Summary
Vortex scaffolds drupal/admin_toolbar (with the classic Toolbar stack) by default. The core Navigation module is now stable and is core's strategic replacement for the Toolbar. Shipping both at once is a known, core-warned conflict. This proposes moving the Vortex default to the core Navigation module and not shipping the Admin Toolbar stack alongside it.
Background
- The core Navigation module became stable in Drupal 11.3 (Aug 2025) and is core's roadmapped replacement for the classic Toolbar. As of March 2026 it is being added to the Standard install profile and recipes, so new installs lean toward it by default.
- Running the classic toolbar stack (
toolbar + admin_toolbar + admin_toolbar_tools + gin_toolbar) and navigation simultaneously is a documented conflict. Core ships a status warning: "The Navigation module is a complete replacement for the Toolbar module and disables its functionality when both modules are installed", and recommends uninstalling Toolbar when using Navigation. gin_toolbar currently suppresses that warning, so the conflict is silent rather than surfaced.
Why it matters (observed impact)
On a real consumer project built from Vortex, enabling the Navigation module while leaving the scaffolded Admin Toolbar stack in place broke admin contextual links: clicking a contextual "pen" did nothing (the menu never opened), and the <body> was left with a stuck toolbar-loading class. Root cause: the toolbar module loads contextual.toolbar.js, whose integration breaks once Navigation supersedes the classic toolbar. Uninstalling the classic stack (toolbar, admin_toolbar, admin_toolbar_tools, gin_toolbar) restored contextual links. Because gin_toolbar suppresses the core warning, there was no signal pointing at the cause - it presented as generically "broken admin JS".
Proposal
- Don't ship both admin-navigation systems. They are mutually exclusive; pick one.
- Switch the Vortex default to the core Navigation module. It aligns with core's direction, and distributions are already doing this (for example Varbase: "Enable the new Navigation module and remove Admin Toolbar & Admin Toolbar Extra Tools").
- If Admin Toolbar stays the default for now, ensure Navigation is not enabled alongside it (and vice versa), so a consumer never ends up in the conflicting state silently.
- Document the bridge modules -
navigation_extra (formerly "Admin Toolbar Content") and navigation_extra_tools - for teams that want admin_toolbar_tools-style shortcuts (content links, flush caches, run cron) under Navigation, since Navigation does not replicate all of those yet.
References
This is an open design proposal for discussion, not a hard directive.
Summary
Vortex scaffolds
drupal/admin_toolbar(with the classic Toolbar stack) by default. The core Navigation module is now stable and is core's strategic replacement for the Toolbar. Shipping both at once is a known, core-warned conflict. This proposes moving the Vortex default to the core Navigation module and not shipping the Admin Toolbar stack alongside it.Background
toolbar+admin_toolbar+admin_toolbar_tools+gin_toolbar) andnavigationsimultaneously is a documented conflict. Core ships a status warning: "The Navigation module is a complete replacement for the Toolbar module and disables its functionality when both modules are installed", and recommends uninstalling Toolbar when using Navigation.gin_toolbarcurrently suppresses that warning, so the conflict is silent rather than surfaced.Why it matters (observed impact)
On a real consumer project built from Vortex, enabling the Navigation module while leaving the scaffolded Admin Toolbar stack in place broke admin contextual links: clicking a contextual "pen" did nothing (the menu never opened), and the
<body>was left with a stucktoolbar-loadingclass. Root cause: thetoolbarmodule loadscontextual.toolbar.js, whose integration breaks once Navigation supersedes the classic toolbar. Uninstalling the classic stack (toolbar,admin_toolbar,admin_toolbar_tools,gin_toolbar) restored contextual links. Becausegin_toolbarsuppresses the core warning, there was no signal pointing at the cause - it presented as generically "broken admin JS".Proposal
navigation_extra(formerly "Admin Toolbar Content") andnavigation_extra_tools- for teams that wantadmin_toolbar_tools-style shortcuts (content links, flush caches, run cron) under Navigation, since Navigation does not replicate all of those yet.References
This is an open design proposal for discussion, not a hard directive.