---
title: "Drupal 7 Experience"
url: "https://michalak.world/experience/drupal-7-experience/"
description: "Drupal 7 development experience: custom modules and rules, multilingual builds with Transifex, Commerce 1.x and Ubercart, Avalara VAT and sales tax, security remediation, and server optimization."
summary: "Drupal 7 custom module development, Commerce 1.x and Ubercart, multilingual builds, Avalara tax integration, security remediation, and hosting management."
date: 2019-02-22
lastmod: 2026-08-19
tags: ["Drupal 7","Drupal","Drupal Commerce","Ubercart","Multilingual","Avalara","Website Security","Pantheon","Acquia"]
section: "experience"
author: "Michael Michalak"
site: "https://michalak.world/"
---

# Drupal 7 Experience

Drupal 7 development experience: custom modules and rules, multilingual builds with Transifex, Commerce 1.x and Ubercart, Avalara VAT and sales tax, security remediation, and server optimization.

## Drupal 7 Development

- **Multilingual Implementations:** Successfully implemented multilingual features, including integrations with Transifex for seamless translation management.
- **Custom Session Variables:** Developed custom session handling, including storing and reporting UTM parameters for detailed analytics.
- **Custom Module Development:** Created bespoke modules tailored to client needs, ensuring robust functionality and easy maintenance.
- **Custom 3rd Party Integrations:** Integrated various third-party services to extend Drupal's capabilities and meet complex business requirements.
- **Custom Tools:** Developed custom calculator tools and landing pages, enhancing user interaction and engagement.
- **User Sessions:** Managed custom user sessions to optimize user experience and functionality across the site.
- **Custom Theming:** Designed and implemented custom themes for unique, brand-aligned website aesthetics.
- **Groups Module:** Configured and integrated specific rules within the Groups module to meet precise project specifications.
- **Custom Rules:** Developed and implemented custom rules for Drupal Commerce and other functionalities tailored to business processes.
- **Security:** Expertly secured websites, including resolving vulnerabilities and protecting against hacks.

## Drupal 7 Commerce 1.x

- **Custom Commerce Workflows:** Designed and implemented custom workflows for Drupal Commerce carts, optimizing the checkout process.
- **Tax Handling:** Integrated Avalara for VAT and sales tax calculations, including custom rules and real-time VAT ID validation.
- **Multi-Store Support:** Added support for additional store addresses, enhancing the flexibility of multi-store setups.
- **GEOIP Currency Detection:** Implemented GEOIP-based currency detection to display prices in the user's local currency automatically.
- **Payment Gateway Integrations:** Integrated popular payment gateways such as Authorize.net, PayPal, Cybersource, and Stripe. Contributed to community patches for PayPal and Cybersource on drupal.org.
- **Stock Management:** Managed stock levels within Drupal Commerce, ensuring accurate inventory tracking.
- **Multilingual Support:** Enabled multilingual commerce features, including integration with Transifex for easy translation management.
- **Ubercart:** Customized Ubercart setups, including session variable handling and UTM parameter tracking.
- **Custom Commerce Rules:** Developed custom rules for Drupal Commerce to handle complex business logic and workflows.

## Drupal 7 Hosting and Maintenance

- **Hosting Management:** Expertly managed hosting environments on Pantheon and Acquia, including setting up and maintaining multisite configurations.
- **Routine Maintenance:** Provided regular maintenance services, including security updates, module updates, and patches.
- **Performance Optimization:** Conducted performance reviews and implemented enhancements to ensure optimal site speed and reliability.
- **Infrastructure Setup:** Built and maintained infrastructure on single servers or load-balanced solutions using CentOS, Redhat, Ubuntu, and Debian.
- **Load Testing & Benchmarking:** Performed load testing, benchmarking, and overloading tests to ensure site stability under high-traffic conditions.
- **Promotion Testing:** Tested and optimized the site for promotional events to handle increased traffic and sales.
- **Server-Level Security:** Applied patches at the server level to address security vulnerabilities and protect client data.
- **SSL Implementation:** Set up and managed Let's Encrypt for SSL certificates, ensuring secure data transmission.
- **Server Optimization:** Optimized server configurations, including Apache, MySQL/MariaDB/Percona, PHP (5.x, 7.x, FPM), Redis/Memcache, and Apache Solr, for peak performance.

This portfolio highlights my extensive experience in **Drupal 7 development**, particularly in **building custom solutions, managing complex commerce implementations, and ensuring secure and high-performing hosting environments**. Whether developing custom modules or optimizing server infrastructure, I deliver **reliable and scalable Drupal solutions**.