Drupal CMS 2.0: AI functions, visual page builder, and templates

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The Drupal Association has released a comprehensive update to its content management system with Drupal CMS 2.0. According to the developers, this is one of the biggest evolutions in the project's 25-year history. The release aims to significantly simplify working with Drupal and make the system accessible even to users without deep programming knowledge.

The core of Drupal CMS 2.0 is the new visual page builder Drupal Canvas, which serves as the default editor. With its drag-and-drop interface, users can assemble websites with live previews without having to write code. Canvas uses the Mercury component library, which provides pre-built elements such as cards, testimonials, heroes, menus, and accordions. The React-based frontend integrates with Drupal's core API and directly competes with editors like Gutenberg or Elementor.

The new version is based on Drupal Core 11.3, which brings what the developers claim is the biggest performance improvement in a decade. Optimized caching and the use of PHP 8.1 Fibers allow for 26 to 33 percent more requests to be processed with identical hardware. For database queries, the new version records a reduction of 31 percent in cold caches and 47 percent in partially warmed caches. Independent tests by MD Systems on complex websites showed even more significant improvements.

Ready-made templates for a quick start

With CMS 2.0, Drupal is introducing site templates for the first time, which install complete website structures in under three minutes. The first available template, “Byte,” is aimed at SaaS companies and provides a complete marketing website with a blog, newsletter signup, pricing pages, contact form, and a dark design. Alternatively, the “Starter” template is available, which includes less pre-built content and instead emphasizes Canvas integration.

A key difference between Drupal CMS 2.0 and Drupal Core 11.3 lies in their feature sets: while Core is a minimalist framework with user management, content creation, and taxonomy, CMS is a pre-configured distribution with Canvas, templates, AI functions, and SEO tools. CMS is suitable for quickly creating websites, while Core is for in-depth customization.

AI functions with data protection options

Drupal CMS 2.0 optionally integrates AI assistants that users can activate via an add-on. The functions include generating complete websites from text prompts using Canvas components, an admin chatbot to assist with site building, and AI-powered alt-text generation for images. All AI-generated content undergoes a human-in-the-loop process: changes are placed in a queue for review and are not directly implemented into production.

At launch, Drupal supports OpenAI, Anthropic, and amazee.ai as AI providers. The latter offers Private AI options with servers in Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, the USA, and Australia. According to the provider, the service meets GDPR requirements and has ISO 27001 and SOC 2 certifications.

In addition to AI functions, CMS 2.0 offers recipe-based integrations for services such as Mailchimp, Google Analytics, and Google Tag Manager. The Mailchimp integration automatically retrieves audiences and creates signup form blocks. No special hardware requirements are necessary for the AI features, as they work via API and can be integrated into existing Drupal hosting environments.

Migration and market positioning

Existing Drupal installations can install Canvas and individual recipes retrospectively, but they require a component-based theme like Mercury. Automatic migration paths from Layout Builder or Paragraphs are not yet available but are planned. The migration allows for a phased transition.

For 2026, the Drupal Association has announced a template marketplace that will offer curated open-source and commercial templates. An MVP is planned that will also allow exporting one's own sites as templates. In the long term, Drupal plans to expand its AI agents to over 30 functions and evolve into an AI-first CMS.

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