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Creating Your First Recipe

When to Use

Follow this workflow to create a minimal working recipe from scratch.

Steps: Create and Apply a Minimal Recipe

  1. Create recipe directory — Recipes live in discoverable locations 

    mkdir -p recipes/my_recipe
    Recipes can be in /recipes/, module subdirectories, or Composer packages.

  2. Write recipe.yml — Minimum viable recipe 

    name: 'My Recipe'
description: 'Example recipe.'
type: 'Feature'
install:
  - node
config:
  strict: false

  3. Add configuration (optional) — Create config/ directory for config files 

    mkdir -p recipes/my_recipe/config
# Export config from active site
drush config:export --destination=recipes/my_recipe/config

  4. Apply the recipe — Using Drush or core script 

    # Drush (recommended)
drush recipe recipes/my_recipe

# Core script (no Drush)
php core/scripts/drupal recipe recipes/my_recipe

Decision Points: Config Layout and Strict Mode

At this step... If... Then...
Adding configuration Config is simple and static Use config/ directory for config files
Adding configuration Config needs dynamic updates Use config.actions for config actions
Choosing strict mode Recipe sets up new functionality Use strict: false to allow existing config
Choosing strict mode Recipe enforces specific config state Use strict: true or array of config names to validate

Common Mistakes

  • Applying recipe before installing required modules → Use install: key to declare dependencies
  • Putting recipe.yml in wrong location → Must be in recipe root directory, not subdirectory
  • Using config: key without understanding strict mode → Defaults to strict: true in current core (may change)
  • Not testing recipe on clean install → Recipes should be idempotent but are designed for apply-once
  • Forgetting composer.json for published recipes → Recipes distributed via Composer need type: drupal-recipe

See Also