> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.varbase.vardot.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.varbase.vardot.com/developers/understanding-varbase/site-templates/varbase-starter.md).

# Varbase Starter

The **Varbase Starter** recipe is the main site template recipe that orchestrates the entire Varbase installation. It serves as the single entry point for setting up a complete Varbase-powered Drupal site by bundling together all core Varbase recipes, Drupal CMS recipes, Easy Email, and the Vartheme BS5 theme.

## Drupal.org Project

<https://www.drupal.org/project/varbase_starter>

## Recipe Type

Site recipe (full site template)

## Overview

Varbase Starter is designed to be the primary recipe that site builders apply when creating a new Varbase project. Rather than requiring manual installation of individual recipes, Varbase Starter composes all of the necessary dependencies into a single, unified installation process.

This recipe brings together:

* **Drupal CMS recipes** for core functionality such as admin UI, anti-spam, authentication, forms, media, privacy, SEO, and accessibility
* **Varbase recipes** for enhanced administration, security, media, editing, content management, workflows, SEO, webforms, blogging, and performance
* **Easy Email Express** for email handling and templating
* **Vartheme BS5** as the default front-end theme
* **Additional modules** for extended functionality

## What You Get

* **Drupal CMS recipes**: admin UI, authentication, media, forms, search, SEO basic and SEO tools, accessibility tools, anti-spam and privacy.
* **Varbase base recipes**: users, admin, security, media, editor, content, workflow, SEO, webform, page, blog and performance.
* **Vartheme BS5** installed and set as the default theme, with the front page set to `/home`.
* **A home page built with Drupal Canvas** out of Vartheme BS5 components, with ready-made patterns editors can drop onto any page.
* **Demo content** from Varbase Demo Content: blog posts, pages, a media library and menus, so the site looks functional on first boot.
* **Search preconfigured** with Search API, including a search block added by a config action.
* **Editorial workflow**, content moderation and content access permissions ready out of the box.

## Recipe Dependencies

Depends on the following recipes:

| Recipe                                                                                                                       | Description                                                                    |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [**Varbase Users Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-users-base.md)                            | Default user roles, account settings, and user management configurations.      |
| [**Drupal CMS Admin UI**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-admin-ui.md)                       | Administrative theme and navigation for Drupal CMS.                            |
| [**Drupal CMS Anti-Spam**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-anti-spam.md)                     | Anti-spam and anti-abuse functionality.                                        |
| [**Drupal CMS Authentication**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-authentication.md)           | Enhanced authentication features.                                              |
| [**Drupal CMS Forms**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-forms.md)                             | Contact form and form building tools.                                          |
| [**Drupal CMS Media**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-media.md)                             | Media types with responsive images, focal point, and SVG support.              |
| [**Drupal CMS Privacy Basic**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-privacy-basic.md)             | Basic privacy features with consent management.                                |
| [**Drupal CMS SEO Basic**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-seo-basic.md)                     | Basic SEO with URL aliases and redirect management.                            |
| [**Drupal CMS SEO Tools**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-seo-tools.md)                     | Advanced SEO with meta tags and XML sitemaps.                                  |
| [**Drupal CMS Accessibility Tools**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-accessibility-tools.md) | Automated accessibility checks.                                                |
| [**Drupal CMS Search**](/developers/understanding-varbase/drupal-cms-recipes/drupal-cms-search.md)                           | Fast, flexible site search.                                                    |
| [**Easy Email Express**](/developers/understanding-varbase/easy-email-recipes/easy-email-express.md)                         | All-in-one HTML email support.                                                 |
| [**Varbase Admin Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-admin-base.md)                            | Default admin experience with Gin theme, navigation, and admin tools.          |
| [**Varbase Security Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-security-base.md)                      | Hardened security with password policies and spam prevention.                  |
| [**Varbase Media Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-media-base.md)                            | Comprehensive media handling with image styles and media library.              |
| [**Varbase Editor Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-editor-base.md)                          | CKEditor 5 with rich text editing capabilities and plugins.                    |
| [**Varbase Content Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-content-base.md)                        | Core content configuration including node types and taxonomy.                  |
| [**Varbase Workflow Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-workflow-base.md)                      | Content moderation, scheduled publishing, and workflows.                       |
| [**Varbase SEO Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-seo-base.md)                                | Comprehensive SEO modules and configurations.                                  |
| [**Varbase Webform Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-webform-base.md)                        | Webform modules for building and managing forms.                               |
| [**Varbase Page Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-page-base.md)                              | Page content type with SEO fields, editorial workflow, and menu configuration. |
| [**Varbase Blog Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-blog-base.md)                              | Blog post content type with listing page.                                      |
| [**Varbase Performance Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-performance-base.md)                | Page caching, image optimization, and performance settings.                    |
| [**Varbase Demo Content**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-demo-content.md)                        | Demo content for new Varbase sites.                                            |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Varbase Starter** also downloads a set of optional recipes into the project's `recipes/` folder without applying them: [**Varbase API Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-api-base.md), [**Varbase Auth Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-auth-base.md), [**Varbase Internationalization Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-i18n-base.md), [**Varbase Development Base**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-recipes/varbase-dev-base.md), and the [**Varbase AI Recipes**](/developers/understanding-varbase/varbase-ai-recipes.md). You can apply any of them on demand with Drush.
{% endhint %}

## Included Modules

Brings in the following core and contributed modules to your site:

| Module                                                                   | Purpose                                                                                                  |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [**CVA (Class Variance Authority)**](https://www.drupal.org/project/cva) | Provides html\_cva Twig function for managing component variants using Class Variance Authority pattern. |
| [**Project Browser**](https://www.drupal.org/project/project_browser)    | Provides a user interface for browsing available Drupal projects.                                        |

## Included Themes

| Theme                                                           | Description                                                                                |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [**Vartheme BS5**](https://www.drupal.org/project/vartheme_bs5) | Starterkit theme for Varbase standard websites. Based on Bootstrap 5 framework using SASS. |

## Setup

A site template is applied **during** the site installation, so it is chosen in the installer rather than applied to a site that is already installed.

### Varbase Starter on top of Drupal CMS with DDEV

```bash
mkdir -p ~/workspace/projects/my-drupal-site-varbase-starter
cd ~/workspace/projects/my-drupal-site-varbase-starter
ddev config --project-type=drupal11 --docroot=web
ddev composer create-project drupal/cms
ddev composer require drupal/varbase_starter
ddev drush si -y ../recipes/varbase_starter
ddev launch
```

### Varbase Starter on top of the Varbase project with DDEV

```bash
mkdir -p ~/workspace/projects/my-varbase-starter-site
cd ~/workspace/projects/my-varbase-starter-site
ddev config --project-type=drupal11 --docroot=web --php-version=8.4
ddev composer create-project drupal/varbase_project:~11
ddev launch
```

Finish the installation in the browser and select **Varbase Starter** in the **Choose a site template** step.

Installing with Varbase Starter installs and configures all of its dependencies, leaving a fully functional Varbase site ready for content creation and customization.