Drupal Maintenance

Why maintaining Drupal is crucial?

All Websites and Content Management Systems require maintenance. In order for Drupal to perform optimally, it requires regular maintenance and support. Drupal releases updates not only for security reasons but also to fix bugs in the platform and such updates can fix website functionality issues, improve loading time, and address many other performance issues. Neglecting this would be like never having your Tesla inspected or updated.

Drupal maintenance checklist

Status Report screen

The status report page provides information about the settings of your Drupal site. Drupal core and each community-contributed module, used on your website, can show notifications and warnings about its settings, update status, libraries etc. on this page.

Drupal Cron configuration

Setting up cron is an important step in the installation of Drupal websites and assists in the maintenance of the site's assets for search results, checking for updates to Drupal core, contributed modules, themes or removing temporary files. A cron term refers to automated tasks that your site runs periodically.

User and role audits caching

Large Drupal projects can become very complex with different roles and permissions. It's always a good idea to re-evaluate these roles and permissions every now and then to ensure the right people have access to edit and publish content. By checking such permissions, you can ensure that you haven't accidentally granted access to the wrong person.

Uptime and performance monitoring

As powerful as content management systems may be, they are subject to a number of performance and security issues. Thus, regular monitoring of preemptively identify vulnerabilities, spot performance bottlenecks, detect operational glitches, monitor for irregular traffic patterns etc. and corrective action for issues can prevent some problems.

404 errors and broken images and links

In short, broken images and links because 404 errors often represent bad user experience and missed opportunities to maximize the business value of your drupal project. From an SEO perspective, broken links can impede search engine crawlers, which may lead to a decrease in page ranking and visibility. Search engines prioritize the user experience, and frequent errors such as broken links signal a poor quality site, which search engines are likely to rank lower

Contact forms

Drupal webforms can be very extensive and complex. Checking Mailserver, SMTP, Spam Filtering, Webform Configuration, Webform Rules etc. should be tested periodically to ensure that they function properly.

Content audits and revisions

A content audit allows us to determine what content you have, where it is located, and what work it needs (whether it is redundant, outdated, or simply not valuable). A content audit will be the first step towards a content strategy for. Regular reviews of your Drupal websites with us and your marketing department ensure that content is not out of date and is consolidated when necessary.

Code and database backups

All Drupal websites have three main components that need to be secured: Code, Database and Digital Assets. This is crucial for the correct functioning of every Drupal project. If one of these 3 components is damaged or no longer available, then you and your customers have a bigger problem. Even if your hosting provider has an automated backup and restore option, you should not rely on it 100% and also create a redundant backup and restore procedure yourself in diferent clouds, mediums and locations. In practice, we also often experience that customers no longer have original assets from their graphic designers or photographers.

Drupal Core and Module Updates

Drupal releases updates not just for security but also to fix bugs in the platform. These updates can fix issues with website security, functionality, stable versions, improve website speed and address other performance issues. Despite the workload, it is necessary to perform your website's core and module updates regularly for the reasons mentioned. We take care of the current core and module updates and install them via Composer, Drush or manually on Dedicated Servers, Virtual Private Servers, Cloud and Shared Webhosting or Acquia and Pantheon Enterprise Platforms..

What’s next?

The above recommendations are a must for every Drupal project! We are happy to take over the entire to-do list for maintaining your Drupal website. If your Drupal website is the heart of your business, then it's essential that it functions flawlessly at all times. With our dedicated Drupal support and maintenance SLAs, you don't have to worry. Your website is maintained by a team of experienced Drupal experts.