Flowpane for Drupal
Flowpane for Drupal is a Drupal module that connects a Drupal Site to Flowpane, so that what Drupal intends and what the public website serves can be read side by side. Drupal spreads its machine-readable output across core, contributed modules and the web server; the module tells Flowpane which of them is in charge of each output, while Flowpane continues to check the public Site independently.
What it brings
- Know which module owns each output: whether robots.txt is Drupal's scaffolded file or the RobotsTxt module, whether sitemaps come from Simple XML Sitemap or XML Sitemap, and whether Metatag shapes indexing directives.
- Every published page, in every language: the public content Drupal publishes, each translation with its URL alias, so Flowpane's view of the Site matches Drupal's own.
- Changes as they happen: publishing, updating or unpublishing content is recorded as it happens, so Flowpane stays current without re-reading the whole Site.
- A secure, recoverable connection: keys sealed with your Site's own secret, signed contact in both directions, and a clear recovery path after a restore.
- The Flowpane-managed sitemap, applied with approval through Managed changes, alongside the sitemaps your Site already serves.
The module sends addresses, dates and settings, never your content, and installing it does not change your Site's score.
Guides
- How it works: how Drupal core and its modules produce robots.txt, sitemaps, URL aliases and indexing directives, and what the module adds.
Requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Drupal | 11.3.19 or a later Drupal 11 release |
| PHP | 8.3 or later, with the sodium extension |
| Database | A database supported by Drupal 11, such as MariaDB |
| Installation | Served over HTTPS at the root of the Site's address |
| Key protection | Drupal's hash salt, or $settings['flowpane_key_secret'] of at least 32 characters, kept outside the database |
| Background tasks | Drupal's regular background tasks configured, as for any production Drupal Site |
Install and connect
- Back up the Site.
- In Flowpane, open the Site's Settings → Integrations page and download Flowpane for Drupal. Flowpane checks the package's size and fingerprint before it is offered.
- Unpack the module into
web/modules/custom/and enable flowpane with Drush or from Extend. When upgrading an earlier installation, rundrush updb. - In Flowpane, choose Connect Drupal, then confirm the connection in Drupal at Configuration → Web services → Flowpane (
/admin/config/services/flowpane) as a user with the Administer the Flowpane connection permission. - Return to Flowpane and confirm the Site shows Connected. The module then sends its first view of the Site's published content.
If you would like help at any step, contact assist@flowpane.com.
Keys, restores and recovery
The module seals its keys with the secret named above, so a database copy alone never reveals them. Keep that secret outside the database and preserve it when you restore or move the Site: restoring the original secret resumes the same connection. If the secret cannot be recovered, use Recover identity in Drupal, confirm the replacement in Flowpane and reconnect.
A restored database never replays an old instruction from Flowpane. A disconnect made in Flowpane reaches Drupal automatically, and uninstalling the module withdraws its output and removes its tables.
Managed changes
Connecting does not give Flowpane permission to change the Site. Where Managed changes is enabled for the Site, the Flowpane-managed sitemap can be approved in Flowpane, applied by the module and checked on the public Site. It is served only at addresses no other part of Drupal already uses, and once published it stays in place exactly as approved until Flowpane withdraws it.
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