NLnet Grant Targets Drupal ActivityPub Usability

Funding from the NLnet Foundation will support improvements to Drupal’s ActivityPub module, following approval of a Communia proposal to make Fediverse integration easier for site builders and content editors. The grant is part of NLnet’s NGI0 Commons Fund, which receives support through the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet programme.

The project, titled Drupal ActivityPub module usability enhancements, focuses on extending the existing ActivityPub module rather than creating a separate implementation. NLnet describes the work as a usability and Client-to-Server improvement effort for Drupal ActivityPub. The project is run by Communia s.c.c.l.

NLnet says the module can be installed and configured for different workflows, including microblogging, personal reading, and media distribution. The funded work aims to keep the module generic while making it more adaptable for Drupal sites that want to connect to decentralised social networks. The project also includes Client-to-Server support and related practices intended to make third-party clients easier to use with Drupal sites.

Drupal.org describes the module as an implementation of the ActivityPub protocol that lets Fediverse users follow content from Drupal sites and send responses such as replies, likes, and announcements. The project page lists Mastodon, Pixelfed, Pleroma, GoToSocial, Hubzilla, and Write.as among the federated platforms it can communicate with. It also notes that the module mainly acts as a server, while client use can rely on the Personal Reader project or compatible mobile, web, and desktop clients through a Mastodon API-compatible endpoint.

Communia’s roadmap is divided into six tasks: improved interaction with other sites, content and activity editor enhancements, Client-to-Server implementation, a transport operator, an installation wizard, and automated documentation publishing. Planned editor work includes mention and label completion in CKEditor 5, while the transport work is inspired by the Symfony Mailer module’s handling of mail transports. The proposal does not specify release targets for these changes, so the story should be treated as funded roadmap work rather than completed module functionality.

The module page currently lists 48 reported installs and marks the project as minimally maintained. Drupal.org also states that the project is not covered by Drupal’s security advisory policy. Its latest listed release is 1.0.0-alpha26, released on 18 June 2026, with compatibility for Drupal 10 and Drupal 11.

NLnet states that the project is funded through NGI0 Commons Fund, established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet programme under DG Communications Networks, Content and Technology grant agreement No 101135429. Additional funding is provided by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation.