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To install Drupal on Google Cloud, create an Ubuntu LTS Compute Engine virtual machine, install a supported web server, PHP runtime, database connection and Composer, then deploy Drupal with composer create-project drupal/recommended-project drupal. Point the web server at Drupal’s web directory, finish the browser installer, and harden the VM with HTTPS, trusted hosts, protected files, restricted firewall rules and backups. The exact VM size and database design depend on traffic and workload; Drupal and Google do not publish one universal configuration for every site.
This guide uses Ubuntu 24.04 LTS as the practical starting image and covers both Apache and Nginx, self-managed or managed databases, and the operational checks needed before production.
What does Drupal need on a Google Cloud server?
Google Cloud supplies the Compute Engine Linux VM; Drupal still requires a compatible operating-system package set, web server, PHP runtime, database and dependency manager. Treat the versions below as a deployment baseline, then verify the requirements for the exact Drupal release and contributed modules you intend to run.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Component | Supported baseline | Deployment implication |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system image | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is generally available in Compute Engine | Use an Ubuntu LTS image for a longer support window and a familiar package ecosystem. |
| PHP | PHP 8.3 or a higher PHP 8 version | Install the version required by your selected Drupal release and its modules, not merely the newest package in a repository. |
| PHP memory | At least 64 MB | Set a higher limit when administration pages, media processing or modules need more memory. |
| Apache | 2.4.7 or newer | Enable URL rewriting and allow Drupal’s .htaccess rules when using Apache. |
| Nginx | 1.1 or newer | Implement the equivalent front-controller rewrite rules in the server block; Nginx does not read .htaccess. |
| MySQL | 8.0 or newer | Use a supported release and create a separate least-privilege Drupal account. |
| MariaDB | 10.6 or newer | Confirm compatibility with the Drupal release and enabled modules. |
| PostgreSQL | 16 or newer | Install the matching PHP PostgreSQL extension and test the connection before the web installer. |
| SQLite | 3.45 or newer | Useful for a small evaluation or low-concurrency site; protect the database file and choose a writable private location. |
| Composer for Drupal 11 | 2.7.0 or newer | Use Composer to create and update the project rather than copying an unmanaged archive. |
| Composer for Drupal 12 | 2.9.3 recommended | Check the current Drupal Composer guidance when Drupal 12 is your target. |
Drupal’s documented minimum PHP memory limit is 64 MB, but a production site often needs more headroom. The correct value depends on enabled modules, image styles, import jobs and concurrent administration requests; measure those workloads instead of treating the minimum as a performance target.
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Which Google Cloud VM should you choose for Drupal?
Start with a Compute Engine VM running Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, then size CPU, memory and persistent disk from observed workload. There is no Drupal-specific Google Cloud size that is correct for every site, and neither Drupal nor Google publishes a universal CPU, RAM or monthly-cost recommendation.
Choose the VM around workload
- A development or evaluation site can begin with a small general-purpose VM and a modest persistent disk, provided you monitor memory and disk usage.
- A content site with several editors, image styles and scheduled jobs needs more memory and CPU headroom than a nearly static brochure site.
- Search indexing, large imports, image transformations and many simultaneous visitors can create short CPU or memory spikes even when average usage is low.
- Keep the database on the VM only when you accept the patching, backup and recovery work. A managed database can move those responsibilities away from the web server but requires private networking, authentication and connection planning.
Decide how the VM is exposed
During initial setup, allow HTTP only when you need temporary access for testing or the first configuration. For production, restrict ingress to required ports, normally SSH administration from approved sources and web traffic on HTTPS, with HTTP used only for an intentional redirect or certificate-validation flow.
How do you create and prepare the Compute Engine VM?
Create the VM first, then establish an administrative workflow that does not rely on password-based SSH. Ubuntu images on Google Cloud disable SSH password authentication in the guest image, so use key-based or identity-aware access through the supported Google Cloud connection methods.
- Open Compute Engine. In Google Cloud Console, open Compute Engine and choose Create instance.
- Select the image. Choose Ubuntu 24.04 LTS. Keep the machine family and size appropriate to your expected workload rather than copying a size from an unrelated tutorial.
- Choose storage. Attach persistent storage sized for the operating system, Drupal code, uploaded files, logs and database growth. Leave room for snapshots or export workflows; a full disk can stop PHP, the database and logging at the same time.
- Configure network access. Allow HTTP only if it is needed for an initial test. Plan HTTPS and firewall rules before publishing a real domain.
- Connect over SSH. Use the console’s SSH action or your approved key-based method. Do not create a routine workflow around a root password.
- Patch immediately. Refresh package metadata and apply security updates before installing the application stack. Reboot if the package manager indicates that a restart is required, then reconnect and confirm the VM is healthy.
- Create an administrative workflow. Use a named administrative account with
sudo, keep the default access path documented, and reserve direct root use for recovery tasks.
Record the VM’s internal and external addressing, zone, service account choices and disk attachments. Those details determine how the database, backups, DNS and monitoring will be configured later.
How do you install the Drupal web and PHP stack?
Install either Apache or Nginx, PHP 8.3 or newer as required by the chosen Drupal release, the PHP extensions required by Drupal core and your modules, and Composer 2.7 or newer for Drupal 11. Package names vary between Ubuntu repositories and PHP installation methods, so verify the current Ubuntu packages and the release-specific Drupal requirements instead of blindly copying an older command list.
Apache approach
Apache is familiar to administrators who want per-directory configuration and Drupal’s documented .htaccess behavior. Enable the rewrite functionality, make sure the virtual host permits the Drupal rules, and use the PHP integration supported by your chosen PHP version. The virtual host’s document root must be Drupal’s web directory, not the project root.
Nginx approach
Nginx can serve static files efficiently and is commonly paired with PHP-FPM. Configure the server block to send PHP requests to the matching PHP-FPM socket or upstream and route non-file requests to Drupal’s front controller. Because Nginx does not process .htaccess, every rewrite and access rule needed by Drupal must be expressed in the server configuration.
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Verify the runtime before installing Drupal
- Confirm the command-line PHP version is the same major and minor version used by the web server’s PHP handler.
- Check that required extensions for the selected Drupal release and database driver are enabled.
- Confirm the PHP memory limit is at least 64 MB and raise it if your workload requires more.
- Verify that PHP-FPM, Apache or Nginx starts automatically after a reboot.
- Inspect the web server and PHP logs while requesting a test page so configuration errors are found before the Drupal installer.
How do you install Composer and create the Drupal project?
Composer should own Drupal core and contributed-package dependencies. Drupal documentation states that installation and updates should be performed with the Composer dependency manager. Install Composer for the deployment user, verify its version, and keep the project files under a controlled application directory rather than in a temporary shell location.
For Drupal 11, use Composer 2.7.0 or newer. Drupal 12 guidance recommends Composer 2.9.3. Check the current release documentation if your target changes, because Composer and PHP support move with Drupal versions.
Run the core project command as the deployment user:
composer create-project drupal/recommended-project drupalThe command creates a project directory named drupal. The public files belong in its web subdirectory, while Composer metadata and other non-public files remain above the document root. This separation prevents accidental exposure of dependency manifests, configuration files and scripts.
Do not edit downloaded core files directly. Change dependencies and contributed packages through Composer, review the resulting lock file, test the update, and deploy the complete project consistently across environments.
How do you configure Apache or Nginx to serve Drupal?
Point the site configuration at the project’s web directory and make the server pass clean URLs to Drupal’s front controller. A correct document root is one of the most important installation details: pointing at the project root can expose files that should remain private, while pointing at the wrong directory produces missing styles, 404 errors or installer failures.
Apache checklist
- Create a virtual host for the domain or temporary VM address.
- Set
DocumentRootto the absolute path ending in/drupal/web. - Enable rewrite support.
- Allow the Drupal
.htaccessrules for that directory with the appropriate override and access settings. - Assign ownership and permissions so the deployment user can update code while the web process can write only to intended files directories.
- Reload Apache and test both the home page and a clean URL before opening the browser installer.
Nginx checklist
- Create a server block whose root ends in
/drupal/web. - Set the index to Drupal’s front controller and route requests that are not real files or directories to it.
- Pass PHP scripts to the PHP-FPM service for the exact PHP version installed.
- Deny access to sensitive project files and directories that should never be downloaded.
- Reload Nginx, validate the configuration, and test a clean URL and a PHP response.
Use a temporary IP address only for setup. Before production, map the domain to the VM or load balancer, install HTTPS, and test redirects, canonical URLs and trusted-host settings.
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How do you create and connect the Drupal database?
Create a dedicated database and least-privilege user, then record the host, database name, username and password securely. The database can run on the VM or on a managed database service; the latter changes the network and maintenance design but not the values Drupal asks for during installation.
- Choose a supported engine and version: MySQL 8.0+, MariaDB 10.6+, PostgreSQL 16+ or SQLite 3.45+.
- Create an empty database using the character-set and collation guidance for that engine and Drupal release.
- Create a user used only by this Drupal site and grant it the privileges required to create and alter the site’s tables.
- Restrict database network access to the application path. Do not expose a database port publicly when a private network route is available.
- Test authentication from the Drupal VM before opening the browser installer.
- Store credentials in a password manager or secret-management system, not in shell history, tickets or source control.
For SQLite, the database is a file rather than a network service. Put it where the web process can use it but visitors cannot download it, and include the file in a tested backup plan.
How do you run Drupal’s browser installer?
Once the web server, PHP handler and database are reachable, visit the domain or VM address in a browser. The installer writes the site’s initial settings and creates the first maintenance account.
- Choose a profile. Select the installation profile that matches the site’s purpose. The available choices can vary with the Drupal distribution or project you deployed.
- Choose language and regional settings. Set the default language, time zone and other regional values deliberately; changing them later may not repair content that was created with the original assumptions.
- Enter database details. Supply the database type, host, name, username and password you created. Use the correct port or socket behavior for the selected engine.
- Let Drupal build the site. The installer creates the schema and writes the initial configuration. Watch the web server, PHP and database logs if the page reports an error.
- Create the maintenance account. Use a unique administrator name and a long, unique password. This account controls configuration, modules, updates and user permissions.
- Set the site identity. Enter the site name, administrative email and notification settings. Use an address that is monitored because Drupal sends operational messages there.
- Sign in and verify. Check the status report, create a test page, upload a test image, and confirm clean URLs and email behavior before handing the site to editors.
What security settings should you apply before production?
A successful installer is not a production deployment. Apply the following controls while the VM is still easy to change.
- Trusted hosts: configure Drupal’s trusted-host protection for the real domain names and expected host patterns. This prevents requests with unexpected host headers from being accepted as the site.
- HTTPS: obtain and renew a certificate, redirect plain HTTP when appropriate, and verify that administrative pages and authenticated cookies are delivered over HTTPS.
- Private and temporary files: place private and temporary directories outside the public web root or protect them with the documented server rules. Confirm that a direct URL cannot retrieve a private upload.
- Least privilege: give the web process write access only where Drupal needs it, while keeping code and Composer files controlled by the deployment account.
- Firewall: allow only required ingress. Remove temporary testing rules after DNS and HTTPS are working.
- Updates: keep Ubuntu, PHP, the web server, database engine, Drupal core and contributed packages patched. Test Composer updates before applying them to production.
- Logging: retain web server, PHP, Drupal and database logs long enough to investigate failures, and alert on repeated errors rather than collecting logs without review.
- Backups: back up both the database and uploaded files, keep copies outside the VM, and perform a restoration test. A VM snapshot alone does not prove that a Drupal site can be recovered cleanly.
- Administrative access: use key-based or identity-aware SSH, named accounts and
sudo; disable unused accounts and review access regularly.
Should you use one VM, a managed database or multiple instances?
The single-VM pattern is the simplest starting point, but it is not automatically the right production architecture. Compare responsibility, failure impact and scaling needs before committing.
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|---|---|---|---|
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| Multiple application instances behind a load balancer | Improves availability and provides a path to horizontal scaling | Requires shared or durable storage, coordinated deployments, session strategy, health checks and more monitoring | Higher-traffic or availability-sensitive services |
Google’s PHP-on-Compute-Engine guidance demonstrates a single-instance pattern in which a startup script installs PHP, Nginx, Composer, application dependencies and logging. That pattern is useful for repeatable provisioning, but adapt its package names and PHP assumptions to the current Ubuntu image and Drupal release instead of copying an older tutorial unchanged.
How do you maintain Drupal after installation?
Maintenance is a repeatable deployment process, not a one-time upload. Keep the Composer project, lock file and environment-specific settings under version control, and make changes in a test environment before production.
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- Review Drupal security advisories and Ubuntu package updates on a defined schedule.
- Take a database and files backup before a core or module update.
- Run Composer updates using the project’s supported PHP and Composer versions.
- Review dependency changes and run automated or manual checks for login, content editing, file uploads, clean URLs, cron tasks and email.
- Deploy the tested project and run Drupal database updates using the documented administrative or command-line procedure for your release.
- Clear caches when the update process requires it, then inspect the status report and logs.
- Record the deployed commit, database backup and rollback procedure.
Monitor disk space, memory, CPU, PHP-FPM or Apache worker saturation, database connections, response errors and scheduled-task failures. Capacity decisions should come from those measurements and traffic patterns rather than from a generic VM recommendation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What commonly fails during a Google Cloud Drupal installation?
The browser shows a 404 for clean URLs
Check that the document root is the Drupal web directory and that Apache rewrite support or the equivalent Nginx front-controller rule is active. Review the virtual host or server block loaded by the web server, not only the file you intended to edit.
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Confirm the extension is installed for the PHP version used by the web request, not just for a different command-line PHP binary. Restart PHP-FPM or the web server after enabling it and recheck the Drupal requirements page.
Drupal cannot connect to the database
Test the credentials from the VM, verify the database host and port, inspect firewall and private-network routes, and confirm that the database user is allowed to connect from the VM’s source address. For a managed database, check the service’s authorized network and TLS requirements.
Styles or uploaded files fail after installation
Inspect permissions and ownership on the public files directory, verify that the configured files path exists, and check that the web process can write only to the intended directory. Do not solve a permission error by making the entire project world-writable.
The site works by IP but not by domain
Verify the DNS record points to the current public endpoint, wait for the record’s TTL to expire, and configure the domain in the web server’s host matching and Drupal trusted-host settings. Re-test HTTPS after DNS resolves correctly.
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The VM becomes slow or runs out of memory
Check memory pressure, PHP worker counts, database activity, cron jobs, logs and disk space. Increase resources or separate the database only after identifying the bottleneck; a larger VM does not correct a runaway process, an unbounded log or an inefficient query.
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What is the recommended installation sequence?
Use this order so each layer is testable before the next one depends on it:
- Compute Engine VM with Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
- SSH access, operating-system patches and administrative accounts
- Apache or Nginx, supported PHP and required extensions
- Composer at the version required by the Drupal release
- Composer-created Drupal project with the web root isolated at
web - Database engine or managed database, least-privilege credentials and network access
- Web-server rewrite and PHP-handler configuration
- Drupal browser installer and maintenance account
- Trusted hosts, protected directories, HTTPS, firewall restrictions, backups and monitoring
- Composer-based update and recovery workflow
This sequence follows Drupal’s supported deployment model while leaving VM sizing, database placement and scaling decisions open to the site’s measured workload.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Drupal run on a Google Cloud VM without a domain name?
Yes. You can complete initial installation through the VM’s external address, which is useful for testing. Before inviting users, move to a stable domain, configure that hostname in the web server and Drupal trusted-host settings, and enable HTTPS.
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Is SQLite suitable for a production Drupal site?
SQLite meets the documented version baseline, but its file-based design is better suited to small or low-concurrency workloads. Sites with many simultaneous writes, editors or scheduled jobs should evaluate a server database and test backup restoration under realistic traffic.
How can I automate a repeatable Drupal VM build?
Google’s PHP-on-Compute-Engine example uses a startup script to install the runtime, Composer, dependencies and logging. Adapt that pattern to the current Ubuntu repositories, Drupal PHP requirements and your own secret-management process, then test the script by rebuilding a disposable VM.
What should be backed up for a Drupal recovery?
Back up the Drupal database, uploaded files and the Composer project configuration needed to recreate the codebase. Keep copies outside the VM and perform an actual restore test, because a machine snapshot by itself does not demonstrate that the application can be recovered.
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