Drupal.org Getting Started: Setup and First Request (2026)

Getting started overview

To begin developing with Drupal, the primary steps involve setting up a local or remote server environment, installing the Drupal core software, and then understanding how to interact with its core functionalities, often through its administrative interface or by direct code interaction for custom modules.

Drupal is a modular system. Unlike many API services that rely on external credentials and HTTP requests to a remote endpoint, Drupal development primarily occurs within your own managed environment. Your "first request" typically means accessing your locally or remotely hosted Drupal instance via a web browser after installation, or executing a Drush (Drupal Shell) command.

Here’s a quick reference for the initial setup:

Create an account and get keys

Drupal itself does not require API keys or external accounts for its core functionality, as it is an open-source, self-hosted content management system. Your primary "account" for interaction will be the administrator account you create during the installation process of your Drupal site. This account grants full control over your specific Drupal instance, including content management, user permissions, and module configuration.

To interact with the broader Drupal community, download modules, or contribute, you can create an account on Drupal.org. This account is separate from any Drupal site you host and is primarily for community engagement, issue tracking, and module downloads. It does not provide "API keys" in the traditional sense for programmatic access to a hosted Drupal service, but rather access to community resources.

If your Drupal installation requires interaction with third-party services (e.g., payment gateways, mapping services), those services will typically provide their own API keys or credentials. For instance, integrating with Stripe's payment API would involve obtaining keys from Stripe and configuring a relevant Drupal module to use them.

Your first request

After successfully installing Drupal, your "first request" is typically viewing your new website in a web browser. This confirms that your server environment, database, and Drupal core are all functioning correctly.

Step-by-step guide for installation and first access:

1. Prepare Your Server Environment:
   • Ensure you have a web server (Apache or Nginx), PHP (version 8.1 or higher is recommended for Drupal 10), and a database (MySQL 5.7.8+ or PostgreSQL 10+) installed. For local development, tools like Lando, DDEV, or XAMPP can simplify this setup.
   • Check PHP extensions: Verify required PHP extensions like gd, xml, mbstring, openssl, and pdo_mysql (or pdo_pgsql) are enabled. Consult the Drupal system requirements documentation for a complete list.
2. Download Drupal Core:
   • Download the latest stable version of Drupal from the official Drupal.org download page.
   • Alternatively, use Composer: composer create-project drupal/recommended-project my_drupal_site. Composer is the recommended way to manage Drupal projects as it handles dependencies.
3. Create a Database:
   • Log in to your database server (e.g., using phpMyAdmin, Adminer, or the command line).
   • Create a new, empty database for your Drupal site (e.g., drupal_db) and a database user with full privileges for this database (e.g., drupal_user with a strong password).
4. Place Drupal Files:
   • Extract the downloaded Drupal archive into your web server's document root (e.g., /var/www/html/my_drupal_site or your local development directory). If using Composer, the project will be created in the specified directory.
5. Run the Web-based Installer:
   • Open your web browser and navigate to the URL pointing to your Drupal installation (e.g., http://localhost/my_drupal_site or your configured domain).
   • The Drupal installer will guide you through:
   • Language selection: Choose your preferred language.
   • Profile selection: Select "Standard" for a typical site.
   • Database configuration: Enter the database name, username, and password you created in step 3.
   • Site configuration: Provide a site name, email address, and create your initial administrator account (username and password).
6. Access Your Site:
   • Once the installation is complete, you will be redirected to the front page of your new Drupal site.
   • To access the administrative interface, append /admin to your site's URL (e.g., http://localhost/my_drupal_site/admin). Log in with the administrator credentials you created.

Example Drush Command (alternative to web installer):

For command-line enthusiasts or automated deployments, Drush is a powerful command-line shell for Drupal. After placing your Drupal files and creating the database, you can run:

cd /path/to/your/drupal/site
composer require drush/drush
vendor/bin/drush site:install standard --db-url=mysql://drupal_user:your_password@localhost/drupal_db --site-name="My New Drupal Site" --account-name=admin --account-pass=your_admin_password [email protected]

Replace drupal_user, your_password, drupal_db, My New Drupal Site, admin, your_admin_password, and [email protected] with your specific details.

Common next steps

Once your Drupal site is up and running, consider these common next steps:

1. Install Modules: Extend Drupal's functionality by installing contributed modules from Drupal.org's module repository. Common modules include Pathauto for clean URLs, Token for dynamic content, and Views (included in Drupal core but often extended) for custom content listings.
2. Apply a Theme: Change the appearance of your site by installing a contributed theme or creating a custom one. Explore Drupal.org's theme section.
3. Content Types and Fields: Define custom content types (e.g., "Blog Post," "Product") and add specific fields (e.g., image, price, publication date) to structure your data.
4. User Roles and Permissions: Configure different user roles (e.g., "Editor," "Moderator") and assign specific permissions to control what each role can do on your site.
5. Configuration Management: Learn about Drupal's configuration management system to move configurations between development, staging, and production environments reliably. This typically involves using Drush and exporting/importing configuration files.
6. Security Hardening: Follow Drupal's security best practices, including keeping core and modules updated, using strong passwords, and configuring server security.
7. Backups: Implement a robust backup strategy for both your Drupal files and database.

Troubleshooting the first call

Encountering issues during the initial setup or first access to your Drupal site is common. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

• White Screen of Death (WSOD): This often indicates a PHP error. Check your web server's error logs (e.g., Apache's error_log or Nginx's error.log) and PHP's error log. Temporarily enabling verbose error reporting in settings.php (by setting $config['system.logging']['error_level'] = 'verbose';) can also help, but disable it in production.
• Database Connection Errors: Ensure your database name, username, and password in sites/default/settings.php are correct. Verify that the database server is running and accessible from your web server. Check database user permissions.
• File Permissions: Incorrect file and directory permissions can prevent Drupal from writing necessary files (e.g., settings.php, files directory). Ensure your web server user has write access to the sites/default/files directory and that settings.php is writable during installation, then set it to read-only. Recommended permissions are 755 for directories and 644 for files.
• PHP Version Incompatibility: Ensure your PHP version meets Drupal's requirements. Older PHP versions might not support the latest Drupal core, leading to parse errors or unexpected behavior. Refer to the Drupal system requirements documentation.
• Missing PHP Extensions: If the installer complains about missing extensions, ensure they are enabled in your php.ini file and restart your web server.
• Clean URLs (Path Aliases) Not Working: If URLs like /node/1 work but /about-us don't, your Apache mod_rewrite module might not be enabled, or your Nginx configuration isn't set up correctly to handle rewrites. For Apache, check your .htaccess file and ensure AllowOverride All is set for your Drupal directory in your virtual host configuration.
• Server Configuration Issues: Review your web server configuration (Apache httpd.conf or Nginx nginx.conf) to ensure the document root is correctly set and that the server is listening on the expected port.
• Browser Console Errors: Check your browser's developer console for JavaScript errors or failed network requests, which can indicate front-end issues or problems loading assets.
• Cache Issues: After making changes, especially to code or configuration, clear Drupal's cache. You can do this via the administrative interface (Configuration > Development > Performance) or using Drush: drush cr (cache rebuild).