Benefits and pitfalls of integrating Drupal into a decoupled, static site build process for VA.gov

In this session we will discuss a bit about why and how we implemented the VA.gov CMS (Drupal 8) as a backend Content API to feed a decoupled, Metalsmith static HTML build and deployment system for the frontend.

We will also reveal some notable challenges that we faced in implementing this piece of the overall architecture of which some were expected and some which weren’t. We’ll discuss how we overcame these challenges, including discussion of tradeoffs that our solutions entailed. Finally, we will share some lessons learned and guidance for other teams who may be considering implementing a decoupled, static HTML frontend + Drupal CMS at other agencies.

Speakers:
Robbie Holmes (RobbieTheGeek) - United States Digital Service (at time of project)
Elijah Lynn (Elijah Lynn) - Agile Six Applications

Slides: https://www.drupalgovcon.org/sites/default/files/session/slides/2020-09/Benefits%20and%20pitfalls%20of%20integrating%20Drupal%20into%20a%20decoupled%2C%20static%20site%20build%20process%20for%20VA.gov_.pdf
Session Details: https://www.drupalgovcon.org/2020/program/sessions/benefits-and-pitfalls-integrating-drupal-decoupled-static-site-build-process

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