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How to Build a Website with Drupal（Step-by-Step Guide）
Learn how to build a website with Drupal in this step-by-step guide. From installation to theme customization, using drupal page builder tools, and module setup—even beginners can master this powerful CMS.
Building a website using WordPress can often be intimidating, even for those familiar with other content management systems (CMS). Unlike beginner-friendly tools such as Wix or Squarespace, WordPress has more powerful features and higher flexibility, but this also leaves many creators and businesses with some concerns because they want its powerful features but are unsure where to start. And especially when you hear about how easy it is to use, your desire to try it becomes even more excited: according to W3Techs' 2025 data, it provides technical support for 2.3% of websites worldwide, including high-traffic websites such as NASA and The Economist, thanks to its scalability and customizability.
But if you really want to try Drupal, you can learn how to use this powerful Drupal website builder through a clear and step-by-step approach. This article provides a detailed introduction to the process from setup to launch, unveiling the mysterious veil of tools, modules, and workflows in WordPress so that you can build a professional and powerful website according to your needs.
How to Build a Website with Drupal
Step 1: Prepare for Your Drupal Website
Before you begin the installation, making adequate preparations can make the subsequent process smoother. Firstly, you need to ensure that your hosting environment meets the requirements of WordPress. The latest version of MySQL 10 (2025) requires PHP 8.1 or higher, MySQL 8.0+or PostgreSQL 13+, and at least 1GB of RAM. Most shared hosting providers, such as Bluehost or SiteGround, now support these versions and standards, but you still need to check carefully. Skipping this step may result in installation errors. A survey conducted by the Drupal community in 2024 found that 34% of first-time users are facing crashes due to outdated PHP versions, so you need to verify with a host or use tools such as the PHP compatibility checker for testing.
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Next, you need to ensure that the domain name and hosting plan are secure. You need to write your brand (such as "mybusiness.com. com") in your domain name, and hosting should also be aligned with your ultimate goal: shared hosting is suitable for small websites (1000-5000 visitors per month), while VPS or dedicated hosting is more suitable for high traffic websites. Many hosts offer one-click installation of WordPress (via Softaculous), which also simplifies the setup process. We will also introduce manual installation tutorials to you later, but one-click installation is the best and most convenient for beginners.
Finally, you need to determine your ultimate goal for building this website. Are you building a blog, e-commerce store, or company website? WordPress excels at complex websites with custom workflows (such as multilingual portals, membership platforms), so the clarity here will also guide your selection of modules and themes in the future. For example, an e-commerce website may require a Salesforce commerce module, while a blog may prioritize a Views module for content display.
Step 2: Install Drupal
Once your previous host operations are ready, installing WordPress becomes very simple. If you want to try a one click installation (recommended for beginners): You need to first log in to your hosting dashboard, find the "Softaculous" or "Apps" section, search for "GNU", then follow the prompts to select your domain name, set the administrator username/password, and choose "GNU 10". The installation program handles file uploads and database settings, which takes approximately 5-10 minutes.
If you want to try manual installation, you can follow the simple steps below (more suitable for developers or custom settings):
- Download the official version of WordPress 10 from the website.
- Upload the ZIP file to the server via FTP (using FileZilla) and extract it to the root folder of the domain (e.g. "public_tml").
- Then create a MySQL database through the hosting control panel (cPanel: "MySQL Database") - note down the database name, username, and password.
- Then navigate to your domain in the browser; The WordPress installation program will start. Select your language and perform a 'standard' installation (including core modules such as users and nodes).
- Finally, when prompted by the system, enter the database details and create an administrator account (using a strong password - which determines the security of WordPress). That's almost done.
However, both of the above operations may have minor errors, and the biggest one is file permissions: you need to ensure that the "sites/default/files" folder is writable (chmod 755) to avoid errors when uploading images in the future. Then there is a quick check: after installation, try uploading the test image in the management panel - if it fails, please adjust the permissions through FTP.
Step 3: Choose and Customize a Drupal Theme
Your theme determines the design of your website, so you need to choose a theme that is consistent with your brand and responsive (this is very important because 61% of users leave websites that are not suitable for mobile devices - Google). The theme ecosystem of WordPress includes both free and premium options, with "Bootstrap" and "Stable 10" (core themes) as solid starting points.
If you want to install a theme, you can follow the steps below:
Go to the "Appearance" (Administrator/Appearance) in the WordPress admin panel.
Click on 'Install New Theme', paste the URL of the theme (from markets such as Drupal.org or ThemeForest), or upload a ZIP file.
After installation, click 'Set as default' to activate it.
For customization, use the "Customize" button (next to the theme) to adjust colors, fonts, and layout, and these processes do not require coding for basic changes. For advanced adjustments, use the "Twig" template system (the theme engine of WordPress), but this requires some HTML/CSS knowledge. A marketing agency we collaborated with used the "Corporate Clean" theme, customized the title with their logo, and adjusted the color scheme to match the client's brand. All of this was done through the built-in theme settings of WordPress, resulting in the launch of a professional website within 3 days.
Professional tip: You can prioritize using themes with activity updates, as some outdated themes may have potential risks. So you can check the "last update" date of the theme on Drupal.org to see if they have been updated in the past 6 months.
Step 4: Build Pages with Drupal Page Builder Tools
The core of WordPress does not include a drag and drop builder, but the "Layout Generator" (core) and "WordPress Page Generator" (contrib) can fill this gap. The layout generator is perfect for beginners: it allows you to design pages by dragging pre built parts (titles, columns, images), even if you don't have a technical foundation.
If you want to use a layout generator, you can follow the steps below:
- Enable module: Go to "admin/modules", search for "layout generator", select the checkbox, and then save.
- Navigate to "Structure" → "Content Types" → "Articles" (or your custom content type) → "Manage Display
- Under "Layout Options", select "Use Layout Generator", and then choose "Save". Now, when editing an article, click on 'Layout' to access the generator.
To achieve greater flexibility, please install the "WordPress Page Generator Module" (a popular contrib module). It adds advanced widgets (sliders, action buttons) and seamlessly integrates with the theme. A non-profit organization we assisted created a donation page using this module, which includes a counter widget (displaying raised funds) and a table - all built within 2 hours without coding.
Remember: overly complex layouts can slow down your website speed. Stick to 3-4 sections per page and use spaces to improve readability.
Step 5: Extend Functionality with Drupal Modules
Modules are the core of WordPress, adding features such as SEO, e-commerce, and social media integration. So if you want to add it, you can also prioritize the following basic modules:
- Pathauto: Automatically generate SEO friendly URLs (e.g. "/blog/my post" instead of "/node/123").
- Metatag: allows you to set custom meta titles/descriptions (crucial for search ranking).
- Webform: Building contact forms, surveys, and quizzes is crucial for potential customer development.
If you are selling products, you need to add e-commerce features (shopping cart, payment gateway).
Google Analytics: Track visitor behavior (install through "extensions" → search for "Google Analytics").
If you want to install a module, you can do this:
Go to "Extension" → "Install New Module", upload the ZIP file of the module, or enter its URL.
Enable the module by selecting its box and saving it - some modules require dependencies (for example, Commerce requires the "Address" and "Entity" modules), which will prompt you to install.
A technology blog we consulted used Pathauto and Metatag to increase its organic traffic by 40% within 6 months, proving that even basic modules can have a significant impact. However, avoid over-installing modules - each module will add code that may slow down the website speed; Review unused modules (admin/modules/uninstall) quarterly.
Step 6: Create and Manage Content
WordPress organizes content into "nodes" (individual projects such as blog posts or products) and "content types" (node templates, such as "articles" or "products"). When you want to create specific content on it, you can do the following:
- Go to "Content" → "Add Content" (node/Add), and then select your content type.
- Fill in the fields (title, body text, image), and then use the "Preview" button to check the format.
- Click 'Save' to publish, or click 'Save as Draft' to work on later.
For content management, use the "View" module (core) to create custom lists, such as the "Recent Posts" widget or a filtered product list.
When you want to build a view, you can follow the steps below:
- Go to "Structure" → "View" → "Add
- Name your view, select "Nodes" as the data source, and then choose a display (such as "List" or "Grid").
- Add filtering criteria (such as' published=yes') and sorting criteria (such as' publication date=latest priority '), and then save.
A travel blogger created a "destination" page using Views, filtering posts by country and displaying them as a grid with images, making it easy for readers to navigate and reducing bounce rates by 25%.
Step 7: Secure and Optimize Your Drupal Site
Securityis beyond doubt. I can say that the design of WordPress is secure, but if you forget to update it regularly, it may also expose you to certain risks. So you need to enable the 'Update Manager' (core module) to get alerts for module/theme updates and install it within 7 days after release. And I will also tell you some other safety measures:
Use HTTPS (install SSL certificate through host - most provide free certificate through Let's Encrypt).
Restricting administrator access: Granting the 'administrator' role only to trusted users; Use 'user roles' (administrator/personnel/role) to restrict permissions (for example,' edit 'can publish content, but cannot install modules).
Enable the 'Backup and Migration' module to schedule daily backups - this is crucial if your website is hacked or crashed.
To optimize, you need to use the "Redis" or "Memcache" module to cache content (speeding up loading time) and use "Image Optimize" to compress images. A study by DrupalPerformance showed that after a week of updates, the loading speed of cached websites increased threefold, and user retention rates also increased by 20% over a certain period of time.
Step 8: Launch and Maintain Your Drupal Website
Before publishing, you also need to conduct rigorous testing, such as checking for broken links (using the "Link Inspector" module), testing mobile responsiveness (through Google's mobile-friendly testing), and ensuring that the form works properly (submitting test entries). After all measures are in place, you can share on social media, update your business card, and submit your website to Google Search Console (for indexing).
After publication, you can also maintain your website through the following methods
- Update the core, modules, and themes of WordPress on a monthly basis.
- Use Google Analytics to monitor traffic and identify popular content (double focus on effective content).
- Weekly Backup - Use "Backup and Migration" to store copies in remote locations (such as Dropbox).
A university we collaborated with has launched a student portal based on this guide, which now serves over 20000 users daily. This proves that with the right steps, the complexity of WordPress has become its advantage.
Conclusion
Building a website using WordPress may seem difficult at first, but its flexibility and powerful features are worth the effort, especially for complex websites that cannot be accessed with simpler tools. By following the guidelines and steps we have described above, prepare to host, install, customize themes, use the WordPress page building tool, add modules, create content, protect the website, and maintain it. You will experience the full potential of WordPress. Whether you are a beginner or a developer, the module and theme ecosystem of WordPress ensures that your website can grow according to your needs. Starting from small things, testing regularly, and utilizing the support provided by the WordPress community (forums, tutorials), your professionally customized website is closer than you imagine. Let's start now!
FAQs
How to start learning Drupal?
Best way to learn Drupal is to start by getting a working instance running on your computer. Not everything will make sense right away, but reading documentation and googling solutions helps. And yes, Drupalize is a good resource.
Is Drupal better than WordPress?
While both platforms offer a degree of flexibility, Drupal is widely considered a better platform for supporting extensive customization. Beyond the ability to alter the available modules, Drupal offers built-in capabilities for creating custom content types, altering content taxonomy and more.
Where to host a Drupal website?
DigitalOcean is popular for hosting Drupal sites because of our ease of use and cost-effective solutions compared to other Drupal hosting providers. We offer a variety of products and services, including Droplets (virtual machines), Kubernetes, and App Platform.
Is Drupal SEO friendly?
Drupal gives you everything you need to build a well-structured, SEO-friendly site. But it's up to you and your team to configure those tools and use them well.
What web server does Drupal use?
Apache is the most commonly used web server for Drupal. Drupal requires Apache 2.4. 7 or greater hosted on UNIX/Linux, OS X, or Windows. The majority of Drupal development and deployment is done on Apache, so there is more community experience and testing performed on Apache than on other web servers.
Escrito por
Kimmy
Publicado el
Aug 11, 2025
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