---
title: "Drupal"
description: "A full FlowDrop backend shipped as a Drupal module — node definitions, workflow storage, execution, and triggers."
source: https://flowdrop.io/docs/drupal
site: FlowDrop documentation
---
# Drupal
The **Drupal server implementation** is a complete FlowDrop backend packaged as a
Drupal module. It serves node definitions, stores workflows as configuration
entities, runs executions, and authenticates requests — everything the
[frontend–backend contract](/concepts/what-is-a-workflow#the-frontend-backend-contract)
expects, integrated with the entities, users, and content you already have.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Project on Drupal.org" icon="drupal" href="https://www.drupal.org/project/flowdrop">
    The official module page — releases, downloads, and the issue queue.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Full Drupal documentation" icon="book" href="https://project.pages.drupalcode.org/flowdrop/">
    Installation, node reference, execution modes, triggers, and developer
    guides on the canonical Drupal docs site.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How it maps to FlowDrop

Everything you learned in [Concepts](/concepts/what-is-a-workflow) carries over —
the Drupal module is the backend that gives those workflows meaning:

| FlowDrop concept | In the Drupal server |
| ---------------- | -------------------- |
| Node definitions (`GET /nodes`) | 25+ built-in node processors (data, control flow, entity operations, HTTP, AI), defined as PHP plugins |
| Workflow storage | Workflows are Drupal **configuration entities** — exportable to YAML, versionable in git, deployable with `drush cex/cim` |
| Execution | Runs every workflow the editor produces, recording results per node |
| Authentication | Standard Drupal permissions and session/token auth behind an `AuthProvider` |

## What it adds on top

Beyond the core contract, the Drupal server brings backend-side capabilities the
editor surfaces but does not itself implement:

- **Execution modes** — Synchronous (in-request), Asynchronous (queue-based
  background), and StateGraph (checkpointed, resumable).
- **Triggers** — start workflows automatically on entity changes, user events,
  or cron.
- **Human-in-the-loop** — pause execution for confirmations, choices, or
  free-text input.
- **Pipelines and jobs** — every run produces a pipeline record with one job per
  node for monitoring and debugging.
- **Node Types** — pre-set node variants site builders configure without code.
- **Port shapes** — name a domain data type (`Order`, `User`), give it a JSON
  Schema, and every port carrying it gets a color, a badge, compatibility
  gating, and field-level template autocomplete. Declared in code by a module or
  in the UI by a site builder, and served to the editor as a
  [data type schema](/concepts/port-system#data-type-schemas).

## Get started

The Drupal docs site is the source of truth for setup and reference:

- [Get the module on Drupal.org →](https://www.drupal.org/project/flowdrop)
- [Install FlowDrop on Drupal →](https://project.pages.drupalcode.org/flowdrop/getting-started/installation/)
- [Node reference →](https://project.pages.drupalcode.org/flowdrop/guide/nodes/)
- [Execution modes →](https://project.pages.drupalcode.org/flowdrop/guide/execution-modes/)
- [Developer guide (custom node processors, triggers, orchestrators) →](https://project.pages.drupalcode.org/flowdrop/development/flowdrop-node-processor/)