Drupal Glossary: The Most Important Terms for Beginners
Last updated: March 2026 · Reading time: 8 minutes
When you first work with Drupal, you encounter terms like "Node," "View," or "Taxonomy." It sounds technical but is quickly understood. This glossary explains the core concepts — without jargon.
Content and Structures
Node. A piece of content in Drupal. Every page, every article, every job listing is a Node. Each Node belongs to a Content Type that defines the available fields.
Content Type. The template for content. A "Article" content type has different fields than an "Event" content type. You define content types without programming.
Field. A single data field: text, image, date, reference. Fields are added to content types and can be reused.
Taxonomy. A classification system with vocabularies and terms. "Categories" is a vocabulary, "Marketing" is a term. Taxonomies structure and filter content.
Block. A reusable content element placed in page regions. Sidebar, footer, header area — blocks make layouts flexible.
Display and Navigation
View. A dynamic list or table that filters and sorts content by criteria. "The latest 10 articles" or "All events in Stuttgart" — those are Views.
Theme. The design of your website. A theme defines HTML, CSS, and templates. It determines how content is displayed.
Region. An area in the theme layout: header, sidebar, content area, footer. Blocks are placed in regions.
Menu. Drupal's navigation system. Menus can be built hierarchically and translated per language.
Technology and Extension
Module. An extension that adds functionality to Drupal. There are Core modules (included) and Contrib modules (from the community). Modules are installed via Composer.
Drush. A command-line tool for Drupal. Clear cache, enable modules, run database updates — Drush speeds up administration.
Composer. The package manager for PHP. Drupal and its modules are installed and updated via Composer.
Entity. The umbrella term for all structured data objects in Drupal: Nodes, Users, Taxonomy Terms, Media, and more.
Planning to Start with Drupal?
arocom offers training for editors and technical teams. The Future Check clarifies whether Drupal fits your requirements. From 2,500 EUR plus VAT, creditable toward the follow-up project.
Do you need programming skills to use Drupal?
No. Editors work with a graphical interface. Content types, Views, and Taxonomies can be configured without code. Programming is needed for custom modules and integrations.
What is the difference between Node and Entity?
Entity is the umbrella term. Node is a specific entity type for content. Users, Taxonomy Terms, and Media are also entities. The entity system ensures they are all treated uniformly.
What is the best way to learn Drupal?
Through practice. Install a local Drupal instance, create content types, and build Views. Drupal's official documentation on drupal.org and arocom training sessions accelerate the learning process.
Read more
- What is Drupal? — Drupal explained
- Drupal Views — Creating dynamic lists
- Installing modules — The practical guide
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