries shared his vision for Drupal’s continued evolution, emphasizing innovations in content management, improved developer experiences, and the role Drupal will play in the broader web ecosystem. 

The latest on Drupal CMS

To start, Dries discussed the successful launch of Drupal CMS in January as well as the excitement of so many global launch parties. Next, Gabor announced the new desktop launcher for Drupal CMS for an even faster installation and setup. The desktop app is the easiest way to try Drupal CMS locally. Just download, install and open the app to get your site up and running. 

Dries also gave a thorough update on everyone’s new favorite, Experience Builder. Powerful innovations like multipage editing workflow, save and reuse sections that are available on all pages, and reusable custom components with easy undo and save workflow will empower the low-code site builders out of the box.

We can’t really talk about XB without exploring the features for front end developers as well. XB builders who do work in code can include their own markup, style, and functionality for custom, reusable components to empower their site building team. This XB-powered, in-browser code editor methodology allows for development with HTML, CSS, React and Tailwind. Web Assembly provides a live preview in the browser as you work. This modern in-real-time tooling is powerful for making quick iterations on your code and page building. To get this type of customization into your Drupal CMS with Experience Builder site, Drupal knowledge isn’t even required.

You can test with a pre-beta demo of Experience Builder and offer feedback use the following Github repo: /phenaproxima/xb-demo

Drupal CMS 2.0 as well as Experience Builder 1.0 are slated for stable release at Drupalcon Vienna in October of 2025.

 

Artificial Intelligence in Drupal CMS

As is being witnessed across nearly every industry and vertical, AI adoption in the Drupal community in particular has tripled in recent months. Dries showcased impressive innovation on the horizon with a new suite of Drupal CMS AI agents for XB. Examples of this innovation include popular industry-standard tools like Figma for software ui design as part of your AI-driven workflow. Imagine designing a component, page, or other user interface element with Figma, giving that design to a generative AI tool, and having it build it out for you in the browser, in real time, as you watch, interact, and prompt it to fine tune your vision.

We may soon have this as part of Experience Builder. Also, we’re hearing rumblings and plans for full site AI-assisted migrations into Drupal from other systems. This is powerful stuff for sure. We’ll hear more at Drupalcon Vienna in fall of 2025.

What’s Next for Drupal CMS?

On the road to making Drupal CMS the gold standard for low-code and marketers, bubbling to the surface for the next phase of Drupal innovation to power the modern web is an idea called Site Templates. Currently, we have Modules we can couple together to create Recipes which we can apply to our applications. We use one or more Recipes to more quickly assemble a Drupal application. With Site Templates this process will mature and go further. We’ll still have Modules and Recipes, but add in Experience Builder and relevant demo content for your project and now you have a Site Template.

The goals are to empower the out-of-the-box experience that gets the site owner much closer to where they want to be with a robust, built-out site. Ultimately, the vision is to have hundreds of Site Templates built by the community and make them available to the community. Further, to “shop around” for just the right Site Template for your project, the Site Templates working group is brainstorming the idea of a Marketplace for Site Templates. The question is also posed to this group – and to the community for feedback in and input – of the idea of commercialized Site Templates. This model could sustainably benefit agencies, Site Template creators, and the Drupal initiative. 

We could see some early Site Template progress in Drupal CMS 2.0 by Drupalcon Vienna. On Drupal Slack go to #drupal-cms-templates to get involved and find out more.

In summary, get excited for the meaningful continued innovation in marketing, AI frameworks, XB, and now Site Templates in 2025. The Marketplace concept is (as of the writing of this article) under evaluation. As always, the Driesnote presentation left Drupal community members energized and excited about the opportunities ahead.

Community-driven Documentation Initiatives for Drupal CMS and Drupal.org

In this session, we reflected on the ongoing efforts to improve Drupal CMS documentation as part of the Drupal CMS initiative. The talk provided an update on the progress made toward creating a curated, best-in-class Drupal CMS User Guide and other documentation improvements.

We discussed how the Drupal community, the Drupal Association, and the Starshot team have been working to address key challenges in producing and maintaining high-quality documentation. This included exploring sustainable funding models, improving processes, refining governance, and enhancing documentation tooling.

Key achievements and updates shared during the session included:

• The progress of the Adopt-a-Document initiative
• Development milestones for the new Drupal CMS Guide
• Efforts to secure funding for dedicated documentation staff
• Improvements to Drupal.org to enhance collaboration and maintenance for documentation

The session concluded with an open discussion, where attendees shared ideas and feedback to help ensure these documentation efforts align with user needs and expectations. Participants left with a clearer understanding of the progress made, future plans, and opportunities to get involved in improving Drupal documentation.

Meet the AI Automators That Power Everything in Drupal CMS - CKEditor, AI Agents, No Code Required!

In this session, we introduced the AI Automators that power many of the AI features available in Drupal CMS. These Automators enhance the content editing experience through CKEditor and other content widgets, support alt text generation, and enable users to create custom AI Agents without writing code.

We explored how AI Agents can analyze inputs and respond dynamically, but we also discussed scenarios where control and consistency are crucial. For instance, the alt-text generation feature consistently produces accurate descriptions from image inputs, just as CKEditor assistants reliably translate text or adjust tone.

The session highlighted how Automators streamline AI processes by allowing users to chain AI prompts and related services like web-crawling or OCR (text recognition) in a structured way. While Drupal’s built-in Automators work seamlessly out of the box, we demonstrated how they can be customized to meet unique business needs with minimal effort.

During the talk, the presenters walked through building additional Automators for CKEditor and explored how these tools can be extended to create full AI applications or custom AI Agents. Drawing from experience supporting a European Commission hackathon, the presenters showcased how participants rapidly developed powerful solutions using these modules — and attendees left inspired by how easily they can do the same.

Recipes: It's About Time!

In this session, Martin Anderson-Clutz explored the evolving Recipes system, a key component of the Drupal CMS Initiative designed to simplify and accelerate site-building in Drupal. Recipes are particularly helpful for newcomers to Drupal, providing solutions for common needs, while also enabling users of all skill levels to create robust content architectures following best practices.

The session focused on the Events recipe and its available add-ons, showcasing how it can meet even complex requirements quickly — all without writing custom code. We discussed the features that come standard with Drupal CMS, as well as the options available to extend those capabilities. Additionally, we covered how similar functionality can be incorporated into sites not built with Drupal CMS.

A highlight of the session was a live demonstration, where we showed how to enhance a website’s functionality using the Events recipe and other available solutions. Attendees left with practical insights on leveraging recipes to streamline site-building and improve their Drupal development workflows.

Future of Drupal Theming: AI, Experience Builder, and Beyond

Morten Herchel, a primary maintainer of the Olivero theme, delivered an eye-opening session on the evolution of Drupal theming. He explored how AI tools and Drupal’s upcoming Experience Builder are set to revolutionize the way we approach design and frontend development. 

By showcasing innovative methods for creating flexible, dynamic designs, Morten demonstrated how these new tools will make building beautiful Drupal sites faster and more intuitive. This session was an invaluable look into the present and future of theming, preparing us all for what’s ahead.

Powerful Quick-Start CI/CD Pipelines for Drupal

In this lightning talk, we explored how to efficiently automate Drupal deployments using Bitbucket Pipelines or GitHub Actions. The session demonstrated how to set up CI/CD pipelines in a way that’s flexible and platform-agnostic, making it easy to deploy across various hosting environments. The focus of the talk was on the essential steps for configuring automated builds, performing coding standards checks, and deploying to multiple environments—without the complexity that often accompanies these processes.

Key best practices were highlighted, along with straightforward scripts designed to help teams of any size implement enterprise-grade DevOps strategies. We also covered how tools like PHP CodeSniffer, Drupal Coder, and automated testing frameworks such as PHPUnit and Behat can improve code quality and reduce the risk of regressions.

Attendees left the session with practical insights and a baseline CI/CD pipeline template that can be customized for their own Drupal projects. Whether newcomers to CI/CD or experienced developers, participants gained actionable tips to improve their deployment workflows.

Unlocking Content Editor Productivity with the CKEditor 5 Plugin Pack

Charles Gantt shared how the CKEditor 5 Plugin Pack enhances content editing in modern Drupal. The session explored how the CKEditor 5 Plugin Pack has significantly enhanced the content editing experience in Drupal 10, offering powerful tools that streamline workflows, improve formatting, and ensure accessibility — all while providing premium features at no cost. 

Since its introduction at DrupalCon Portland, the Plugin Pack has seen notable updates that address real-world content editing challenges. The session highlighted how these improvements were shaped by valuable community feedback, ensuring the tools align with the needs of content managers and site builders.

Key features demonstrated included improved table management for more complex layouts, enhanced link management for easier internal linking, and robust media embedding capabilities that simplify content creation. We also covered accessibility enhancements, such as improved keyboard navigation and better ARIA support, ensuring content is both easy to create and meets web accessibility standards.

Attendees left with a deeper understanding of how the CKEditor 5 Plugin Pack empowers content managers to produce high-quality content more efficiently, while leveraging Drupal's powerful content architecture.

AI Is the New UI - How We Are Building AI into Drupal CMS

In this session, we explored how AI Agents have transformed Drupal CMS since their introduction in January 2025, revolutionizing website development and management. Built on an innovative abstraction layer, these AI Agents give users control over their data and service providers, empowering both developers and non-technical users alike. The session examined how this powerful technology is reshaping the Drupal ecosystem, simplifying complex tasks, and improving the overall site-building experience.

We looked into several key areas, including how AI Agents are enhancing accessibility and improving user experiences within Drupal CMS. Attendees also learned how developers can extend AI Agent capabilities within their own modules, unlocking new possibilities for customization. The session addressed critical topics such as responsible AI practices, exploring strategies to ensure AI solutions are safe, accountable, and aligned with ethical standards.

Additionally, we highlighted the growing potential of Drupal’s AI module outside the CMS itself and shared insights into what the future may hold for AI in the Drupal landscape. Participants left with practical knowledge on leveraging AI Agents to enhance their Drupal projects and innovate their workflows.

No Need to Over-React! Navigating Experience Builder as a Developer

In this session, the presenters explored how Experience Builder (XB) is redefining Drupal’s site-building experience by enabling developers and content creators to design entire websites directly in the browser. XB offers a powerful, user-friendly interface that streamlines content creation while maintaining Drupal’s renowned flexibility. As part of the XB team, I shared insights on how developers can build custom components and extend XB’s functionality to expand its foundational capabilities.

XB is a React app integrated within Drupal, but this doesn’t mean developers are required to write JavaScript unless they choose to. While the “React-ification” of Drupal’s admin UI—first highlighted in the DrupalCon Barcelona DriesNote—embraces modern JavaScript frameworks, Drupal’s PHP-based ecosystem remains a key focus. The session showcased how Single-Directory Components (SDCs) using Twig templates are the primary method for authoring XB components, ensuring developers can rely on familiar Drupal techniques. We explored XB’s support for frameworks React and Tailwind CSS.

We also examined XB’s diverse extension points, from content manipulation and preview canvas interactions to sidebar enhancements. While some of these require JavaScript, others can be achieved without it, preserving flexibility for developers with different skill sets. Attendees left with a clear understanding of how XB enhances Drupal’s capabilities for site building and content composition, empowering them to build powerful digital experiences with greater ease and control.

Unlocking Enterprise Agility: A Deep Dive into Governance and Multi-Experience Operations

Phil Bretherton delivered an insightful session on the transformative potential of Multi-Experience Operations (MEO) and its impact on managing digital experiences at scale. He explored how MEO introduces powerful capabilities like managed digital experiences, site isolation, and centralized code governance — all designed to enhance agility and operational efficiency. Attendees gained practical strategies for establishing governance rules and best practices tailored to their organization's unique needs. 

By leveraging MEO, enterprises can reduce risks, streamline workflows, and gain a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced digital landscape. This session provided valuable insights for teams seeking to scale their digital presence with confidence and control.

Working with AI Agents in Drupal CMS - Create Your Own Agents and AI-Powered Migration

In this session, we explored the exciting potential of AI Agents in Drupal CMS and demonstrated how you can create your own custom agents to expand Drupal’s capabilities. While many have seen what AI Agents can already do in Drupal, this talk went further—showing how developers can build agents tailored to their own needs and seamlessly integrate them across the Drupal ecosystem. The vision? A future where Drupal isn’t just a platform for web publishing, but a hub for building powerful AI applications.

During the session, we walked through the step-by-step process of creating an AI Agent using the ai_agents module. We covered key concepts, best practices for designing modular agents, and strategies for combining multiple agents to effectively answer user queries. Attendees learned how to test and evaluate their agents to ensure reliable performance using Drupal's AI Evaluations Framework.

As a highlight, we demonstrated how to combine a newly created agent with AI Migrate, showcasing a powerful one-click migration tool that can transform a Drupal 7 site into Drupal 11—securely migrating themes, functionality, and content, even from unstructured sources. We also explored how this migration approach can extend to sites that aren’t Drupal-based, unlocking new possibilities for content migration and platform adoption.

Participants left the session equipped with practical insights, actionable steps to build their own AI Agents, and an inspiring look at how AI is poised to reshape the Drupal landscape.

Experience Builder is Coming. Are You Ready?

In this session, latest updates on the Experience Builder initiative were shared, showcasing how it’s set to transform Drupal site building. Designed to make the process faster and more intuitive, Experience Builder empowers marketing teams with limited Drupal experience to design and build entire websites directly in the browser. By relying only on basic HTML, CSS, and templating markup — without extensive coding — non-technical users can manage site theming and layout with ease. Additionally, content creators gain the ability to edit and compose content directly on any part of the page, reducing reliance on developers for day-to-day updates.

During the talk, we walked through a step-by-step demonstration of how sites are built using Experience Builder, highlighting key features that simplify and modernize the process. Attendees also received an exclusive preview of upcoming features planned for future releases. The session concluded with a series of valuable demos that energized the audience, offering a glimpse into how Experience Builder is redefining the Drupal site-building experience and opening new possibilities for both developers and content creators alike.

My biggest challenge today was working to summarize all of the incredibly valuable activity of this event into one succinct article. This attempt is only a sampling of an enormous amount of work and dedication from people across the world. Overall it was a value-rich day at Drupalcon -- A platform for learning, collaboration, and innovation of Drupal.