Drupal Introduces New Contribution Records System to Enable GitLab Issue Migration

The Drupal Association has introduced a new Contribution Records system, developed by Fran García-Linares, as a foundational step in the migration from Drupal.org issue tracking to GitLab. The system retains all existing functionality while enabling a more flexible and future-ready approach to recognizing contributions across the Drupal community.

User and organization profiles remain unchanged, and marketplace rankings are unaffected. Credit data is now managed through new.drupal.org, which becomes the primary source for contribution tracking.

The update addresses a key limitation in GitLab, which lacks built-in support for crediting contributions beyond code commits. By separating the contribution tracking system from the issue tracker, Drupal can now account for a broader range of contributions, including translation, design, and community coordination. While the systems are separate, they remain linked, ensuring transparency and consistency.

The new interface presents a full-page record linked to the original issue, with contributor data automatically pre-filled. Maintainers continue to approve credit based on participation, and contributors can still self-attribute their work. A new commit message format has also been introduced to align with the updated system.

Three public API endpoints have been announced to allow access to contribution data:

• https://new.drupal.org/contribution-records-by-user
• https://new.drupal.org/contribution-records-by-organization
• https://new.drupal.org/contribution-records-by-organization-by-user

At the time of writing, these links do not appear to be accessible, though they are expected to support future integration and external access to contribution data.

The rollout begins with a validation phase to ensure data accuracy and confirm that marketplace calculations remain consistent. Projects will then be invited to opt into GitLab issue tracking. The migration will proceed in phases, with some projects using Drupal.org and others GitLab, but all credit recognition will rely on the new Contribution Records system.

For more information, documentation, or to provide feedback, visit the blog post.