How to Install Drupal in 2025?

In 2025, Drupal continues to be a leading content management system known for its flexibility and customizability. Whether you're setting up a personal blog or a large-scale enterprise site, understanding how to install Drupal is the first crucial step. This guide provides detailed instructions to help you successfully install Drupal and get your website up and running.

Prerequisites

Before installing Drupal, ensure you meet the following prerequisites:

• Web Hosting: Choose a reliable and compatible hosting provider. For recommendations, check out the best platforms for hosting Drupal.
• PHP: Version 8.1 or higher.
• Database: MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.3.7+ for optimal performance.
• Web Server: Apache, Nginx, or IIS with mod_php or PHP-FPM.

Steps to Install Drupal

Step 1: Download Drupal

1. Visit the official Drupal website to download the latest stable release.
2. Extract the downloaded archive to a directory on your server, usually within the web root directory (e.g., /var/www/html).

Step 2: Set Up the Database

1. Log into your database management tool (e.g., phpMyAdmin or MySQL CLI).
2. Create a new database for your Drupal site:

CREATE DATABASE drupaldb;

1. Create a database user and assign privileges:

CREATE USER 'drupaluser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'securepassword';
   GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON drupaldb.* TO 'drupaluser'@'localhost';
   FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

Step 3: Configure the Web Server

• Apache: Enable the mod_rewrite module and AllowOverrides:

a2enmod rewrite

Update .htaccess if necessary.

• Nginx: Ensure your server block configures PHP appropriately.

Step 4: Install Drupal

1. Navigate to the Drupal directory in your web browser (e.g., http://yourdomain.com).
2. Follow the interactive installation script.
3. When prompted, enter the database details.
   • Database Name: drupaldb
   • Database User: drupaluser
   • Password: securepassword
4. Complete the installation and configure the basic site settings, like admin account details and site name.

Step 5: Set File Permissions

Ensure Drupal can read and write necessary files:

chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/drupal
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/drupal

Next Steps: Customizing Your Drupal Site

Once you've successfully installed Drupal, consider exploring the following to customize your site:

• Set Up a Theme: Customize the look of your site by installing a Drupal theme. For a step-by-step guide, check out this article on Drupal theme setup.
• Add Content Types: Tailor content management to your needs by adding new content types. Learn more in this detailed guide on how to add new content types in Drupal.

Conclusion

Installing Drupal in 2025 remains a straightforward process when following these steps. With your site installed, you can now delve into building rich, dynamic content. Customize themes, add content types, and explore the vast collection of modules to enhance functionality. Enjoy your journey with Drupal and stay ahead in web development.