Getting Started with Drupal Administration

Adding Content

This section introduces site administration for new Drupal 8 users. It covers using the admin account and offers tips on where to start.

Understanding the Admin Account

At the end of installation, the person who set up the site is automatically logged in with the administrator account. This account is known as “User 1.” The admin account automatically receives all privileges for managing content and administering the site, so keeping User 1 secure is critical:

• Do not share this account. Instead, assign permissions to other users by creating accounts and assigning them roles.
• Avoid naming the first account "admin" or something easily guessable.
• For greater security, site admins can consider limiting or disabling access to the User 1 account altogether.

Where to Begin

Site administrators typically begin by checking the following areas on a new Drupal site.

Check Your Site's Status

Open the Status report via Menu > Reports > Status report (admin/reports/status) to review your site’s current condition. This includes checking the Drupal version, database version, PHP version, memory limits, web server info, and security warnings. Items with a red background need urgent attention—such as required core/module updates or an unprotected settings.php file (see What permissions does Drupal need? for more details). The status page also shows the last time cron was run, which should occur regularly.

Configure Site Information

Navigate to Menu > Configuration > System > Basic site settings (admin/config/system/site-information) to define basic site info like the name, slogan, admin email, and default homepage path.

User Management

Open the People page via Menu > People (admin/people) to add or manage users. Click the “Permissions” tab to manage user roles and permissions. To configure how user registrations are handled, go to Menu > Configuration > People > Account settings (admin/config/people/account).
Learn more about users, roles, and permissions.

Add More Functionality

Extend your site’s capabilities by enabling modules. The standard installation includes modules ready to be enabled, and you can also download community-contributed ("contrib") modules.
Go to Menu > Extend (admin/modules) to manage modules.
Additional modules are available from the Modules section on Drupal.org.
Learn more about installing contributed modules.

Search Functionality

The search module helps users find content on your site. You can search for users or specific terms. From the “Content” tab, you can search text shown in default node displays, including CCK fields, location fields, taxonomy, comments, etc. From the “Users” tab, you can search for usernames and, with permission, user email addresses.
Learn more about using Search

Customize the Site Appearance

Visit Menu > Appearance (admin/appearance) to modify the look of your site by installing or configuring themes. Drupal ships with a few default themes. You can create a custom theme or browse community themes on Drupal.org.
Learn more about theming in Drupal.

Manage Site Structure

Go to Menu > Structure (admin/structure) to manage your site's content types, block layouts, menus, taxonomies, views, display modes, and contact forms. Drupal includes basic structural components by default.
Learn more about Drupal site structure.