Term · Web & development
Headless CMS
A headless CMS is a content management system without its own presentation layer — without a "head". Editors manage content in it, and the content is delivered through an API to any front end: a website, a mobile app, a chatbot or a screen in a store.
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Explained
How it differs from a traditional CMS
A traditional CMS stores content and generates the website's pages with its own templates. A headless CMS only stores and delivers content; developers build the front end separately, with the framework of their choice, and fetch content from the API.
When it helps
- The same content appears in several channels — website, app, kiosk, assistant.
- The front end must be fully custom and very fast.
- The website is part of a larger application.
- Several sites or brands share content.
What it requires
- Development of a separate front end and its maintenance.
- Preview functionality for editors, which must be built.
- Server rendering or prerendering for SEO, so search engines see content. See SPA vs server rendering.
Example
A company publishes service descriptions once in a headless CMS; the website, the mobile app and the AI assistant on its site all read them through the API, so updates appear everywhere at once.
More detail: headless CMS explained.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a headless CMS better than WordPress?
It is different. For a typical content website, a traditional CMS is simpler. Headless pays off for multi-channel or highly custom projects.
Can WordPress be headless?
Yes — WordPress can serve content through its API to a separately built front end.