One of the things that we’ve worked hard to create in Backdrop CMS is an improved Editor experience. As a fork of Drupal 7, we inherited the power and flexibility of custom content types, fields, and views from Drupal. But, we also inherited some confusing user interfaces that sometimes frustrate and discourage site editors. While Backdrop CMS has implemented a number of changes that we think improve the editor experience, there is still a great deal of room for improvement. 

This article lists some of the things that you can do through the use of custom configuration or contributed modules to further improve the editor experience on your Backdrop CMS site.

  1. Customize CKEditor Toolbar (core): Tailor the CKEditor toolbar by removing seldom-used buttons and adding custom styles. A simplified toolbar reduces clutter and helps editors access the most relevant formatting options quickly.

    On new sites, this is most commonly done by editing the Basic text format (previously ‘filtered html’)

    • yoursite.com/admin/config/content/formats/filtered_html.


     

  2. Create Custom Admin Views (core): Some administrative pages are simply views that can be modified to display information tailored to your site's specific needs. Custom views can include additional fields, filters, and sorting options, providing editors with quick access to relevant content.

    Specifically, think about editing these views (or creating new alternatives).

    • Manage Content = `/admin/content`
    • Manage Files = `/admin/content/files` (add preview image of file?)


     

  3. Simplify the Node Edit Form (contrib): The Simplify module allows you to hide unnecessary fields and options on the node edit form, presenting editors with a cleaner interface focused only on essential elements.

    Video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOgw7WdNtYc


     

  4. Organize with Field Group (contrib): The Field Group module is one of the 10 most popular modules for Backdrop CMS and a candidate for future inclusion in core. Utilize the Field Group module to arrange related fields into collapsible sections or tabs. This organization makes complex content types more manageable and intuitive for editors.

  5. Implement Filter Permissions (contrib): For sites with numerous roles and permissions, the Filter Permissions module streamlines the management of user permissions, making it easier to control access and maintain security.


     

  6. Enhance the Dashboard with Dashboard Plus (contrib): Replace the default "Create Content" block with the enhanced “Manage Content” version provided by the Dashboard Plus module. This alternative admin block offers a more user-friendly interface for content creation tasks with quick links to views of content pre-filtered by content type.


     

  7. Develop a User/Editor Guide (contrib): Incorporate a user guide directly into the CMS using the core Book module. Use the User Guide Recipe to quickly configure the outline of an Editor/Admin only user guide that documents how your site was built and is structured. This guide serves as a reference for editors, offering instructions and best practices specific to your site's workflows.


     

  8. Style Paragraphs/Components Field (contrib): If using paragraphs, consider relabeling “paragraphs” (1)  to terms familiar to your editors and applying distinctive styling (e.g., a grey background) (2) to their fields. This visual distinction helps editors easily locate and manage these sections within the node edit form.


     

  9. Explore and implement alternative admin themes (contrib): Just as you can change the front end theme for your site, you can also choose between several alternative admin themes. Be sure to try them out and see if one of the alternatives is a better fit for your site editors.

    1. Gin - Moves vertical tabs to the right and makes them easier to access. Moves some important buttons from bottom of page to top. Uses full width of screen on large monitors.

       


       

    2. Lumi - Comes with dark mode option.


       

    3. Seventy - Does not do much on its own, but makes it easier to sub-theme Seven (the default admin theme) to meet your custom needs.

  10. Editor training and documentation: The simplest and most straightforward option for improving the editor experience is to provide detailed training sessions specific to your site and record them for repeat viewing or to onboard new editors in the future.

    Implementing some of these strategies can significantly improve the editor experience in Backdrop CMS, leading to more efficient content management and a smoother editorial workflow.

Many of these ideas were taken from or inspired by this conversation in the forum. Please, post your own thoughts or experiences to share with others. 

Tim Erickson is the founder of Triplo, an agency specializing in BackdropCMS, Drupal, and Wordpress development. Contact us for help implementing an improved editor experience on your site.

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