What’s new in CKEditor Drupal modules: CKEditor AI and more
The latest CKEditor 5 Premium Features module update brings an extremely significant addition this year: CKEditor AI is now available for Drupal. The 1.8.0 release also includes a new Cloud Services module that consolidates shared logic used by both Real-time Collaboration and CKEditor AI, plus an additional set of stability fixes.
CKEditor Premium Features module 1.8.0 was released on March 12, 2026.
Although there was a small bug fix release for CKEditor 5 Plugin Pack module on February 11, 2026, this blog post will focus on CKEditor 5 Premium Features Module only.
NEW CKEditor AI
Drupal has been investing heavily in AI capabilities. With the recent Drupal AI 1.3.0 release, the community introduced site-wide AI tooling: content field actions, a chatbot, AI guardrails, and observability features built into the Drupal platform layer.
CKEditor AI works differently and complementarily. While Drupal AI enhances the broader platform experience, CKEditor AI is embedded directly inside the rich text editor itself. There is no switching between the editor and external tools and no copying text back and forth. . The AI assistance happens inside the editor, in context, as part of the writing and editing process. CKEditor AI brings four core capabilities into the editor:
AI Chat
This offers a multi-turn chat interface within the editor. Authors can brainstorm, ask questions, and co-create content without leaving their workspace. Users can directly insert suggestions into the content with one click.
AI Review
Access quality checks for grammar, tone, clarity, and style. Suggested changes appear inline, and authors can accept or reject them individually or in bulk. Custom review checks can also be configured to match specific editorial standards or brand guidelines.
AI Translate
This allows you to translate content directly inside the editor. Ten languages are available out of the box with the option to extend the list with additional languages. A dedicated UI enables reviewing and managing AI-suggested translations.
AI Quick Actions
Use one-click text transformations for selected content such as the ability to rewrite, simplify, expand, summarize, or change tone without opening a full chat session.
All AI suggestions are reviewable before being applied, maintaining full editorial control for the user.
CKEditor AI supports models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, with the option to enforce model access rules at the integrator level. It is also available for on-premises deployment, giving organizations full control over data flow, compliance requirements, and model selection.
You can try CKEditor AI in the demo or by starting a 14-day free trial. It is available in the Essential, Professional, and Custom plans. Please contact us to learn more.
We will continue to ship new CKEditor AI capabilities and explore ways to further align with Drupal’s own AI capabilities. If you encounter edge cases or have workflows you’d like to see supported, we’d love to hear from you.
Read the CKEditor AI in Drupal configuration guide for setup instructions.
NEW Cloud Services module
This release introduces a new Cloud Services module, which consolidates shared functionality needed by plugins that connect to CKEditor cloud or self-hosted servers.
With the introduction of Cloud Services, the Channel entity, which identifies a single document field to communicate with cloud or on-premises infrastructure, has been moved from the Real-time Collaboration module to Cloud Services module. Channel is now also used by CKEditor AI.
After updating to 1.8.0, please run the database update script. This ensures the Cloud Services module is enabled and the Channel entity type is correctly registered under the new module. This won’t affect any stored data related to channel IDs during the process.
Other Improvements
1.8.0 also includes a set of targeted fixes:
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Collaboration: Comments now display in sidebar mode instead of inline when fullscreen mode is active.
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Footnotes and Line Height: A script has been added to ensure toolbar items are properly removed when the module is uninstalled.
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Email editing and Merge Fields: Fixed an error triggered on Track Changes Preview activation caused by adapter scripts.
Try the CKEditor 5 Premium Features Module
CKEditor offers incredible flexibility for users and developers, expanding the core benefits of Drupal. You can test all premium plugins including Collaboration, CKEditor AI, Export/Import, and the new Email Configuration Helper with a 14-day free trial.
Start your trial or contact us for licensing options and technical support.
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If you have specific questions or want to report an issue, please contact us.
