Plus Suite

I need to...	Guide	Summary
Understand what Plus Suite is and how it differs from core Layout Builder	Overview	Use Plus Suite when you need a WYSIWYG page builder on top of core Layout Builder with drag-and-drop, inline editing, and nested layouts. Use core Layout Builder when you only need basic block placement via the sidebar form.
Install Plus Suite on a new or existing site	Installation & Setup	Use the DDEV install script for new projects and evaluation. Use manual module installation for existing sites already using Layout Builder.
Understand the module architecture and dependencies	Architecture & Module Map	Reference this when you need to understand which module provides which functionality, or when debugging issues.
Configure Edit Mode and the Navigation+ toolbar	Edit Mode & Navigation+	Use Edit Mode for any content type using Layout Builder where editors need WYSIWYG page building. Disable it for read-only, API-sourced, or admin-form-based content types.
Create custom editing modes	Mode Plugins	Use custom Mode plugins when you need editing modes beyond Edit Mode — e.g., a Preview mode, Help mode, or workflow-specific mode.
Create custom toolbar tools	Tool Plugins	Use custom Tool plugins when you need custom toolbar actions beyond built-in tools — e.g., a color picker, annotation tool, or content validation tool.
Configure promoted blocks in the drag-and-drop sidebar	Place Block & Promoted Blocks	Configure Promoted Blocks to curate the drag-and-drop sidebar. All available blocks still appear under the "Other" tab; promoted blocks are just surfaced first with custom icons.
Work with nested layouts (layout blocks)	Nested Layouts	Use nested layouts when you need blocks-within-blocks as a reusable unit. Use section layouts for simple column arrangements.
Configure inline field editing	Inline Editing	Enable inline editing on fields that editors change frequently. Disable it on computed, read-only, or complex-validation fields.
Understand how unsaved changes are stored	Tempstore Strategy Pattern	Use Tempstore+ when you need workspace-aware temporary storage for entities or layout sections. Do not bypass it with core tempstore directly.
Configure placeholder content for new blocks	Field Sample Value	Configure field sample value generators for every field on every block content type. Without them, blocks appear empty on placement, defeating Plus Suite's "drop and see" UX.
Save and reuse layout sections	Section Library	Use Section Library to save reusable section templates (with all their blocks) that content editors can drag into any page. Skip it for one-off layouts.
Handle media drag-and-drop onto the page	Media Handling	Use desktop drag-and-drop for fast media placement. Configure file associations per user to skip the association modal.
Configure keyboard shortcuts and user preferences	Hotkeys & User Settings	Configure hotkeys during initial setup. Users can customize per-user via the Settings sidebar.
Customize the sidebar panels	Sidebar System	Build custom sidebar content in tool plugins. Avoid heavy content in sidebars — they rebuild on every tool switch.
Understand how entities are wrapped for editing	Twig Events	Use Twig Events to intercept template rendering without overriding templates. Be aware it fires on every template render — use sparingly.
Use Plus Suite with Drupal Workspaces	Workspaces Integration	Use Plus Suite with Drupal Workspaces when you need staged content publishing. Tempstore+ handles workspace isolation automatically via key suffixes.
Create block types that integrate with Plus Suite	Custom Block Types	Create custom block types for every design component. Use event subscribers to set placement defaults and add design options.
Override templates and customize theming	Theming & Templates	Override color configuration at /admin/config/content/plus-suite for brand customization. Override templates only when structural changes are needed.
Understand the JavaScript modules and AJAX commands	JavaScript Architecture	Reference this when extending Plus Suite with custom JS, debugging client-side issues, or understanding AJAX command flow.
Find the right Plus Suite event to subscribe to	Events & Event Subscribers	Subscribe to Plus Suite events to customize behavior without overriding core module code. Check this catalog before writing new hooks or overrides.
Configure permissions for editors and admins	Permissions & Access	Apply this permission matrix when setting up roles for content editors and site builders.
Understand what the recipe installs and configures	Recipe Structure	Reference this when troubleshooting recipe application, understanding what gets installed, or deciding whether to use recipe vs manual installation.
Choose between Plus Suite and Canvas	Plus Suite vs Canvas	Use Plus Suite when you have existing Layout Builder investment or a PHP-only team. Use Canvas for new Drupal CMS projects prioritizing long-term core alignment.
Build a custom design system with Plus Suite	Custom Design System Integration	Follow this guide when building Plus Suite for a branded site — custom block types, promoted block icons, sample content generators, and block properties that match your design system.
Create custom section layout plugins	Custom Layout Plugins	Create custom layout plugins when core's basic one/two/three column layouts don't match your design system's grid. YAML covers most cases; use PHP class only when per-section configuration is needed.
Build a complete component end-to-end	End-to-End Component Creation	Follow this walkthrough when creating any new Plus Suite component from scratch. Use the checklist at the end to verify completeness.
Use UI Patterns / SDC components with Plus Suite	UI Patterns & SDC Integration	Use UI Patterns layouts as structural section layouts and block_content for content blocks that need inline editing. Do not use UI Patterns blocks as your primary strategy if inline editing is a requirement.
Troubleshoot known issues and avoid pitfalls	Common Mistakes & Known Issues	Read this before starting any Plus Suite implementation and when troubleshooting problems.