Automatically Deploying Drupal Projects with GitHub Actions (Modules, Themes & Config)

When working with Drupal, deployment goes beyond simply uploading modules or themes. Unlike other CMS platforms, Drupal relies heavily on configuration management, Composer dependencies, and database updates. In this guide, I'll show you how to automatically deploy a Drupal project using GitHub Actions, including custom modules, themes, and configuration changes. Understanding Drupal Deployment Before jumping into automation, it's important to understand how Drupal handles deployments. A Drupal application consists of: Codebase (modules, themes, core) Dependencies (managed via Composer) Configuration (stored in /config/sync) Database updates This means deployment is not just copying files, it's a controlled process that ensures consistency across environments. Project Structure A typical Drupal project looks like this: /web /modules/custom /themes/custom /config/sync composer.json Our custom work (modules/themes) lives inside /web, but everything is orchestrated through Composer and co