Headless CMS

A headless CMS stores and edits content but doesn't render the website. Content is delivered over an API to whatever front end you build, so the same content can feed a site, an app and anything else.

The advantage is separation: the front end can be rebuilt or made faster without touching content, and content isn't trapped in a theme. The cost is that you must build the front end — there's no template to install.

For a single marketing site with one editor, a traditional CMS is often the more sensible answer. Headless earns its keep with multiple channels, multiple sites, or a front end with performance requirements a theme can't meet.

Why it matters

Frequently proposed where it isn't warranted. If you have one website and one person editing it, ask what specifically the headless architecture buys you.

Related terms

SSR, SSG and ISRThree ways of producing a web page: server-side rendering builds it per request, static site generation builds it once at deploy time, and incremental…API IntegrationAn API integration is a connection between two software systems that lets them exchange data automatically — a website sending orders to an accounting…

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Core Web VitalsLargest Contentful Paint (LCP)Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)Time to First Byte (TTFB)SSR, SSG and ISRCDN (Content Delivery Network)Progressive EnhancementWeb ApplicationTechnical Debt

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