Proper configuration after installing Drupal sets the foundation for a successful website. In this guide, we cover all essential settings.

Accessing Administration

Admin Toolbar

The toolbar provides quick access to:

• Content
• Structure
• Appearance
• Extend
• Configuration
• People
• Reports
• Help

Admin Path

Access admin directly at:

• yoursite.com/admin
• yoursite.com/user/login

Site Information

Basic Settings

1. Go to Configuration > System > Site information
2. Configure:
   • Site name
   • Slogan
   • Email address
   • Default front page

Regional Settings

1. Go to Configuration > Regional and language
2. Set:
   • Default country
   • First day of week
   • Default timezone

Content Configuration

Content Types

Review and configure:

1. Go to Structure > Content types
2. Edit Article and Basic page
3. Configure:
   • Display settings
   • Menu settings
   • Publishing options

Text Formats

1. Go to Configuration > Content authoring > Text formats
2. Configure:
   • Basic HTML
   • Restricted HTML
   • Full HTML

CKEditor

1. Go to Configuration > Content authoring > CKEditor
2. Configure toolbar
3. Set allowed HTML tags

URL Configuration

Clean URLs

Usually enabled by default. Verify:

1. Go to Configuration > Search and metadata > URL aliases

Path Auto

Install Pathauto for automatic URLs:

1. Install module
2. Go to Configuration > Search and metadata > URL aliases > Patterns
3. Create patterns:
   • Content: /[node:title]
   • Taxonomy: /[term:vocabulary]/[term:name]

User Configuration

Account Settings

1. Go to Configuration > People > Account settings
2. Configure:
   • Registration: Admin only or visitors
   • Email verification
   • Password policy

Roles and Permissions

1. Go to People > Roles
2. Configure permissions per role
3. Create custom roles if needed

Performance Settings

Caching

1. Go to Configuration > Development > Performance
2. Enable:
   • Page cache maximum age
   • Aggregate CSS files
   • Aggregate JavaScript files

Cache Settings

• Page cache: 1 hour minimum
• CSS/JS aggregation: Yes for production

Clear Cache

1. Click Configuration > Development > Performance
2. Click Clear all caches

Or via Drush: drush cache:rebuild

File System

File Settings

1. Go to Configuration > Media > File system
2. Configure:
   • Public file system path
   • Private file system path (optional)
   • Temporary directory

Image Styles

1. Go to Configuration > Media > Image styles
2. Create styles for:
   • Thumbnails
   • Medium images
   • Large images

Email Configuration

Outgoing Mail

1. Go to Configuration > System > Mail system
2. Configure sender settings

SMTP Module

For reliable email:

1. Install SMTP module
2. Configure:
   • SMTP server
   • Port
   • Authentication
   • Encryption

Logging

Error Logging

1. Go to Configuration > Development > Logging and errors
2. Set:
   • Error messages to display: None (production)
   • Database log messages: All (or as needed)

Recent Log Messages

1. Go to Reports > Recent log messages
2. Monitor for errors

Input Formats

Text Formats

Configure what HTML is allowed:

1. Go to Configuration > Content authoring > Text formats
2. Edit each format
3. Configure filters

Security

• Limit HTML for untrusted users
• Enable XSS filtering
• Configure upload settings

Menu Configuration

Main Navigation

1. Go to Structure > Menus
2. Edit Main navigation
3. Add menu links

Footer Menu

1. Create or edit footer menu
2. Add links
3. Place in theme region

Module Configuration

Enable Essential Modules

1. Go to Extend
2. Enable:
   • Path
   • Menu UI
   • Database Logging

Module Settings

Each module has settings in Configuration menu.

Appearance

Theme Settings

1. Go to Appearance
2. Click Settings for your theme
3. Configure:
   • Logo
   • Favicon
   • Color scheme (if available)

Block Layout

1. Go to Structure > Block layout
2. Arrange blocks in regions
3. Configure visibility

Cron Configuration

Automated Tasks

1. Go to Configuration > System > Cron
2. Set cron frequency
3. Or use server cron

Server Cron

Add to crontab: /15 * * * wget -O /dev/null yoursite.com/cron/CRON_KEY

Security Settings

Basic Security

1. Strong admin password
2. Limit login attempts
3. Enable captcha
4. Regular updates

Permission Review

1. Go to People > Permissions
2. Review each role
3. Minimize permissions

Need Help?

We are here for you! If you run into any issues or have questions, our support team is happy to help you personally. Send us a message through the ticket system - we usually respond within a few hours and are happy to assist you.