Claude Code and Drupal: 5 tips

AI coding tools didn't just arrive—they detonated. Like fire, they offer unlimited creative potential wrapped in the very real threat of burning your entire project to the ground.

Welcome to the era of "vibe coding," where your auntie's launching her Uber Eats/Xero SaaS hybrid and somehow it actually works. The internet is drowning in hand-wringing articles about AI-coded apps flooding the market, but here's what they're missing: the real culprit isn't the AI—it's the seductive ease of use that tricks developers into thinking they can skip the fundamentals.

Enter Claude Code, Anthropic's CLI coding assistant. I've been wrestling with this beast for months on complex Drupal projects, and I've learned something crucial: there's a razor-thin line between AI-assisted brilliance and spectacular failure.

The difference? Five non-negotiable strategies that separate developers who actually ship robust Drupal solutions from those who create beautiful disasters. Whether you're architecting custom modules, battling theme implementations, or building enterprise-grade Drupal architectures, these approaches will determine whether Claude Code becomes your secret weapon or your worst nightmare.

1. Proper Context Awareness: Feed Claude Code the Right Information

The foundation of successful Claude Code usage lies in providing comprehensive context. Claude Code is incredibly powerful, but it's only as good as the information you provide.

Why Context Matters in Drupal

Drupal's complexity – with its hooks, APIs, configuration management, and architectural patterns – means Claude Code needs extensive context to generate accurate, standards-compliant code.

Practical Example: Custom Module Development

Bad approach:

Create a module that tracks user activity

Good approach:

Create a custom Drupal 10 module called 'activity_tracker' that:
- Uses the existing User entity
- Integrates with the current theme (Olivero-based custom theme)
- Stores activity in a custom entity with fields: user_id, activity_type, timestamp, page_url
- Follows Drupal coding standards
- Uses dependency injection for database operations
- Includes proper .info.yml, .routing.yml, and .module files

Current site structure:
- Drupal 10.2
- Custom content types: Article, Event, Product
- Active modules: Views, Panels, Webform
- Custom theme based on Olivero

Context-Building Strategy

Include these things in a CLAUDE.md file. These are read at the start of every prompt.

Always provide:

• Drupal version and relevant module versions
• Existing site architecture (content types, custom modules, themes)
• Coding standards PSR-4, Drupal
• Integration requirements with existing functionality
• Performance considerations (caching, database optimization)

Pro Tip: Include file paths/directories for claude code to inspect before sending off an actionable prompt.

2. Use Drupal Console Commands: Let Claude Code Navigate Your Environment

Drupal Console is Claude Code's best friend when working with Drupal projects. Instead of describing your environment, let Claude Code explore it directly.

The Power of Direct Exploration

Claude Code can execute Drupal Console commands to understand your project structure, configuration, and dependencies in real-time.

Practical Example: Understanding Entity Structure

Instead of manually describing your content types:

# Let Claude Code run these commands
drush entity:info
drush config:get core.entity_form_display.node.article.default
drush config:get core.entity_view_display.node.article.default

This gives Claude Code precise information about:

• Field configurations
• Display settings
• Form modes
• View modes

Essential Commands for Claude Code

Entity and Content Analysis:

drush entity:info
drush config:export --destination=/tmp/config-export
drush field:info

Module and Theme Discovery:

drush pm:list --status=enabled
drush theme:list

Database and Performance Insights:

drush cache:rebuild
drush updatedb:status

Real-World Workflow Example

When asking Claude Code to create a custom field formatter:

Initial context - drush field:info node.article
Theme integration - drush theme:list and ls web/themes/custom/
Existing formatters - drush config:get core.entity_view_display.node.article.default

This approach ensures Claude Code generates code that perfectly integrates with your existing setup.

3. Use External Resources: Link Screenshots and Documentation

Claude Code can analyze screenshots and external webpages to better understand your requirements. This visual and contextual approach helps generate more accurate code that matches your exact needs.

Screenshot Analysis

Upload screenshots of designs, mockups, or existing interfaces to help Claude Code understand:

Design Implementation:

Create a custom block that matches this design (attach screenshot):
- Match the exact layout and spacing
- Use the same color scheme and typography
- Implement responsive behavior as shown
- Follow existing CSS framework patterns

Error Reproduction:

Fix this bug shown in the screenshot (attach error screenshot):
- Analyze the error message and context
- Identify the problematic UI elements
- Understand the expected vs actual behavior

External Documentation Integration

Link to external resources like API documentation, design systems, or implementation guides:

API Integration:

Build a payment integration following this documentation:
https://stripe.com/docs/api/payment_intents

Requirements:
- Follow the webhook patterns in section 4.2
- Use the error handling examples from the troubleshooting guide
- Implement the retry logic as described

Design System Implementation:

Create components following this style guide:
https://design-system.example.com/components

- Use the button variants shown in the component library
- Follow the spacing and typography guidelines
- Implement accessibility patterns as documented

This approach ensures Claude Code has complete visual and technical context for more accurate implementations.

4. Pay Attention to the Details: Code Quality and Drupal Standards

Claude Code can generate functional code quickly, but maintaining code quality requires attention to Drupal-specific details and best practices.

Critical Details Checklist

Security Considerations:

// Always validate and sanitize input
$input = $form_state->getValue('user_input');
$safe_input = Html::escape($input);

// Use proper access controls
$access_result = $this->currentUser->hasPermission('access custom feature');

// Sanitize database queries
$query = $this->database->select('custom_table', 't')
  ->fields('t')
  ->condition('user_id', $user_id, '=')
  ->execute();

Performance Details:

// Cache expensive operations
$cache_key = 'custom_module:user_data:' . $user_id;
$cached_data = $this->cache->get($cache_key);

if (!$cached_data) {
  $data = $this->expensiveOperation();
  $this->cache->set($cache_key, $data, time() + 3600, ['user:' . $user_id]);
}

Practical Example: Custom Block Plugin

When asking Claude Code to create a custom block, specify these details:

Create a custom block plugin that displays recent user activity with these requirements:

DRUPAL STANDARDS:
- Follow PSR-4 autoloading
- Use proper docblocks with @return, @param annotations
- Implement ConfigurableBlockBase
- Include schema.yml file for configuration
- Add proper access control

PERFORMANCE:
- Cache block output for 15 minutes
- Use lazy loading for user avatars
- Implement cache tags for automatic invalidation

INTEGRATION:
- Use current theme's card component styling
- Integrate with site's existing user profile system
- Support responsive design (show 5 items desktop, 3 mobile)

SECURITY:
- Sanitize all user-generated content
- Check 'view user profiles' permission
- Use CSRF-protected AJAX for load-more functionality

CONFIGURATION:
- Admin can set number of items to display (5-20)
- Option to show/hide user avatars
- Choice of activity types to display

Code Review Prompts

Always ask Claude Code to review generated code for:

1. Drupal coding standards compliance
2. Security vulnerabilities (XSS, SQL injection, access control)
3. Performance implications (N+1 queries, unnecessary processing)
4. Accessibility compliance (ARIA labels, semantic HTML)
5. Mobile responsiveness

5. Exit Early: Know When to Stop and Optimize

One of the most valuable skills in AI-assisted development is knowing when you've achieved your goal and when to resist over-engineering.

The Early Exit Strategy

Claude Code can generate increasingly complex solutions if you keep asking for "improvements." Learning to recognize when you have a working, maintainable solution prevents scope creep and over-complexity.

Practical Example: Feature Completion

Good stopping point:

// Simple, working solution
class CustomUserDashboard extends ControllerBase {
  
  public function view() {
    $user_data = $this->getUserData();
    
    return [
      '#theme' => 'custom_dashboard',
      '#data' => $user_data,
      '#cache' => [
        'contexts' => ['user'],
        'max-age' => 3600,
      ],
    ];
  }
}

Over-engineered version to avoid:

// Unnecessarily complex for basic requirements
class AdvancedUserDashboardWithConfigurableWidgetsAndPluginArchitecture extends ConfigurableControllerBase implements ContainerInjectionInterface, CacheableDependencyInterface {
  // 200+ lines of abstraction for a simple dashboard
}

Decision Framework: When to Exit Early

Exit when you have: ✅ Working functionality that meets requirements ✅ Proper error handling for expected scenarios
✅ Basic security measures in place ✅ Reasonable performance (sub-second response times) ✅ Code that follows Drupal standards

Don't continue adding: ❌ Premature optimizations for non-existent performance issues ❌ Over-abstraction for requirements that don't exist ❌ Complex configuration systems for simple use cases ❌ Extensive customization options nobody requested

Practical Exit Example: Custom Field Widget

Request: "Create a custom field widget for selecting colors"

Good exit point:

• Working color picker widget
• Saves hex color values correctly
• Integrates with Drupal's field API
• Basic styling that matches admin theme
• Proper validation

Resist adding without specific need:

• Color palette management system
• Advanced color harmony algorithms
• Complex configuration forms
• Integration with design system APIs

Conclusion: The Future of Drupal Development

Claude Code represents a paradigm shift in how we approach Drupal development. By following these five strategies – proper context awareness, leveraging Drupal Console, being specific, attending to details, and exiting early – you'll transform your development workflow.

The key is remembering that Claude Code is a powerful assistant, not a replacement for developer judgment. Use it to handle the heavy lifting of code generation, research, and problem-solving, while you focus on architecture decisions, business logic, and ensuring the final solution serves your users effectively.

As Drupal continues to evolve with initiatives like Drupal CMS and Experience Builder, having Claude Code as part of your development toolkit will become increasingly valuable.