Back-to-Basics: Exploring and leveraging the Drupal Webform module using AI

As the creator and maintainer of the Webform module for Drupal, it has been several years since I last gave a presentation on the Webform module at a DrupalCon or Drupal Camp. I want to return to the basics with the Webform module for newcomers to the community and existing users looking to enhance their Webform skills.

AI is transforming how we learn, build, and maintain existing technologies. Let's revisit our understanding of how to create and manage webforms using AI. I am unsure where this exploration will take us, which is a good thing because we need to start exploring and leveraging AI without expectations. 

For example, below is the session proposal generated by ChatGPT from the prompt "Provide a summary and outline for a back-to-basics Webform module for Drupal presentation using AI." This outline serves as a solid starting point, as we recognize that AI can only take us part of the way and still requires a human touch with some level of expertise. This outline will continue to evolve over the next few months and possibly during the presentation.

Summary

The Webform module is one of Drupal’s most powerful tools for building forms, surveys, and applications. While its feature set can seem overwhelming, AI can help simplify the learning curve and accelerate productivity. This session revisits the fundamentals of the Webform module — installation, form creation, submissions, and notifications — while demonstrating how AI can assist with learning, building, troubleshooting, and best practices. Attendees will gain practical knowledge of Webform basics and discover how AI tools (like ChatGPT) can serve as a companion for their Drupal work.

Outline

1. Introduction: Webform + AI

• What is the Webform module?
• Why “back-to-basics” is important even with advanced features.
• How AI can support Drupal users (site builders, developers, and content editors).

2. Getting Started

• Installing and enabling Webform.
• Setting up roles and permissions.
• AI demo: Ask AI for quick install commands (Composer, Drush).

3. Creating Your First Webform

• Adding a new form.
• Common elements: text, email, radios, checkboxes, select lists.
• AI demo: Prompt AI to generate a form specification (e.g., “Create a student application form with name, email, portfolio upload, and preferred program”).

4. Configuring Behavior

• Required fields, default values, and conditional logic basics.
• Validation settings.
• AI demo: Ask AI to explain conditional logic rules in simple language.

5. Handling Submissions

• Viewing, exporting, and managing submissions.
• Submission limits.
• AI demo: Use AI to generate CSV/Excel cleanup scripts or suggest reporting structures.

6. Notifications & Confirmations

• Setting up email handlers.
• Custom confirmation messages.
• Redirects after submission.
• AI demo: Ask AI to draft email templates (plain-text or HTML).

7. Theming and Accessibility

• Basic styling through the UI.
• Ensuring forms are accessible.
• AI demo: Use AI to review or rewrite form labels and descriptions for clarity and accessibility.

8. Best Practices with an AI Helper

• Keep forms simple and user-focused.
• Plan data collection before building.
• Test forms thoroughly.
• AI support examples:
  • Debugging form errors.
  • Suggesting best-practice configurations.
  • Explaining complex settings in plain language.

9. Next Steps Beyond Basics

• Multi-step forms.
• External integrations (CRMs, Mailchimp, Salesforce).
• Contributed add-ons.
• AI demo: Ask AI for a roadmap to move from basics to advanced Webform usage.

10. Live Q&A / Demo

• Build a simple form (contact or event registration) live.
• Use AI prompts alongside Drupal to speed up setup.
• Show end-to-end flow: create → submit → notify → export.

✅ This version makes AI part of the learning journey, not just an afterthought — showing attendees how they can practically use it while working with Webform.

Would you like me to write out example AI prompts for each section (like a “cheat sheet” attendees could take away)?