Drupal Decoupled: Pushing Drupal Further Than Ever

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Preview with Drupal Decoupled logotype
Leverage the power of Drupal, one of the most robust open-source CMS platforms, with our unique decoupled approach: Drupal Decoupled. Discover how Drupal Decoupled can help you enhance your website and benefit your business in this decoupled environment.

Traditionally, Drupal has been known as a monolithic CMS, where content management and presentation layers are tightly integrated. However, Drupal's flexibility allows it to be used in a decoupled manner, where the front end (presentation layer) is separated from the back end (content management layer). 

This separation enables the use of modern front-end frameworks and technologies while still benefiting from Drupal's powerful content management capabilities.

Nevertheless, implementing decoupled or headless systems has historically been complex and challenging, not only from a technical perspective but also from a customer experience, because of the lack of a user-friendly demo or preconfigured setup that clearly demonstrates the power of a decoupled Drupal environment.

At Octahedroid, we want to change that with our own decoupled approach to this platform: Drupal Decoupled. Here is a quick preview video:

Our goal is simple: democratize Drupal Decoupled implementations by making decoupling easier, faster, and more accessible to everyone—whether you’re a developer or someone with no technical expertise.

In this article, we’ll explore how Drupal Decoupled works, discuss the future of decoupled architectures, and show how you can start using Drupal Decoupled today!

What Is Drupal Decoupled? 

Drupal Decoupled is our approach to simplifying and accelerating the decoupling process, providing a one-click, ready-to-use pre-configured decoupled Drupal CMS.

With Drupal Decoupled, you no longer have to choose between structure and flexibility. You can leverage the best of both worlds: the content management features of Drupal as a monolithic CMS and the freedom to design and develop a highly customized front end using the latest technologies.

Drupal Decoupled Deployment Screenshot

We’ve designed Drupal Decoupled to tackle the most common obstacles developers and users face when testing decoupled systems, including:

  • Delivering a solid, real-time demo.
  • Increasing flexibility in choosing front-end frameworks.
  • Simplifying the configuration of Drupal as an API-first CMS.
  • Providing ready-to-use and extend starters built on proven technologies.

We seek to solve these challenges with Drupal Decoupled, giving you a modern, effortless decoupling experience.

Why Choose Drupal Decoupled?

From its out-of-the-box setup and developer-friendly GraphQL API to front-end freedom and quickstart examples, Drupal Decoupled offers a practical and streamlined approach to streamlining your workflow in a decoupled environment.

Let’s explore the key advantages that make Drupal Decoupled an efficient and flexible choice for modern businesses and developers:

1. Simple Setup

From the moment you start, you’ll experience an out-of-the-box fully preconfigured Drupal setup. With one-click deployment in Next.js or Remix, you can immediately jump into development.

2. Developer-Friendly from the Start

We’ve integrated a GraphQL API to simplify front-end development. Even developers unfamiliar with Drupal will find the onboarding process smooth and intuitive.

3. Automated Configuration

Our platform is based on the Drupal Recommended Composer Template Project, and with automated module installation through Recipes, your configuration is done in minutes. 

4. Front-End Freedom

Whether you prefer Next.js, Remix, or another framework, Drupal Decoupled is agnostic to your front-end choice. And stay tuned: we’ve got more coming, including an Astro starter!

5. Customizable Starters Based on shadcn/ui Components

Adapt your front end to your specific needs with ready-to-use and extendable starters built on shadcn/ui components.

6. Detailed Walkthroughs and Quick-start Examples

We offer comprehensive walkthroughs and quick-start examples to guide you through Drupal as an API-first solution. 

Whether you’re seeking flexibility, speed, or simplicity, Drupal Decoupled is designed to meet your needs. 

Curious about how decoupled and headless architectures work? Wondering what the future holds for decoupled environments or how to determine if a decoupled CMS is right for you? Keep reading below!


Decoupled vs. Headless Architectures: What’s the Difference?

Although both terms are often used interchangeably in web development, decoupled and headless architectures have distinct characteristics and implications that must be addressed. 

Here’s a quick overview of each term:

Headless CMS 

In a headless setup, the CMS functions solely as a content repository, exposing content through APIs. The front end is entirely separate and responsible for rendering content, with no direct integration with the CMS's presentation layer. 

Learn more about headless CMS here.

Decoupled CMS 

A decoupled CMS also separates the front end and back end but retains some integration between them. The CMS manages content while still offering tools and APIs to connect with the front end, allowing for more controlled and efficient content delivery.

If you want to know more about the intricacies of this architecture, read our article on Decoupled CMS here.

Future Trends in Decoupled Architectures

The future of decoupled architectures is bright, with several trends set to shape the way we build digital experiences. 

Here are some which we think are the most interesting ones:

  • Increased Adoption of Microservices: Decoupled architectures will continue to evolve towards microservices, where each component of a system (like authentication, content delivery, user management) is treated as a separate service. This will lead to even greater flexibility and scalability.
  • Enhanced Personalization: As decoupled systems become more advanced, we can expect to see greater capabilities for personalization. Content will be delivered in increasingly tailored ways, based on user data and behavior.
  • AI Integration: Artificial intelligence will play a significant role in future decoupled systems, offering enhanced automation, atomic content creation, and more, making digital experiences more intelligent and user-focused.

Is Drupal Decoupled for You?

Drupal Decoupled is an excellent choice if you're looking to build a complex enterprise application or a simple content-rich site. It provides the tools and structure you need to succeed in today’s fast-paced digital environment.

Whether you're starting a new project or transitioning to a decoupled architecture, achieve your business goals without incurring technical debt or extra costs. With over a decade of experience in decoupled architecture transitions at Octahedroid, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Contact us for personalized support and let us help you unlock the full potential of a decoupled architecture for your site.

Jesus Manuel Olivas

About the author

Jesus Manuel Olivas, Co-founder and CEO
Building solutions with GraphQL, Cloud Native, Automation, CMS integrations, NoCode/LowCode, and Edge Computing. With +10 years of experience contributing to Drupal to expand its capabilities and make them accessible to all users.

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