Headless CMS () have become one of the best solutions in the new category of digital experience platforms (DXP). Although the headless approach offers numerous advantages, many people still struggle to understand how it works.
A headless CMS (or CMS without a head) allows marketing teams to send content to multiple channels, from landing pages to mobile applications, mobile sites and devices of the “Internet of things” (IoT or internet of things) through an API.
This article will help you understand what a headless CMS is and how it differs from more traditional CMS platforms. We will also cover the pros and cons of a headless CMS and its best use cases.
What is a Headless CMS?
A headless CMS is an API-focused, decoupled content management system used to optimize an omnichannel marketing strategy. In a nutshell, a headless CMS functions as a digital content repository that enables cross-platform content delivery.
Headless CMS Explained
A headless CMS is often called an infrastructure or content API. It is a cloud-based CMS that separates the back-end repository (“body”) from the front-end presentation layer (“head”).
Offers content as a service (CaaS), so the creation and editing of it is possible within the CMS infrastructure, while the raw content is available to other systems.
This is how a Headless CMS works:
- Publishers create and manage content through their back-end interface.
- The frontend developer team will build the “head” (where the content goes) and manage content distribution. Developers can use their preferred frontend tools and frameworks to develop applications or roll out new channels.
- The GraphQL API or RESTful API will connect to each API endpoint to make content available across websites, mobile apps, IoT devices, and other digital platforms.
- Such a system allows the same content from a repository to appear as a blog post on a web page, feed posts on social networks, or pieces of native content on a smartwatch.
Some of the best headless CMS are , , , and .
Headless CMS vs. traditional CMS
The fundamental difference between a headless CMS and a traditional CMS is that the former only offers backend functionalities. Instead, the architecture of traditional CMS offers a comprehensive solution for content management and the presentation layer.
A traditional CMS, also known as a monolithic content management system, only allows content to be displayed on a single frontend: a web page. Therefore, marketers have to reuse their content if they want to publish it on different platforms.
, and they are some of the best examples of monolithic CMS. Typically, such a CMS consists of:
- A database to store, read and write content
- One admin page for everything related to content creation
- A presentation layer to deliver the content
On the other hand, the headless architecture uses the content model framework. Breaks content down into individual parts based on their purpose, resulting in more structured content.
For example, content modeling allows a headless CMS to store the title, body, visuals, and tags of digital content separately. This allows marketers to conveniently personalize and reuse the same content across different platforms.
These are other differences between headless and traditional content management systems:
Traditional CMSHeadless CMSAPI-based approachNo Yesplatform independenceThe backend connects to the frontendThe backend works independentlyFunctionsContent management: create, edit and storeContent management and publishingContent architectureBuilt for a single frontend Adjustable to any presentation layerContent PersonalizationLess customizableVery customizablecontent modelUnstructuredStructuredCompatible devicesLimitedUnlimitedomnichannel marketingLow compatibilityHigh compatibilityDeveloper FlexibilityNot flexibleExtremely flexiblehostingIn-house Cloud-basedSecurityLess effectiveImprovedSpeedFaster page load timeSlower page load timedevelopment approachProject oriented Product orientedworkflowWaterfallAgile
Do you need a Headless CMS?
Although more familiar, traditional CMS architecture can be too limiting. Not only does using this CMS often result in a generic design, but reusing pieces of content also involves a lot of copying and pasting.
On the other hand, marketers won’t have to worry about these issues with a headless CMS. If you are still not sure whether to switch to this content infrastructure, here are some of the main advantages of Headless CMS:
Flexibility in the frontend
A headless system offers more flexibility to optimize omnichannel publishing. It minimizes the restrictions caused by predefined components such as templates, layouts, and formatting, while keeping content consistent and relevant.
As a content repository, a headless CMS functions as a central content hub to extract data. Digital content structures make it more convenient for marketers to customize content for different digital platforms.
Multi-device compatibility
One of the problems with using multiple devices is adjusting content for each operating system (OS). However, by using a CMS with a dedicated API, marketers don’t have to worry about how to publish their content to different OSes.
The headless architecture allows developers to use the CMS API to create queries for various OS, including Windows, Linux, Android, macOS, and an embedded OS for IoT devices.
Agility
The content model framework enables a headless content infrastructure to support an agile workflow where the marketing team can work in parallel with developers. This is great for boosting productivity and ensuring continuous improvement.
The agile workflow does not depend on a sequence, but instead allows marketers to go back to certain phases where adjustments need to be made. Once content is created, developers can render it for display in any presentation layer.
Enhanced security and scalability
Using various marketing channels means more resources and data to process. Fortunately, most Headless CMS options are highly scalable, the Headless approach ensures little to no downtime during maintenance.
If security is your top priority, going for a headless CMS is the right decision. With it, the content publishing platforms will not be accessible from the CMS database, since they are separated on different web servers and domains.
Also, content delivered through an API is often read-only, which adds an extra layer of security. This helps improve eCommerce security protocols and protect you from potential cyber threats like DDoS and unauthorized access.
The best use cases of Headless CMS
Although a headless CMS seems to be the best option for content management, it may not be suitable for all types of projects. Here are three Headless CMS use cases for inspiration:
e-commerce sites
Some headless CMS can be used as an eCommerce backend. Moving an eCommerce site to a headless environment is something worth considering for business owners who want to:
- Improve the customer experience. As a headless CMS offers faster load times – which you can compare using a tool – than its traditional counterparts, using such a platform can help retailers achieve higher visitor satisfaction.
- Offer customization. Using headless helps businesses seamlessly connect product and marketing content with customers’ purchase history and browsing activities, leading to a more personalized shopping experience.
- Gain competitive advantage. A headless CMS allows developers to release quick updates without breaking the back-end system. This helps companies stay on top of market trends.
- Ensuring advanced security. E-commerce sites are often prime targets for hackers, as sensitive data is exchanged during transactions.
is among the best eCommerce sites built on a headless infrastructure. Enterprise retailer embraces headless e-commerce from ShopifyPlus with the Store Front API to post content across multiple customer touch points.
Additionally, integrating a headless CMS with an existing eCommerce platform can help streamline the checkout process. Sellers can rely on the eCommerce platform for all financial transactions while maintaining design freedom for display layers.
Products and services
By offering content as a service, a headless CMS is a perfect solution for product or service content collaboration such as a voice assistant, AR/VR or IoT devices. With headless CMS, creating native content for those channels is straightforward and easy.
For example, it is a global community for product designers. Use the headless CMS Happy with Gatsby static site generator for innovative home page design.
Websites and web applications
Websites and web applications built on JavaScript frameworks like Ember.js, Vue.js and they can use a headless CMS as they work fine with most APIs.
A headless CMS can also help manage the content of Jamstack sites built with static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, Pelican Y 11ty. As static site generators do not use databases as a content repository, the headless CMS API approach is a perfect fit.
is an excellent example of a website that uses a headless environment. Use the headless CMS built.ioallowing the marketing team to easily move content from different platforms into a single content hub.
Alternatively, website owners can set up a Headless system in WordPress to use the CMS backend and have more freedom for…
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