Modernizing Page Layouts with Display Builder

One of the most impactful changes in our Drupal stack at UI Suite is the adoption of Display Builder for page layouts. We are systematically replacing the traditional Block Layout system (found at /admin/structure/block) with Display Builder's more powerful and context-aware Page Layout entities. This move gives us unprecedented control over the structure of key landing pages and site sections.

Using the display_builder_page_layout module, we can create multiple page layouts and use condition plugins to determine which one applies. For example, we've created a unique layout for all URLs under /products/* by using the "Request Path" condition. This layout includes a specialized sidebar and promotional components that are only relevant to that section. The order of these layouts is critical; the first one whose conditions are met is the one that gets used, so we place the most specific layouts at the top.

Inside the builder for a page layout, we have access to page-specific sources like "Page title" and "Main content," allowing us to position these essential elements within our custom layout. If no Display Builder layout matches the current page, Drupal gracefully falls back to the default Block Layout system, ensuring that no page is ever left un-rendered. This gives us a robust and flexible way to build truly dynamic page templates.