A headless CMS is more of a content repository that makes content accessible via API calls and represents the content on any device regardless of the frontend design.
For frontend developers, it's like changing the heads (the devices) via their respective APIs. Popular examples of headless CMS include Strapi, Agility CMS, Ghost, and more.
Unlike traditional CMS that connects the frontend and backend of a website, prepare an application codebase and take the content to the final presentation layer (the display).
Examples of traditional CMS include WordPress, Drupal, etc. Now, this is how headless CMS architecture is designed. It uses different APIs and serves all kinds of the frontend. But what makes it super flexible and popular than traditional CMS for users?
Here are the main characteristics of headless CMS that make it popular among users.
Offers reusability of content
It lets users reuse the content from the backend and publish it over various devices with internet connectivity.
Contentful, a popular headless CMS, offers the content infrastructure for reusability purposes which works as a critical component for content creation, personalization, and localization.
Handier (Easy to use)
Since headless CMS focuses on the content, it eliminates the additional effort of developers to publish the same content over multiple sites.
Platforms like Strapi offer greater accessibility for customization of admin panels and APIs with faster development using RESTful and GraphQL APIs. Strapiโs also known for its open-source codebase thatโs accessible on GitHub.
Affordable
The multi-tenant architectural system reduces the cost of maintaining multiple sites.
Opting for a headless architecture proves economical if you have similar content and separate sites for your product.
Offers built-in features and cost-effective approaches for content publishing and management
Flexible
It lets developers pick their preferred programming language and not need to fit any proprietary development constraints since it is API-driven.
It gives developers the freedom to develop code their way and integrate even complex systems.
Many CMS platforms provide SDKs for most of the popular developing languages for better multi-site management. Famous examples include Contentful, which uses a modern tech stack and API first approach.
Long-term secure & performant
The content stored at the headless CMSโs back-end is long-term security for companies planning to change application platforms.
It enables its users to migrate to a platform without rewriting the content quickly.
Platforms with more data privacy for developers and brands through their self-hosted feature.
Provides industrial-grade security of the content data and allows expansion through its scalable optimization, making it flawless for extensive data management. Examples include Kontent that functions as a Cloud-based SaaS and offers outstanding performance.
Content-centric
The headless CMS is a content-first platform, which means that businesses can first decide on a content model. Later, the website or application can be designed around the content instead of fitting the content over the template presentation.
Platforms like Agility CMS with decoupled and microservices architecture, making it a content-focused platform for sharing over multiple sites.
SEO capabilities & compatibility
Platforms like Ghost offer SEO capabilities to their content managers without the requirement of any third-party plugins for adapting to quality marketing approaches and are compatible with over 500+ third-party apps that allow robust automation and superior workflow.
Offers custom integration opportunities by giving complete control of the frontend, coupled with Ghost JSON API and webhooks.
Headless CMS platforms like Stapi offer wider compatibility with frameworks like Vue, React, and Angular.
Apart from the above-mentioned headless CMS features, you can look at this blog on multisite management using headless CMS and check out which headless CMS works best for your business.
Top comments (2)
Headless CMS are not without their drawbacks either. They are very much a "horses for courses" selection and work well in very specific circumstances. They are definitely not a cheap and cheerful option. If there is a decent budget, and sufficient marketing resource they represent a great choice but they are definitely best suited for specific use cases e.g. a tech company after a decent Series A raise, or a high traffic e-commerce site, or a company who have a significant omnichannel requirement. For more detail this article may help: A Beginnerโs Guide to Headless CMS
I couldn't agree more with this article. The shift towards headless CMS platforms has provided developers with much-needed flexibility and control over the frontend of their websites, and it's something that traditional CMS platforms struggle to offer.
Having used Contentrain.io, I can attest to the advantages of using a Git-based headless CMS. The ease of collaboration, version control, and seamless integration with popular static site generators are major benefits that I have experienced firsthand. It has significantly improved my workflow and allowed me to focus on building performant and visually appealing websites, without being constrained by a monolithic CMS.
The characteristics mentioned in the article are spot-on, and they highlight the reasons why more and more developers are moving towards headless CMS solutions. The emphasis on content reusability, flexibility, and long-term security, along with content-centricity, SEO capabilities, and compatibility, make headless CMS platforms like Contentrain.io the go-to choice for frontend developers who want to create modern, fast, and secure websites.
In conclusion, I believe that headless CMS platforms are the future of web development. They offer unmatched benefits compared to traditional CMS platforms and empower frontend developers to build truly remarkable websites while keeping the content management process simple and efficient.