[[extend-module-find]]

=== Finding Modules

[role="summary"]
How to search and evaluate modules on Drupal.org.

(((Module,finding)))
(((Module,evaluating)))
(((Contributed module,finding)))
(((Contributed module,evaluating)))
(((Drupal.org website,finding and evaluating modules on)))

==== Goal

Find and evaluate modules on _Drupal.org_.

==== Was man wissen sollte

* <<understanding-drupal>>
* <<understanding-modules>>

//==== Site prerequisites

==== Steps

. Go to https://www.drupal.org[_Drupal.org_], and navigate to _Download &
Extend_ > _Modules_ (https://www.drupal.org/project/project_module).

. Filter your search using the categories on the module search page.
Fill in the fields as shown below.
+
[width="100%",frame="topbot",options="header"]
|================================
|Field name |Explanation |Example value
|Maintenance status |How actively should the module be maintained? | Actively maintained
|Development status |What kind of development should the module undergo?| Any
|Module categories |The module's Thema area.|Administration
|Core compatibility |The version of the core software the module is compatible with.|8.x
|Status |Project status: _Sandbox projects_ are experimental projects. _Full projects_ have already gone through an approval process, but they can still be in development.
 |Full projects
|Search Modules |Search for _Admin Toolbar_, a module that will be covered in detail later. Alternatively, you can also leave the field blank if you are not sure which module to search for.|Admin Toolbar
|Sort by |Order your search results by criteria like _Most installed_ (popular modules that many sites use) or _Last release_ (date of latest version released). |Most installed
|================================
+
--
// Module search box on https://www.drupal.org/project/project_module.
image:images/extend-module-find_module_finder.png["Filters on the module search page on _Drupal.org_"]
--

. Click _Search_. Search results will appear.
+
--
// Search results on https://www.drupal.org/project/project_module.
image:images/extend-module-find_search_results.png["Module search results page on _Drupal.org_"]
--

. To further evaluate a module, click its title in the list of search results
to visit its project page.

Some aspects to pay attention to when evaluating modules:

* Project description: The description of the module on its project page should
be clear and useful. You should get an idea of its features and requirements.

* Maintenance status: If a module is _Actively maintained_, you can be sure that
there will be security updates, bug fixes and feature improvements provided on
a regular basis. However, if the module is unmaintained or abandoned, you
shouldn't use it.

* Development status: _Under active development_ means you can expect new
features to be added to the project, but some aspects (for example, API) may
still change. _Maintenance fixes only_ means that the project is considered
feature complete.

* Reported installs, downloads: You can see how many people have downloaded and
how many sites use the module. If it's only used by a few sites, it might be a
unique solution that not many people need, or it might be a warning sign that
you shouldn't use it either.

* Maintainers: When was the last commit (the last time someone updated something
on the module) or last release (new version)? If the project has few open
issues, a long time since commits/releases might be appropriate, but if it has
a lot of open issues and there are no commits/releases, that would be a clue
that it might be abandoned.

* Issues: See if there are any open issues, potential problems with the
module. Check the _Statistics_ to see how regularly issues are responded to.

* Resources: Check if the module has documentation or a README file, that can
help you install, configure, explore, and test it.
+
--
// Project page for Admin Toolbar module.
image:images/extend-module-find_project_info.png["Information on the project page to look for when evaluating a module", width="100%"]
--

==== Expand your understanding

<<extend-module-install>>

//==== Related concepts

//==== Additional resources


*Attributions*

Written by https://www.drupal.org/u/dianalakatos[Diána Lakatos] at
https://pronovix.com//[Pronovix].
