Drupal 11: Long-Awaited Enhancements for Agency Website Content Managers and Teams

As the owner of a federal agency website which utilizes Drupal as the content management system (CMS), you are aware of the power of Drupal—and areas where you’ve wanted to see improvement.  Less than optimal system performance for content managers and administrators, as well as editing features that could be streamlined are just a few nagging issues that have been around for quite a while.  Enter Drupal 11, which includes some major enhancements from previous versions.

Released on August 2, 2024, Drupal 11 brings a host of powerful improvements designed to enhance your website’s performance, streamline content creation and editing, and elevate the overall user experience. RIVA has been testing Drupal 11 in our Integrated Digital Experience (iDX) Cloud Lab since its release and we are here to guide your agency through the worthwhile upgrade.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the essential steps of upgrading to Drupal 11, highlight the transformative benefits of the latest version, and address common concerns that site owners and managers may have. Whether you’re managing a small blog or a complex federal portfolio of websites, this roadmap will help you navigate the upgrade process with confidence and ease.

Why Make the Leap to Drupal 11?

Smaller, Faster, and More Secure. Drupal 11 has undergone significant streamlining, optimizing core code for improved performance and reduced complexity. With outdated code removed and PHP 8.3 powering the platform, Drupal 11 offers a more robust and efficient experience for site users as well as managers.

The following are some of the more significant—and impactful—improvements for agency websites managers.

Admin-Friendly Upgrades: What’s New for Site Administrators?

• Enhanced Performance and Speed: The classic administration toolbar now loads faster, with an added option in Views to create admin-themed pages, making the backend more responsive and efficient.
• Streamlined Permission Management: A new quick filter allows administrators to find and adjust permissions more easily, simplifying user role management.
• Stay Informed with New Tools: The Announcements Feed module provides administrators with timely updates on Drupal news and projects, ensuring they’re always in the loop.
• Simplified Navigation: The experimental Navigation module introduces a collapsible sidebar for easier access to admin menus, improving overall usability. 

Building Better Sites: Fresh Features for Site Builders

• Recipes: Drupal 11 introduces Recipes, a new approach that replaces traditional Install Profiles. These blueprints can automatically set up your website with specific features, allowing for easy customization without clutter. They can also be applied to an existing site and promote page layout consistency.
• Simplified Content Modeling: Reusing existing fields and creating new ones is now more straightforward, making content management more efficient.
• Improved Management Tools: Menus, taxonomies, and permissions are easier to handle, offering site builders more control and flexibility.

Editor’s Dream: Upgraded Tools for Content Creators

• CKEditor 5 for Superior Authoring: CKEditor 5 is now the default editor in Drupal 11, offering enhanced content authoring support for a smoother editing experience.
• Improved File and Media Management: File uploads now benefit from filename sanitization and transliteration settings, while media entities can be revised and edited more effectively.
• Advanced Workspaces for Content Staging: The Workspaces module has been refined, allowing editors to prepare and stage content simultaneously, making the content workflow more efficient.

Frontend Fun: Exciting Developments for Front-End Developers

• Single Directory Components (SDC) in Core: Front-end developers can now leverage SDC without needing deep Drupal knowledge, simplifying the process of building components.
• Better Support for Decoupled Menus: The improved Linkset support enables front-end developers to consume menu data easily, facilitating seamless navigation rendering without hardcoding.
• New Twig Development Mode: The latest Twig Development Mode offers debugging tools at your fingertip, with the option to disable markup caching for development, enhancing the development workflow.

Mastering the Transition: Best Practices for a Seamless Drupal 11 Upgrade

Successfully upgrading to Drupal 11 requires more than just technical know-how; it demands careful planning, proactive measures, and a commitment to optimization. By following these best practices, you can ensure a smooth transition that not only minimizes risks but also maximizes the benefits of Drupal 11’s advanced features:

• Thorough Planning: Develop a detailed upgrade plan outlining timelines, responsibilities, and potential challenges. A clear roadmap is essential for a smooth transition.
• Module and Theme Updates: Keep your contributed modules and themes up to date to minimize compatibility issues. Regular updates ensure your site remains stable and functional during the upgrade.
• Code Review: If you have custom code, review it for compatibility with Drupal 11 and make necessary adjustments. This step is crucial to avoid unexpected issues post-upgrade.
• Content Migration Strategy: Develop a strategy for migrating your content to Drupal 11. This includes mapping existing content types to new structures, ensuring data integrity, and testing the migration process to avoid data loss. To learn more about RIVA’s approach to content migration, check out our recent blog Five Strategies to Ensure Success When Migration Federal Websites to Drupal 
• Performance Optimization: Take advantage of Drupal 11’s performance enhancements by optimizing images, caching, and database queries. These optimizations will help your site run faster and more efficiently.

• Security Best Practices: Implement strong security measures to protect your website after the upgrade. This includes reviewing permissions, updating passwords, and ensuring your site is protected against potential threats.
• User Training: Provide training to site administrators and content editors on the new features and functionalities of Drupal 11. Empowering your team with the knowledge they need will ensure they can make the most of the upgrade.

If you’d like to dig into a more detailed technical approach to migrations, check out RIVA’s Enterprise Architect, Sean Gleason blog Navigating the Upgrade: A Deep Dive into Drupal 10 Migration. While the blog is oriented to 9 to 10, most of the approach is applicable for 10 to 11 upgrades.

By adhering to these best practices, you greatly increase the likelihood of a smooth and successful upgrade to Drupal 11. Migrating to Drupal 11 is an opportunity to enhance your site’s capabilities and future-proof your digital presence. If you are unsure where to start or want a partner during the transition to Drupal 11, or any previous Drupal instance, RIVA’s Integrated Digital Experience (iDX) team is here to guide you every step of the way. Reach out to learn how we can help you make the most of your Drupal upgrade and ensure a successful transition.