Drupal CMS Vocabulary¶
Canonical vocabulary for the modern Drupal CMS approach to building sites, applications, integrations, and AI-enabled experiences. Authority: Thomas @ Bluefly.io · 2026-10-02 Freshness: EVERGREEN (update when Drupal CMS or core vocabulary changes)
Those are six different things.
A Capability is what Drupal can do. A Recipe assembles capabilities. A Component expresses presentation. A Tool makes a capability executable through a typed interface. A Skill tells an Agent how and when to use capabilities/tools. An Intent is what the person was actually trying to accomplish.
That distinction is the new Drupal mental model for building sites, applications, integrations, and AI-enabled experiences.
Definitions¶
Drupal Core¶
Drupal Core is the foundational framework that provides Drupal content model, entity system, fields, access control, configuration management, rendering, caching, routing, users, workflows, APIs, and other fundamental capabilities. Core should be the first place to look for an existing capability before adding contributed or custom code.
Drupal CMS¶
Drupal CMS is an opinionated product built on Drupal Core. Adds Recipes, Site Templates, Drupal Canvas, components, and optional AI-assisted site building while remaining a standard Drupal installation after creation.
Capability¶
A Capability is a functional thing Drupal can do: create content, moderate a revision, send a message, expose data, execute a Tool, generate content with AI, or automate a workflow. Capabilities should be defined independently from the interface, Agent, or workflow consuming them.
Recipe¶
A Recipe is a reusable package of Drupal site configuration and setup instructions. Recipes can install dependencies, apply configuration, invoke configuration actions, and compose other Recipes. Makes repeatable site-building operations declarative.
Component¶
A Component is a reusable unit of user interface with a defined contract: cards, heroes, buttons, accordions, navigation elements, visual building blocks.
Single-Directory Component (SDC)¶
Drupal's component model keeping metadata, Twig markup, CSS, and JS together in one directory. Part of Drupal Core's rendering system.
Tool¶
A Tool is a typed executable capability discoverable and invokable by an Agent, workflow, CLI, integration, or other consumer. Represents the action itself.
Tool API¶
Drupal's typed framework for defining executable capabilities with explicit inputs, outputs, validation, and access control. One Tool definition consumed by AI Agents, MCP, ECA, Drush, PHP, other integrations.
Skill¶
A reusable Procedure describing how an Agent should accomplish a class of Drupal work. Defines method, decision points, required context, relevant Tools, expected evidence. Obtains changing information dynamically rather than embedding it permanently.
MCP (Model Context Protocol)¶
A protocol boundary through which external AI systems discover and invoke exposed capabilities. A connectivity mechanism, NOT the owner of underlying Capability, business rule, access decision, or Tool implementation.
Service¶
A reusable PHP object managed by Drupal's dependency injection container. Should be consumed through dependency injection, NOT global service lookup inside dependency-injectable classes.
ECA (Event-Condition-Action)¶
Drupal's configuration-driven automation system. Allows business workflows to be deployable configuration rather than custom event-subscriber code.
Intent¶
The task expressed from the perspective of the person or Agent trying to accomplish something. Routed to appropriate Capability without requiring knowledge of the implementing module or API.
Intent Routing¶
The mapping of a goal to the appropriate Drupal Capability, Skill, Tool, Recipe, module, or task briefing.
Drupal Task Atlas¶
An intent-oriented routing and context surface connecting a task to the minimum relevant Drupal Claims, Procedures, Capabilities, Tools, ownership information, risks, and authoritative sources. A consumption layer, NOT a competing source of Drupal doctrine.
Modern Drupal Build Order¶
Preferred sequence: Core -> Contrib -> Contrib Configuration -> Recipe / Config Action -> Canvas / SDC -> ECA / FlowDrop -> Drupal AI -> Tool API / MCP -> Existing Extension -> Custom Code
Decision discipline, not a claim every project uses every layer.