Workbench
A framework for simplified content management that provides convenient dashboards and shortcuts for content editors.
workbench
Install
composer require 'drupal/workbench:8.x-1.6'
composer require 'drupal/workbench:8.x-1.4'
Overview
Workbench provides a simplified user interface and an API to integrate other Drupal modules. It serves as a centralized dashboard for content contributors, putting all content management needs in one place. The module helps ease the learning curve for new users by consolidating access to user accounts, content editing, and content creation into a unified interface called "My Workbench".
The module provides a customizable overview page with multiple regions that display Views-based content lists, including the user's profile, their recent edits, and all recent site content. Administrators can configure which Views are displayed in each region of the Workbench pages.
Workbench gains additional features when combined with companion modules like Workbench Access (for content access control) and Content Moderation (for editorial workflow). Together, these modules create a comprehensive editorial system that controls who can access content and provides workflow management to ensure only approved content is published.
Features
- Centralized 'My Workbench' dashboard accessible from the toolbar, providing editors with quick access to their content
- User profile display showing the current user's information, roles, and last visit time
- 'Your most recent edits' view tracking all content the user has edited with revision tracking
- 'Recent content' view showing the latest site-wide content with sortable columns and filters
- 'Create content' page listing available content types the user has permission to create
- Configurable Views-based regions allowing administrators to assign different Views to each dashboard section
- Toolbar integration with a dedicated Workbench menu containing quick links to all Workbench pages
- Workbench information block that can be placed on pages and extended by other modules via hooks
- API hooks for customizing the dashboard content, create page, and information block
- Full content filtering by title, content type, and published status on list pages
- Pagination support with configurable items per page on content lists
- Revision tracking showing both content author and revision author on edited content lists
Use Cases
Editorial Dashboard for News Sites
A news website uses Workbench as the central hub for their editorial team. Reporters access My Workbench to see their recent articles, quickly create new content, and track what they've been working on. Editors can view all recent content to review submissions from the entire team.
Multi-Author Blog Platform
A blog platform with multiple contributors uses Workbench to give each author their personalized workspace. Authors see only their own content in 'Your most recent edits' while having visibility into all published content. This helps authors avoid duplicating topics and stay coordinated.
Corporate Intranet Content Management
A company intranet uses Workbench combined with Workbench Access to allow department heads to manage content for their sections. Each department's content manager sees their recent edits and can quickly create announcements or update department pages.
Educational Institution Website
A university website uses Workbench for faculty members who need to update their course pages and department information. The simplified interface reduces training time as faculty don't need to learn the full Drupal admin interface.
Custom Editorial Workflow Integration
A magazine website implements hook_workbench_content_alter() to add custom Views showing articles in different workflow states (draft, in review, scheduled, published). They also use hook_workbench_block() to display the current issue deadline on every page.
Tips
- Use the configurable Views feature to customize each Workbench region for different user roles by creating role-specific Views
- Implement hook_workbench_block() to display helpful context information like moderation state, content workflow status, or custom editorial messages
- Combine with Workbench Access module for comprehensive editorial access control in multi-section websites
- The 'My edits' page tracks revisions, so it shows content even if the user edited someone else's content - useful for editorial oversight
- Create custom Views with specific filters (e.g., content awaiting review) and assign them to Workbench regions for workflow-specific dashboards
- The Workbench information block can be placed on node view pages to show editors contextual information about the content they're viewing
Technical Details
Admin Pages 5
/admin/config/workflow/workbench
Configuration page for Workbench where administrators can assign Views to each of the five configurable page regions. The overview 'My Workbench' page has three content sections (left, right, and main), while the 'My edits' and 'All recent content' pages have one main section each.
/admin/workbench
The main Workbench dashboard page showing the user's content overview. The page is divided into three regions: a left column (35% width) showing user profile information, a right column (65% width) showing the user's recent edits, and a full-width main section below showing recent site content.
/admin/workbench/create
Page displaying a list of content types the user has permission to create. Each content type is shown with its name and description, linking to the node add form for that type.
/admin/workbench/content/edited
A searchable, paginated list of all content the user has edited. Shows revisions attributed to the current user, allowing them to track their editing history across the site.
/admin/workbench/content/all
A sortable, filterable list of all recent content on the site. Provides editors with a quick way to find and edit any content they have access to.
Permissions 2
Hooks 3
hook_workbench_content_alter
Allows modules to alter the default Workbench landing pages. This hook can be used to replace Views with custom content, add new blocks, or modify existing block configurations on any Workbench page.
hook_workbench_create_alter
Allows modules to alter the Create Content page. This hook can modify the list of content types shown on the page or add additional creation options.
hook_workbench_block
Allows modules to return status information to display in the Workbench information block. Useful for providing debugging information, editorial status, or context-aware messages to editors.
Troubleshooting 5
Ensure the user has the 'Access My Workbench' permission granted to their role. Also verify the user has 'Use the administration toolbar' permission from the Toolbar module.
This is expected for new users. The 'My edits' view shows content where the user made revisions. Start creating or editing content and it will appear in this list.
The 8.x-1.3 release corrected revision tracking. Delete the existing 'Workbench: Edits by user' (workbench_edited) view and reimport by disabling and re-enabling the Workbench module.
Ensure your custom View is enabled. All Views on the site with their displays are listed. The format is 'View name : Display title'.
Verify the user has both the 'Access My Workbench' permission and 'View the administration theme' permission.
Security Notes 3
- The 'Administer Workbench' permission should only be granted to trusted administrators as it allows changing what content is displayed on Workbench pages
- Workbench respects Drupal's node access permissions - users only see content they have permission to view
- The Views displayed in Workbench inherit their access settings, so ensure Views permissions are configured appropriately