Drupal is a powerful open-source content management system (CMS) used by millions of websites, from personal blogs to large enterprise and government platforms. It's great at managing content, but it doesn't come with a built-in community forum or discussion feature.
That's where Website Toolbox comes in. You can embed a fully featured discussion forum directly into your Drupal site, or simply link to your forum from your site's navigation. Either way, you get user accounts, moderation tools, and real-time conversations.
This works really well for:
- SaaS product communities
- Membership organizations
- Customer support forums
- Internal team discussions
- Feedback and feature request boards
- Education and training communities
This step-by-step guide walks you through the process:
Step-by-Step: Add Your Forum
Embed the Forum
- Visit drupal.org and log in to your Drupal site's admin panel. Drupal is self-hosted, so you'll use the administrator account for your own site.
- In the admin toolbar, go to Content and click Add content, then choose Basic page. You can also open an existing page where you want the forum to appear.
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Get your Website Toolbox embed code:
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Go to Integrate Embed → Embed your forum and copy the embed code.
- In the page editor, set the Text format dropdown to Full HTML so the embed code is accepted.
- Paste the Website Toolbox embed code into the page body where you want the forum to appear.
- Click Save at the bottom of the page to publish your changes.
- Copy the URL of your published Forum page.
- Go back to the Website Toolbox Embed section and paste your Drupal Forum page URL into the Where is the forum embedded? field.
Link to the Forum
- Visit drupal.org and log in to your Drupal site's admin panel.
- Go to Structure → Menus, and open the main navigation menu. You can also add the link within a page's content instead.
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Get your Website Toolbox forum URL:
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Copy your forum URL.
- Click Add link in the menu, paste your forum URL into the Link field, and give it a title like Forum.
- Click Save to publish your changes.
Single Sign On
Website Toolbox offers a dedicated Drupal module that provides Single Sign On between your Drupal website and your forum, along with automatic embedding. For full setup details, see our Drupal forum module article.
Alternatively, you can set up Single Sign On directly in your Website Toolbox account:
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account.
- Go to Integrate → Single Sign On.
- Under Your Website Builder, select Drupal from the dropdown.
- Follow the prompts to complete the setup. Our team will handle the integration.
What Your Members Can Do
Once your forum is connected, your members get a full-featured community experience. Website Toolbox includes many more features beyond what's listed here. Visit the Features Tour to see everything that's available.
💬 For Members
- Create and reply to discussion threads
- Like posts
- Upload images and files
- Receive email notifications
- Customize their profile
🛡️ For Admins
- Moderate posts and comments
- Ban users
- Create categories and pin topics
- Customize the forum's appearance
- Manage member permissions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Drupal have a built-in forum feature?
No, Drupal core does not include a native forum or community discussion feature. However, you can easily add a forum to your site using Website Toolbox, either by embedding it directly into a page or by linking to it from your navigation.
Should I embed the forum or link to it?
Both work well. Embedding keeps users on your Drupal site and integrates the forum seamlessly into your page layout. Linking is simpler to set up and opens the forum in its own page, which can be a better experience on mobile devices. Choose whichever fits your workflow.
Can I customize the look of my embedded forum?
Yes. Website Toolbox provides a theme editor with a variety of themes you can choose from to match your Drupal site's design. You can customize colors, fonts, layout settings, and more to create a seamless look.
Can I make the forum private or members-only?
Absolutely. You can restrict forum access to logged-in users, create invite-only communities, or charge for access with subscription plans. Combined with Single Sign On, you can seamlessly connect your Drupal site's user system with the forum.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Drupal lets you add content and blocks through its visual admin interface. Adding the forum is as simple as pasting the embed code into a page set to Full HTML format, or adding a link in your navigation. No coding is required.
Will the forum work on mobile devices?
Yes. Website Toolbox forums are fully responsive and work great on phones, tablets, and desktops. If you embed the forum, the iframe adapts to the container size automatically. Website Toolbox also offers a mobile app so your members can participate from their phones.