It's been a while since we've written a round-up of must-have modules (the last one was back in 2018), so I asked the Evolving Web team about some of their favourites they've been using lately.
Here are a few staples that can benefit pretty much any of your Drupal 9 projects. Add your favourites down in the comments!
TL;DR: Essential Drupal 9 modules
Crop API
The Crop API module adds functionality to Drupal’s built-in image tools by allowing editors to crop images according to how they’re used. No more cut-off faces in your thumbnail cards!
Note that to use Crop API, you’ll need a UI module like Image widget crop or Focal point. Our team uses the latter.
“I like the fact that we can give editors control over which part of the image to focus on.”
- Robert Ngo, Evolving Web developer
Not quite what you were looking for? There are several alternatives to Crop API, which you can read about on Drupal.org: Comparison of image cropping and resizing modules.
Reroute Email
This module “intercepts all outgoing emails from a Drupal site and reroutes them to a predefined configurable email address”.
In other words, if you want to send a test email that doesn’t actually make it to users, the Reroute Email module gives you an easy way to do it.
Rabbit Hole
Rabbit Hole lets you control how content types are displayed on their own page.
For example, if you have a certain content type that should never be displayed on its own page, you can use Rabbit Hole to display an Access denied message should a user attempt to access its node.
Config Pages
Save time and cut down on coding whenever you need to create a custom page. The Config Pages module lets you create rich page types that your content editors can easily modify via custom fields and drop-downs.
Mailgun
Drupal’s Mailgun module provides integration with the open-source, developer-focused Mailgun email service. The service, which “uses REST APIs to effortlessly send, receive and track emails”, is a mainstay in our team.
“If I need to send emails, this is my go-to.”
- Ivan Doroshenko, Evolving Web developer
Admin Toolbar
If you’re creating a new Drupal 9 site, this should probably be the first module you install. Admin Toolbar lets you access all of Drupal’s admin pages via a convenient mega-menu, saving you countless clicks.
Pathauto
The Pathauto module helps you keep your URL aliases clean and consistent by automatically generating them according to your desired parameters.
Redirect
Never worry about forgetting a redirect again. If a content editor changes a page’s URL alias, the Redirect module will automatically implement an appropriate redirect.
Metatag
If you’ve ever been disappointed by the way a piece of content looked when you shared it on social media, this must-have module is for you. It lets you customize things like image format and description text across various social media snippet types, so your content looks the way you want it to whether it’s being viewed on Twitter or on Facebook.
For a look at the Metatag module in action, check out our trainer Trevor’s video on perfecting social media previews.
What Drupal 9 module can you not live without?
We’re working on a crowd-sourced list of essential Drupal 9 modules.
Leave a comment with your favourite for a chance to be featured in an upcoming article!
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