Drupal tutorial for beginners

is a robust content management system (CMS) used to build all kinds of websites. Many trust Drupal to manage their high traffic websites due to its versatile features and extensive modules.

That said, Drupal does have a steeper learning curve than its . Beginners may find it difficult with this content management system. In fact, without proper guidance, users may end up not using the full capabilities of Drupal.

Not to worry though: our Drupal tutorial will cover everything you need to know to get started. We will introduce you to the correct Drupal installation procedure and how to build a website with this CMS. We’ll also show you how to install modules, themes, and updates.

Why should you use Drupal?

Drupal is a currently powering whose CMS we are aware of. Over the years, this PHP-based software continues to evolve thanks to a growing community of developers who have made it an open source project. Today, Drupal can be downloaded for free under the .

Despite being primarily known for powering government and organization websites, Drupal can support a wide variety of websites. This is because it employs a vast collection of modules and themes to extend the functionality and look of a website.

Here is what you can expect when using this platform:

• Increased functionality – extend the functionality of your site. For example, you can add statistical functions to your website by installing the .
• Flexible customization – the CMS has more than for different purposes. You can also modify Drupal’s core modules to better suit your needs.
• Reliable Security – Drupal regularly generates reports, keeping users up to date on their site’s security. Also, Drupal is always ready to respond to any security issue.

This tutorial will go over all the features and attributes available to help you decide if using Drupal is the best option for you. First of all, we will talk about the installation of the platform.

Before installing Drupal

Before you install Drupal, there are a few things to keep in mind. We will see them in the following sections.

1. Acquire web hosting

Web hosting or web hosting is a service that makes a website accessible on the Internet. By purchasing a hosting plan, you rent server resources to host your website content. Hosting prices vary depending on the service provider and the type of plans.

It is essential as it will significantly affect the performance of your site. A web hosting provider should provide you with enough resources and features to meet the needs of your website. Other important factors are security measures, guaranteed uptime, and customer support.

After finding the right hosting provider for you, now you have to choose . An optimized hosting plan for your site will save you money in the long run. Once your website has grown, upgrade to a plan with more resources and better scalability.

Most hosting providers offer hosting services that differ in the amount of allocated resources and customization flexibility. These are some of the hosting plans:

• – best for blogs and sites with low to medium traffic volume.
• – ideal for sites that cannot afford any downtime.
• – these plans are specifically designed to host Drupal sites.
• – excellent for users who want dedicated server resources and flexible hosting management.

Our Drupal hosting plans include everything you need to build and maintain a Drupal site. With prices ranging from 1.39 Y $3.99 per month Drupal hosting features Drupal-optimized servers, a one-click installer, and a dedicated support team.

Alternatively, opt for shared hosting if you plan to use a different platform. shared hosting plans cost the same as Drupal hosting and include a WordPress installer.

2. Buy a domain name

Internet users use domain names to access websites in browsers without having to memorize the IP address of the site. If you want to know more, consult .

It will help you build credibility on the internet and boost your brand recognition. So make sure your domain is unique and memorable. Avoid symbols and hyphens, as they can impair readability.

domain name checker

Immediately check the availability of the domain name.

You can check the availability of the chosen domain in the . If it’s no longer available, check out naming alternatives or using a .

Once you have found the right domain, go to a domain registrar and point it to your hosting server. If you purchase the domain name and hosting from the same web host as a package, you won’t have to.

Please note that (DNS) records can take up to 24 hours to propagate globally. During this time, your site will be unavailable.

How to install Drupal?

There are two ways to install Drupal: manually or using the in

Automatic installer. In this section, we will discuss both methods. Please note that the steps in this tutorial are for Drupal version 9.xx. However, they should also apply to earlier versions of the kernel.

Use the auto installer

The easiest way to install Drupal on your hosting server is by using the auto-install feature. You can find it in the control panel of your hosting service. For this example, we will install Drupal through ‘s hPanel.

1. go to Self Installer in the section Website from hPanel.
2. Select the option Others and choose Drupal in the dropdown menu. click on Select.

3. Enter your administrator login and database information in the pop-up form.

4. Although you are free to change the version of the app, we recommend that you opt for the latest version for the best performance. then click Install to start the installation.

Drupal manual installation

Don’t worry if your hosting provider doesn’t have an automatic installer, you can install Drupal manually.

Developers often prefer this method as it gives them more control over the installation, which is beneficial when installing Drupal on localhost or on a VPS.

The following tutorial will show you how to install Drupal manually through hPanel.

1. Download the file .zip of Drupal from the .
2. Access the File Manager from the section Records from hPanel. Upload and extract the file .zip In the address book public_html and then transfer the files inside the folder directly to the folder public_html. You can also perform this step through a like .

3. Navigate back to the hPanel dashboard, and then go to MySQL databases in the section Databases. Create a new database for your Drupal site. Make a note of the database name and username, as you’ll need them later.

4. Access the URL http://yourwebsite.com/core/install.php in your browser to run the Drupal installer. Choose a language and click the button Save and continue.

5. Choose an installation profile and click save and continue. If you are new to Drupal, we recommend that you continue with Standard. installation profile Minimum it is better for advanced users as it offers more freedom when it comes to customization.

6. Enter the name of the database and the rest of the information that you have previously configured. then click Save and continue configuring the website.

7. Fill in the site information, site maintenance account, and locale sections. Take note of the name of username and password, since they will be used as access credentials to your site. click on save and continue to finish the Drupal installation.

8. If you have successfully installed Drupal, a confirmation message will appear in your administration panel.

Professional advice

If you need to configure the details of your Drupal database, access the file settings.php. You can find it here: public_html/sites/default/.
Review the credentials and information of your database in the section MySQL databases of the hPanel.

How to create a website with Drupal?

After successfully installing Drupal, we can follow the steps to build a site on the platform. The next section will cover Drupal admin panel navigation and how to create website elements such as pages and menus.

Understanding the Drupal administration panel

The Drupal administration panel is accessed by logging in. You can access the login page via http://url-of-your-website/user/login.

Once inside, you will see the button Manage. Here you will have all the power and authority to start building and customizing your website. The following sections will be displayed:

1. Contents: This section allows you to add and manage content and/or comments and/or files.
2. Structure– From here you can manage block layouts, comment types, contact forms, content types, display modes, menus, taxonomies, and views.
3. Appearance: The Appearance section allows you to install or uninstall themes.
4. Enlarge– From the Extend tab, you can download and install modules to enhance the functionality of your website.
5. Setting: This section allows you to adjust settings.
6. Users: You can manage user accounts, permissions and roles from the Users section.
7. Reports– Get status reports or view log messages, etc. from the Reports section.
8. Aid: The Help section will contain all the help you may need during the installation process.

Creating Drupal taxonomies

A taxonomy is used to classify the content of the website. In Drupal, taxonomies are made up of entities called termswhich are words that describe a specific content within the vocabularies. A vocabulary can have a flat or hierarchical structure depending on the type of content.

The first step in creating a taxonomy is to add the necessary vocabularies and each of their terms. You can then attach the taxonomy terms to the content entities, setting up listing pages to classify them.

Creating a taxonomy is easy. You can do it by following these steps from the Drupal tutorial:

1. Go to the tab Structure > taxonomy from the administration panel.

2. click on add vocabulary and fill in your Name (required) and your description (optional). In this example, we will create a vocabulary of…