Drupal Developer: How to Become a Drupal Developer for Complex and Flexible Websites

Who is a Drupal Developer?

A Drupal developer is a technical specialist who creates, configures, maintains, develops websites and web applications based on the Drupal platform. This role requires a deep understanding of Drupal, including PHP, the Drupal API, template systems, and modern web technologies. A professional in Drupal web development also understands the specifics of the open-source environment and may contribute to Drupal projects by improving modules, fixing bugs, or contributing to Drupal core and community initiatives.

Depending on experience, responsibilities, and the stage of the project, a Drupal developer can take on different roles in the team. The most common specialisations in Drupal web development are:

A Web Designer Is

A Drupal site builder who assembles functional websites through the administrative panel interface without the need to write code. This form of site building includes working with modules, content types, fields, taxonomy dictionaries, views, blocks, and menus. A site builder can implement a large portion of a project using ready-made tools and community modules, without custom module development, making it ideal for faster Drupal offers and deployments.

A Backend Developer Is

A module developer and backend specialist who works with code to create or extend functionality using custom modules. They are deeply involved in the internal logic of Drupal, know the Drupal API, and use Composer for dependency management. Backend developers build plugins, services, events, user forms, and REST interfaces, ensure the security and performance of the server-side code, and integrate Drupal with external services via APIs. They also handle debug processes and manage deployment of backend features.

A Theme or Frontend Developer Is

A front-end developer who focuses on the appearance of the site and the user interface. This includes adapting designs for Drupal, creating Twig templates, working with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and ensuring responsive and accessible layouts. They understand the structure of Drupal themes, the rendering system, and can implement interface components according to design systems. Many front-end specialists also collaborate closely with backend teams to optimise the integration between design and functionality.

A Universal or Full-Stack Drupal Developer Is

A specialist who combines front-end and backend skills to handle all aspects of Drupal web development. Such a developer can configure site structure, perform module development, integrate APIs, adapt designs, and manage deployment tasks. Often found in smaller teams or as freelancers, full-stack developers handle the complete lifecycle of Drupal projects from concept to launch, while ensuring ongoing debug and optimisation.

Learn Drupal Development: From Site Building to Frontend and Module Creation

A Drupal developer is responsible for creating, configuring and maintaining sites based on the flexible and powerful CMS Drupal. This work covers both the technical implementation of business tasks and ensuring the stability, security and scalability of web solutions. To do this, the specialist must have a wide range of tools and methods covering both the backend and frontend areas.

Main Responsibilities 
 

• Functionality development

Creating custom modules, configuring standard functions and integrating with other systems or services via API.

• Theming and UX

Developing or adapting themes taking into account UI/UX design, adaptability for mobile devices and accessibility requirements (a11y).

• Performance optimization

Ensuring fast site operation, caching, optimising database queries and rational use of resources.

• Security and updates

Regular module updates, protection against vulnerabilities and implementation of security policies by best practices.

• Support and Scaling

Ongoing Drupal support and maintenance, working with existing code, refactoring, preparing for future system growth and changing requirements.

Key Technical Skills

• PHP is the main language for creating modules and business logic in Drupal.
• Drupal API (7/8/9/10/11) requires a deep knowledge of the architecture and internal mechanisms of the CMS.
• Twig template engine for the layout of themes in Drupal.
• HTML, CSS, JavaScript are the basis for working with the interface and configuring the frontend.
• Composer is a tool for managing project dependencies.
• Drush is a command-line utility for working with Drupal sites (clearing the cache, updating, installing, etc.).
• Symfony is a PHP framework that underlies the modern Drupal core.
• Git is a version control system for teamwork and CI/CD processes.

The Role of PHP Module Developers and Drupal Site Builders in Successful Projects

In the Drupal world, the role of a Drupal developer is critical to Drupal web development, creating digital products that are reliable, functional, and deliver an excellent user experience. A developer requires strong technical skills, deep Drupal experience, and the ability to follow Drupal coding standards to ensure stability, security, and scalability. It is this specialist who provides the technical implementation of business tasks, turning complex ideas into stable and flexible solutions using Drupal’s open-source platform.

Why the role is important:

Implementation of Business Logic

A Drupal developer builds data structures, modules and themes, and functionality according to the specifics of the company, its goals, and processes. They often work with PHP programming, PHP frameworks such as Symfony, MySQL databases, and web server environments to create functional websites that align with the look and feel envisioned in wireframes.

Flexible Customization

Drupal allows to create highly individual solutions, but only experienced Drupal professionals with hands-on experience can implement them correctly. This involves working on both frontend development and back-end development, customizing the Drupal theme layer, integrating contributed modules, and collaborating with front-end Drupal developers, themers, and other web developers.

High Reliability 

The responsibility for stability, security, and long-term support lies with the technical specialist. Skilled developers follow Drupal standards, use git version control systems, and apply best practices in software development. They also keep up with Drupal events to stay informed about updates and innovations.

Demand in Large Companies

The demand for skilled Drupal developers continues to grow. Drupal is actively used by government institutions, educational institutions, and large corporations, industries where quality, security, and scalability are essential. Drupal developers can also work as a freelancer or join enterprise teams, as the skills required are in high demand across the knowledge of web and new to web development sectors. Following industry trends and continuing to learn Drupal development helps professionals remain competitive.

How to Become a Drupal Developer: The Basic Path

The profession of a Drupal developer is about knowing the code, understanding the logic of the system, Drupal is an open-source platform ecosystem, and following quality standards. You can start on your own, gradually delving into the technical features of the platform. With the growing demand for Drupal developers, this career path offers solid prospects for those willing to learn and evolve in the field.

Key steps:

Getting to Know the Basics

Learning the structure of Drupal: nodes, content types, fields, taxonomy, blocks, menus, and modules.

Configuring the Local Environment

Practice installing Drupal, working with the administrative panel, and manually configuring the site.

Learning Popular Modules

Views, Pathauto, Paragraphs, Webform, Token, Metatag are a standard set for almost every site.

Learning Resources and Documentation

Official documentation, Drupalize.Me, blogs, courses, and participation in the Drupal community.

Continuous Improvement 

Drupal is changing: you need to follow updates, standards, new features of the core and modules.

Read more: Learning Path for Drupal Developers: A Complete Guide for Beginners

Why Choose Drupfan for Drupal Site Development 

The Drupfan team consists of Drupal developers with experience in all key areas, from creating websites through the administrative interface to complex back-end logic and precise front-end. We deeply understand the Drupal ecosystem and confidently work with projects of any scale.

We care about quality at all levels. Our code meets standards, is clean, secure and easy to develop. This is the basis for stable operation, easy scaling and easy maintenance in the future.

Drupfan is not just a technical team. We immerse ourselves in business goals, help find the best solutions, adapt functionality to real processes, and always take into account user convenience.

Our developments are long-term solutions that easily grow with your business. New features, integrations, localization, Drupal SEO services, all this is laid out from the very beginning.

And most importantly, we work side by side. Calmly, reliably, professionally. We support you not only at the start, but also after the launch. Always in touch, always on your side.

FAQ: Who is a Drupal Developer

1. What is Drupal and what is it used for?

Drupal is a powerful open-source content management system (CMS) built on PHP. It is used to create websites of any complexity, from blogs to government portals.

2. Who is a Drupal developer?

This is a specialist who creates, configures, extends and maintains websites on Drupal. He works with the modular structure of the CMS, configures functionality and is responsible for the smooth operation of the website.

3. What are the types of Drupal developers?

Usually, there are:

• A website builder configures a website without programming;
• A backend developer writes modules, works with logic and API;
• A frontend developer (turner) deals with design, layout, adaptability;
• A full-stack or universal developer has all the skills at the same time.

4. What is the difference between a website builder and a backend developer?

A website builder uses a graphical interface to create the structure of a website. A backend developer creates new logic or integration using code.

5. What programming languages does a Drupal developer use?

The main language is PHP. HTML, CSS, JavaScript, knowledge of Twig, Symfony, Git, and Composer are also important.

6. What is a custom module in Drupal?

This is a specially created functionality that is not in the standard core or third-party modules. Such a module is developed for the specific needs of the site.

7. Are design skills needed for a Drupal developer?

Yes, for a frontend developer. He must understand the principles of UX/UI, responsive layout, and work with HTML/CSS/Twig.

8. What tasks does a backend developer perform in Drupal?

Writes your own logic, works with databases, configures API integrations, develops new modules, ensures site security and performance.

9. Is it possible to work as a Drupal developer without programming experience?

You can start by specialising in a website builder, but for development, you need to learn the basics of programming, especially PHP and Drupal API.

10. How popular is Drupal in the world?

Drupal is widely used in government agencies, educational organisations, non-governmental organisations, as well as medium and large businesses. It is one of the most powerful open-source CMS.

11. How is Drupal different from WordPress or Joomla?

Drupal is more complex, but more powerful. It is better suited for large-scale projects with flexible structures, access, and integrations.

12. How much does a Drupal developer earn?

The salary level depends on experience and geography. On average, this is one of the well-paid specialisations in web development.

13. How to start a career in Drupal development?

You should install Drupal, learn the basic terminology (nodes, fields, views), and try to create a simple site. Then gradually learn PHP, Drupal API and join the community.

14. Do you need to know English?

Yes, it is desirable. Drupal documentation, community and most of the training materials are in English.

15. How to find a good job as a Drupal developer?

Start with freelance projects, participation in communities (Drupal.org, Stack Overflow), create a portfolio, actively update your skills and look for companies specialising in Drupal, such as Drupfan.