GovCMS Drupal websites

GovCMS is Australia's whole-of-government web content management and hosting platform, built on Drupal and managed by the Department of Finance. It is designed by government for government, providing agencies with a secure, IRAP-assessed, and regularly updated platform for public-facing websites. GovCMS currently hosts more than 370 websites for over 115 government agencies across Australia. It offers two delivery models: SaaS (a fully managed, shared platform) and PaaS (a dedicated hosted environment for agencies requiring more flexibility).

GovCMS SaaS is a fully managed, shared hosting environment in which the Department of Finance maintains the platform, applies security patches, and performs IRAP assessments. It is cost-effective and well suited to information-focused websites that do not require custom modules or user authentication. GovCMS PaaS provides a dedicated hosted environment where agencies control the codebase and can add custom modules, integrations, and functionality, making it suitable for more complex requirements including backend integrations, user logins, and advanced personalisation.

GovCMS is well-suited to a wide range of government digital needs including information-rich websites, content-heavy portals, search-driven discovery experiences, and campaign microsites. For SaaS deployments, complex business logic, custom user journeys, and backend integrations can be achieved within the constraints of the platform through creative configuration. For more complex requirements such as; authenticated user portals, extensive CRM integrations, or advanced DXP features, GovCMS PaaS or a GovCMS-based Drupal build provides the necessary flexibility.

GovCMS hosting and platform access is procured directly through the Department of Finance. Development, design, and DXP services are procured through the GovCMS Drupal Services Panel (DSP), a whole-of-government panel arrangement that lists vetted suppliers. Morpht is a founding member of the DSP and one of its leading suppliers. The current panel arrangement is in operation until September 2026, with a new panel being established. Morpht is also a supplier on the GovCMS DXP Panel for personalisation, content recommendations, and AI services.

The GovCMS DXP is a programme that extends the core GovCMS platform with advanced digital experience capabilities including content personalisation, AI-powered content recommendations, and analytics-driven user journey optimisation. DXP services are procured through the expanded GovCMS Drupal Services Panel, allowing agencies to access these capabilities without separate procurement. Morpht was announced as one of the first suppliers on the GovCMS DXP Panel, offering its Convivial CXP solution for personalisation and recommendation services.

Convivial for GovCMS is an advanced GovCMS starter site and theme developed by Morpht. It extends the GovCMS Starter theme with substantial additional capabilities including no-code design tools, personalisation via the Convivial Profiler engine, content recommendations via Recombee, AI content augmentation, a comprehensive component library, campaign tooling, and DXP-level features. Built on Drupal's Single Directory Components (SDC) and the Tailwind/DaisyUI frameworks, it implements the Australian Government Design System and is designed to reduce build time significantly compared to starting from scratch.

Morpht assists agencies upgrading from GovCMS 8 to the current Drupal platform through an assessment of their current codebase, identification of remediation requirements, and an upgrade or rebuild programme. For agencies still on GovCMS 7 (which reached end of life in January 2025), Morpht provides migration services including content migration, functionality rebuild, and redesign; treating the migration as an opportunity to improve information architecture, accessibility, and user experience rather than a like-for-like carry-over.

Yes. GovCMS and sites built on it are expected to comply with WCAG 2.1 AA, which is the Australian Government standard for digital accessibility. Morpht's Convivial for GovCMS starter site targets a Lighthouse accessibility score of 100 on every page, and includes features such as keyboard accessibility, skip navigation, correct heading hierarchy, media transcripts, decorative image handling, a sticky table of contents, and a built-in contrast checker. Morpht has also worked with the AS EN 301 549 standard, which sets formal ICT accessibility requirements for Australian Government digital services from January 2026 onward.