What is a Headless CMS, and Could it be Right for You?
By Julie Kennon | September 30, 2021
What is a headless CMS?
Any conversation these days that talks about key trends in technology will mention the growing interest in, and use of, a concept called headless CMS. Whether or not it’s for you, headless CMS is here to stay, and understanding what it is is critical to having a broad view of the content management landscape.
So what is a headless CMS? A typical, full-featured CMS offers two types of technology:
- The front end, or the presentation of content, and
- The back end, or the storage and management of the content (this includes things like information architecture, taxonomy, etc.).
This allows users to create content quickly and deliver it via a web browser. In headless CMS, the front end (or “head”) is removed from the CMS’s purview, and the CMS only manages the back end of the content. If we were to think of this in lay terms, it’s like a store (front end) that is supported by a warehouse (back end). The warehouse manages the inventory and keeps the store running, but the store can be organized or repainted at any time without affecting the warehouse.
What are the benefits of separating the front end and back end?
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If a developer isn’t working with a template or a theme, customizing the experience is a lot easier and a lot more flexible.
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Because the front-end technology can vary, developers can choose one that will allow them to analyze user behavior quickly and change the code of the site to reflect this dynamic information.
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Sites can more easily be built for an omnichannel environment, in which users will access your content from many more places than just your website.
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And finally, your website can grab content from multiple sources and present it to users quickly without making a pit stop at the CMS.
This developer-centric solution isn’t right for everyone. It can be expensive and it is, well, developer-centric, which is the opposite of what some clients want. WPVIP.com recommends asking four questions when considering your architecture:
Ask Yourself…
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What problem are you trying to solve? If you have unique experience needs across multiple channels, headless might be a good fit. If you’re trying to amp up speed or security, it might not be.
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How are you measuring the impact of that problem?
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What additional resources will your choice, whatever it is, require? Do you have them?
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Where will you host your front end?
If you are trying to decide what architecture is right for your organization, give us a call. Our developers are well-versed in all the options and we’d love to talk to you!