With every new version, Drupal solidifies its role as a strong, adaptive, and secure content management system. Drupal 12 has introduced improved performance, improved editorial workflow, and improved front-end functionality. However, it is the extensive range of modules within a Drupal site's rich ecosystem that actually makes a Drupal site particularly strong.
In 2025, site owners and developers are concerned about maximizing usability, SEO, content versatility, and security—and Drupal 12 has modules to tackle all of that. Whether you're launching a new project or updating an existing one, these are the Best Drupal Modules you should know.
1. Pathauto
Pathauto is one of the most downloaded Drupal modules for a good reason—it saves hours of manual work. It automatically generates clean, SEO-friendly URLs for different types of content, such as articles, blogs, taxonomy terms, and users.
Why it’s essential in 2025:
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Simplifies URL management for large content sites
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Fully compatible with multilingual websites
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Works seamlessly with the Token module for dynamic URL patterns
Example: Rather than having a URL such as /node/128, Pathauto converts it to /blog/top-drupal-modules, becoming friendlier to users and search engines.
2. Metatag
Being top on Google is not all about keywords—it is also about perfectly formatted metadata. The Metatag module enables you to automatically insert critical meta tags, such as titles, descriptions, canonical URLs, Open Graph information, and Twitter Cards.
Features:
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Preconfigured sets of metadata for various content types
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Multilingual support
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Works with Views, Panels, and Pathauto
By including accurate metadata, you improve your site's discoverability and presentation in search engine results.
3. Webform
If you're creating a contact form, feedback survey, event registration, or job application, Webform is the most powerful form builder for Drupal.
Advantages in 2025:
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Highly customizable with conditional logic
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Support for email routing, file uploads, and CAPTCHA
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Export submissions in CSV, Excel, or send to external APIs
It's especially helpful for companies or organizations requiring advanced forms without sacrificing UX or data integrity.
4. Admin Toolbar
The Admin Toolbar module enhances Drupal's stock admin menu by transforming it into a drop-down menu. This greatly accelerates admin navigation for both developers and editors.
Highlights:
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Easy and quick access to nested admin pages
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Performance-built—low overhead
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Functions perfectly with admin themes
In big projects, this module saves hundreds of hours of menu digging.
5. Layout Builder + Add-ons
Layout Builder in Drupal became a core feature in recent releases and is all grown up in Drupal 12. Editors can visually create page layouts using drag-and-drop.
Adding to Layout Builder with modules:
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Layout Builder Restrictions: Manage who can view or utilize a particular layout
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Layout Builder Modal: Provides inline editing for an improved UX
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Layout Builder Styles: Provides CSS styling features to sections and blocks
This collection of tools revolutionizes how content is organized and displayed—perfect for product showcases, marketing teams, and landing pages.
6. Paragraphs
The Paragraphs module is a revolution in content creation. It enables editors to create content in reusable blocks such as image-text pairs, sliders, quotes, or videos.
Why use Paragraphs in 2025:
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Promotes code-free component-based design
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Decreases the use of multiple types of content
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Easy to handle and adaptable for complicated layouts
Structures and consistency, in contrast to old WYSIWYG editors, yet with room for creativity.
7. CKEditor 5 Improvements
CKEditor 5 comes pre-installed in Drupal 12, which is a huge improvement over the previous version. To make the best out of it, developers can install modules such as:
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CKEditor Templates: Establish re-usable content blocks (e.g., callouts or footers)
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CKEditor Media Embed: Incorporate YouTube or Vimeo videos with ease
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CKEditor Custom Styles: Define advanced style options for editors
These aids provide improved content editing experiences even for non-technical personnel.
8. Twig Tweak
Twig Tweak adds extra functions and filters to Drupal's built-in Twig templating language to simplify front-end development.
Why developers love it:
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Instantly print variables or blocks
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Helpful for debugging and making logic easier
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Avoids duplicate PHP code in templates
This is an absolute requirement for any theming or decoupled frontend project working with Twig.
9. Redirect
The Redirect module can be used to create and administer URL redirects, which is vital for the SEO rankings retention following content relocation, URL updates, or node removal.
Use cases:
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Avoid broken links
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Enhance user experience
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Integrate with Pathauto and Global Redirect modules
In 2025, this module will still be vital for digital marketers and developers, particularly in content-based or dynamic websites.
10. Shield
For those developers who are developing staging or test sites, Shield offers easy HTTP authentication to deny public access that is not wanted.
Ideal for:
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Development and staging environments
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Preventing search engine indexing
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Easy and fast setup without server setup
It is a lightweight but powerful tool for keeping projects under development private.
Bonus: GraphQL for Drupal
With increasing popularity of headless and decoupled architecture, the GraphQL module for Drupal is becoming increasingly popular. It makes your Drupal data accessible through a GraphQL API, allowing next-gen frontend frameworks such as React, Next.js, and Vue.js to easily consume it.
Why use it:
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Schema-first approach
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Great performance with batching and caching
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Future-proofing your application for hybrid or decoupled experiences
Final Thoughts
Drupal 12 is stronger than ever, and the perfect mix of modules can make your site faster, smarter, and more efficient. From security and SEO to layout and content flexibility, these Drupal modules can help you create scalable and user-friendly websites in 2025.
Whether you're driving a content-rich news portal, a company website, or an eCommerce site, these modules are the foundation of modern Drupal development.
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