The Next Evolution of Drupal: What You Need to Know
SUMMARY
Drupal is evolving as an open, community-powered platform. It now offers modern architecture, editor-friendly tools, smarter content workflows, and emerging AI integrations. New initiatives like Drupal CMS, Starshot, Single Directory Components (SDCs), Automatic Updates, and AI-driven enhancements reflect a shared goal: to make Drupal easier than ever to use without compromising flexibility, security, or scalability.
From pre-configured distributions to modular design systems, automated maintenance tools, and AI-powered editorial support, the Drupal community is enhancing the platform for developers, editors, and architects alike. And because it is Drupal, it all remains modular, extensible, and yours to shape.
Table of Contents
- Drupal CMS
- Starshot
- Single Directory Components (SDC)
- Automatic Updates Initiative
- How is AI Being Used in Drupal
1. What is Drupal CMS: A Ready-to-Use, Fully Extensible Starting Point
Drupal CMS is a pre-configured distribution shaped by the Starshot initiative. It gives developers and content teams a well-structured, fully functional base install that is ready for publishing and scalable for growth.
Key Features
- Default theme, media tools, Layout Builder, and CKEditor 5
- Built-in SEO, accessibility, and mobile optimizations
- Extendable with custom code and third-party modules, including AI integrations
Why It Matters
Think of Drupal CMS as a jumpstart that removes the blank slate problem while preserving Drupal’s hallmark modularity. Whether you’re building a news site, intranet, or enterprise experience, Drupal CMS offers a reliable launchpad for customization.
Key Takeaway
Drupal CMS accelerates your project start while leaving all the flexibility you need for future growth.
2. What is Starshot: A Community-Led Leap Forward
What It Is
Starshot is a strategic initiative that makes Drupal easier to adopt and more usable out of the box, while staying true to its identity as an open platform. Led by the community, Starshot focuses on creating a cohesive and modern foundation for new Drupal users.
Key Features
- Curated module set based on real-world use cases
- A consistent editorial experience across themes and layouts
- Foundation for streamlined Drupal distributions like Drupal CMS
Why It Matters
As no-code and proprietary platforms grow in popularity, Starshot ensures Drupal remains competitive. It reduces friction in the initial setup process while allowing full customization, extension, and community contribution.
Key Takeaway
Starshot provides a modern, open platform starting point that maintains Drupal’s power and makes it more accessible for everyone.
3. What are Single Directory Components (SDCs): Modern Front-End Architecture
What It Is
Single Directory Components (SDCs) introduce a component-based theming model in Drupal. Each component includes its Twig template, CSS, JavaScript, configuration, and metadata, all in one folder. It mirrors best practices from modern JavaScript frameworks like React and Vue.
Key Features
- Self-contained UI components
- Storybook support for previews and documentation
- Extensible with variants, custom props, and config
Why It Matters
SDCs help make Drupal more scalable and maintainable, especially for large design systems and multi-team environments. They unify front-end development, improve reusability, and support dynamic enhancements like AI-assisted testing or real-time UX optimization.
Key Takeaway
SDCs introduce modular, scalable design patterns to Drupal’s front end while preserving developer control.
4. What is the Automatic Updates Initiative: Secure Sites Without the Maintenance Headache
What It Is
Automatic Updates is an initiative to make Drupal easier to maintain by allowing core and module updates to run securely and reliably, without requiring command-line tools or dev ops resources. It reduces the technical barrier for keeping sites safe and current.
Key Features
- Secure signature verification and safety checks
- Rollback functionality in case of failure
- Composer-based update workflows (in progress)
Why It Matters
For many organizations, keeping Drupal up-to-date has been a recurring pain point. Automatic Updates helps streamline this process, especially for smaller teams or security-conscious enterprises. By reducing friction, Drupal becomes more approachable and less costly to maintain over time.
Key Takeaway
Automatic Updates bring critical maintenance workflows into the Drupal admin experience, empowering teams to keep sites secure with less effort.
How is AI Being Used in Drupal
What It Is
Drupal is rapidly adopting AI through contributed modules and integrations that bring generative AI, automation, and personalization directly into the CMS. These tools are designed to make site building, content creation, and maintenance faster and more efficient without losing Drupal’s hallmark flexibility.
Key Features
- AI-powered content generation and editing directly in CKEditor 5
- Automated SEO, accessibility, and metadata optimization
- Real-time translation and content summarization
- Personalization engines that adapt experiences based on behavior
- Extensible integrations with leading AI providers (e.g., OpenAI, Anthropic, enterprise-grade AI models)
Why It Matters
As digital teams face pressure to create more content, personalize experiences, and ensure accessibility, AI in Drupal reduces manual effort and enhances quality. These integrations allow small teams to operate like large ones and help enterprises stay competitive without sacrificing the benefits of open source.
Key Takeaway
AI is becoming an essential layer of Drupal’s evolution. By weaving intelligence into content workflows, personalization, and optimization, Drupal empowers teams to deliver smarter, faster, and more tailored digital experiences.
Drupal’s Future Is Open and Evolving
Drupal continues to evolve in ways that make it more intuitive for editors, more modern for developers, and more flexible for teams building enterprise-grade experiences. Innovations like Drupal CMS, Starshot, Automatic Updates, and Single Directory Components are reshaping how teams launch, manage, and grow digital platforms while staying rooted in the open-source values that define Drupal.
At Sandstorm, we’ve been actively involved in that evolution. From DrupalCon 2025 recap and speaking sessions on modern Drupal architecture to Syd’s feature in The Drop Times about integrating landing pages into your CMS strategy, Sandstorm continues to lead the way in building smarter, more scalable digital experiences with Drupal.
Ready to take the next step with Drupal? Contact us today to start the conversation.
