Drupal’s strength lies in its incredible flexibility, but with thousands of modules available, choosing the right ones can feel overwhelming.
You might be wondering:
- How do I find modules that address my specific needs?
- Are there modules that can help me improve SEO, user experience, and security all at once?
- With so many options, how can I ensure I’m choosing modules that are well-maintained and up-to-date?
The right Drupal modules can streamline your website management, enhance functionality, and take your site to the next level.
However, the wrong ones can lead to security vulnerabilities, slow loading times, and a clunky user experience.
Things to Remember While Choosing Your Drupal Modules!
One of the most critical decisions about bringing functionality to your Drupal website is the selection of appropriate modules.
Each module comes with its own features, but not all of them are best suited for your project. Here are the determining factors for you to make an informed decision:
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Check Compatibility
The first and foremost condition is to ensure that the selected module is compatible with the version of Drupal you use. The compatibility of the systems is essential to ensure the flawless integration of the module with your core system.
Incompatible modules may end up in crashes, vulnerabilities, or unexpected behavior.
You may refer to the module documentation or consult with the Drupal community over forums or communities to verify compliance with your current setup.
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Check Space Usage
Disk space differs vastly between various modules. Before installation, please check how much it consumes. A heavy module might slow down your website, especially if your hosting does not have enough resources.
Go with lighter modules that fulfill your needs without overburdening your system.
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Check if Maintained
Choose modules that are now maintained. An active module is continually updated by the devs to squash bugs, patch vulnerabilities, and otherwise, enhance the performance.
For more info, look up the module page on Drupal.org, where you can see the recent updates, development, and maintenance status. This way you ensure ongoing support and assistance.
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Popularity
Also, popularity is a good indicator –the more popular the module, the better. Popular modules have been tested more than the less known ones, and field-tested systems often are more stable.
You can usually see the number of downloads and what fellow users say about it. A module with a lot of praise is likely to be well.
Remember that not every user might leave a comment, so even if you see no feedback, it does not mean you should dismiss it.
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Looking for Issues
Be sure to check issues before you commit to a module. Often users share their screw-ups along with bugs, conflicts, and whatnot on issue queues on Drupal.org. Reading a few issues may raise red flags on problems you may encounter.
Additionally, check how maintainers interact with module users’ problems – check if they do respond and how fast they fix stuff.
Considering aspects like compatibility, disk space usage, activeness of maintenance, popularity, and issues will help you choose modules that will enhance your Drupal site effectively and securely.
The right modules don’t only add desired functionalities but also stay in symbiosis with it to ensure top performance and health.
12 Best Drupal Modules to Choose From!
Your choice of modules will help you develop and manage your Drupal site, providing it with functionality, user experience, and optimization. Key modules that are high-priority for your Drupal website:
1. Pathauto:
Automatic URL Generation for a Cleaner Look and Improved SEO
First impressions matter, and that applies to your website’s URLs as well. Long, cryptic URLs can deter visitors and make it difficult for search engines to understand your content structure.
Pathauto tackles this challenge by automatically generating clean and SEO-friendly paths based on your preferences. You can define patterns that incorporate content titles, taxonomy terms, or even user names to create meaningful URLs.
For example, instead of a URL that reads /node/456, Pathauto can generate a user-friendly path like /category/your-blog-post-title.
This not only improves the overall aesthetics of your website but also benefits SEO.
Search engines place some weight on relevant keywords within URLs, and Pathauto’s ability to incorporate them can give your website a slight ranking boost.
2. Metatag:
Boost Your SEO and Social Media Presence
Meta tags are crucial for search engine optimization (SEO) and social media sharing. They provide essential information about your web pages, influencing how search engines display them in results and how social media platforms present them when shared.
However, manually managing meta tags for every page on your website can be a tedious and time-consuming task.
The Metatag module simplifies this process by providing a user-friendly interface to define meta tags for various content types.
You can set default meta tags for all pages or create custom tags for specific content.
Metatag also supports Open Graph Protocol (OGP) tags, which are crucial for social media sharing.
By defining OG tags, you ensure that your content is displayed correctly with a relevant title, description, and image when shared on social media platforms, potentially attracting a wider audience.
3. Token:
Dynamic Content with Predefined Variables for Enhanced Flexibility
Imagine a scenario where you need to display the username throughout your website, in greetings, comments, or other areas. Traditionally, you might hardcode the username everywhere it’s needed.
However, this approach becomes problematic if usernames change or if you need to display different information based on user roles or other factors.
The Token module offers a more dynamic and flexible solution. It provides a collection of predefined variables, often referred to as “tokens,” that can be inserted anywhere on your website.
These tokens are replaced with the corresponding values at runtime, ensuring your content remains consistent and eliminating the need for manual updates throughout your site.
For example, using the [current-user:name] token automatically displays the current user’s name wherever you place it.
This not only personalizes the user experience but also simplifies content management.
4. Webform:
Create Powerful Forms for Any Need – From Contact Forms to Complex Surveys
Does your website require a simple contact form, a detailed survey, or a multi-step registration process? Look no further than the Webform module. This versatile module empowers you to design and build any type of form with ease.
Webform offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface for adding various form elements, including text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, and file uploads.
You can customize the appearance of your forms using themes and styles, ensuring a seamless integration with your website’s design.
For extensive data collection, Webform allows you to create multi-page forms, guiding users through a logical progression of steps.
The power of Webform doesn’t stop there. It integrates seamlessly with other Drupal modules and external services.
Collected form data can be stored within Drupal, exported to CSV or other formats, or even submitted to external services like Salesforce or Mailchimp, streamlining your workflows and data management.
5. Paragraphs:
Structure Your Content for Better Editing and a More Engaging User Experience
The Paragraphs module revolutionizes content creation by introducing a modular approach. Traditionally, content is entered into a single, monolithic body field. This can be cumbersome for editors, especially when dealing with complex content structures that involve different media types and layouts.
Paragraphs break down content into manageable sections, each with its own defined field types. This allows editors to build rich and engaging content by adding various types of content elements, such as text, images, videos, and even embedded content from other sources.
Each paragraph type can be configured with specific field options, ensuring consistency within that section. This modular approach empowers editors to focus on creating individual content elements and arrange them in a logical order to build the final page.
The benefits of Paragraphs extend beyond content creation. It improves the user experience by allowing you to present content in a more visually appealing and structured way.
You can define custom layouts for different paragraph types, ensuring a cohesive look and feel throughout your website.
6. Admin Toolbar:
Enhanced Admin Menu Navigation for Streamlined Workflow
For Drupal administrators, navigating the extensive menus to manage various aspects of the website can be time-consuming. The Admin Toolbar module streamlines this process by providing a customizable and easily accessible toolbar.
This toolbar sits conveniently at the top of the admin interface, offering quick access to frequently used functions like content creation, user management, configuration settings, and more.
You can personalize the toolbar by adding or removing buttons based on your specific needs.
This reduces the time spent navigating menus and allows administrators to focus on managing the website efficiently.
7. Layout Builder (Core Module):
Drag-and-Drop Content Creation for Engaging Layouts
Gone are the days of complex coding for page layouts. Layout Builder, a core Drupal feature introduced in Drupal 8, empowers you to create content pages with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
This eliminates the need for extensive coding knowledge and allows users with varying levels of experience to manage content placement within a single page.
Layout Builder provides a visual interface where you can define sections and rows on your page.
You can then populate these sections with various content blocks, including text, images, videos, and custom blocks created with other modules.
This drag-and-drop functionality allows you to experiment with different layouts and create a visually engaging and user-friendly experience for your visitors.
8. Simple XML Sitemap:
Guide Search Engines to Your Important Content
Search engines rely on sitemaps to discover and index the content on your website. A well-structured sitemap acts as a roadmap, helping search engines understand your website’s hierarchy and identify all the important pages you want them to crawl.
The Simple XML Sitemap module generates a sitemap that adheres to Google’s standards, ensuring search engines can efficiently crawl and understand your website’s structure.
This ultimately improves your SEO ranking by making it easier for search engines to find and index your content.
9. Backup and Migrate:
Secure Your Site with Easy Backups and Restoration
Disasters can strike at any time, and your website is no exception. Hardware failures, software glitches, or even human errors can lead to data loss.
The Backup and Migrate module provides a robust solution for backing up your Drupal website’s database and codebase.
This module allows you to schedule regular backups, ensuring you always have a recent snapshot of your website in case of emergencies.
You can choose to back up the entire website or specific elements like databases, files, or configurations. Additionally, Backup and Migrate offers the flexibility to restore your site from a previous backup, minimizing downtime and data loss.
10. Shield:
Protect Your Development Site from Unauthorized Access
While your live website requires robust security measures, development and staging environments also need protection. Shield offers a simple yet effective way to safeguard your development or staging site from unauthorized access.
This module essentially hides your site from public view until you provide valid login credentials.
This ensures your work-in-progress remains secure and prevents unintended exposure to the public internet.
11. Two-factor Authentication (TFA):
Add an Extra Layer of Security for Enhanced Protection
In today’s digital world, usernames and passwords alone might not be enough to secure your website. Two-factor authentication (TFA) adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a secondary verification step during the login process.
The Two-factor Authentication module integrates with various authentication methods, such as sending a verification code to a user’s mobile phone or requiring a fingerprint scan.
This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access attempts, even if a hacker manages to steal a user’s password.
12. Twig Tweak:
Enhance Your Development Experience with Twig Extensions
For developers, working with Drupal templates can involve writing Twig code. Twig Tweak is a valuable asset that streamlines the development process by providing a collection of Twig extensions and filters. These extensions extend the functionality of Twig, allowing developers to perform various tasks more efficiently.
For example, you can use Twig Tweak to render views with arguments, integrate custom blocks and regions, and simplify working with Drupal entities, fields, menus, and more.
This reduces the amount of code you need to write and makes development tasks quicker and more enjoyable.
By strategically incorporating these modules into your Drupal website, you can optimize SEO, enhance user experience, streamline content creation, and ensure the security and stability of your website.
This carefully curated list provides a springboard to explore the vast potential of Drupal modules.
With a little research and experimentation, you can unlock the full power of Drupal and create a website that meets your specific needs and thrives in the ever-evolving digital landscape
Verdict!
Drupal’s extensive library of modules empowers you to craft a website that perfectly aligns with your vision. However, choosing the right ones can feel overwhelming. This guide has explored 12 of the most powerful Drupal modules in 2024, categorized by their function, to equip you for success.
From SEO-friendly URLs with Pathauto to user-friendly form creation with Webform, these modules can significantly enhance your website’s functionality and user experience.
Remember to consider factors like compatibility, maintenance status, and user reviews when selecting modules.
With the right tools and a strategic approach, you can transform your Drupal website into a powerful and thriving online presence.
