What is a headless CMS?
A headless content management system (CMS) is software for creating and storing content separate from the presentation layer. It lets companies create and manage content independently from a specific delivery platform.
Since a headless CMS is a back-end-only system, content creators and teams can use their content on various front-end tools, such as third-party sites and apps. A software intermediary called an application programming interface (API) connects the back-end to the front-end to deliver the content.
Organizations choose headless CMS software to manage content when they want more flexibility regarding where they share it. For example, it lets a company publish product descriptions on its own website and on smart speakers.
Benefits of a headless CMS
Since a headless CMS separates content creation and delivery, developers can use any front-end platform. This provides many benefits, including:
- Omnichannel capabilities. The modern customer journey is complex, often with touchpoints across multiple channels. Since a headless CMS can connect to different presentation layers, it lets businesses deliver content wherever customers are, from websites to smart TVs to digital billboards.
- Increased speed. A headless CMS doesn’t need to render pages on a server, which makes content delivery faster. Since the back-end system is separate, less code is on the website itself, which speeds up its performance.
- Greater flexibility. The best headless CMS offers easy integration options through APIs. This means developers code in their preferred language, and front-end platforms still integrate.
- Scalability. With a headless CMS, developers can scale the back-end independently of the front-end. As the organization’s needs grow, a headless CMS scales to handle large amounts of content. This makes it perfect for high-traffic websites and large e-commerce sites.
- Security. If hackers gain access to a headless CMS, they can’t control your entire site. This makes Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) less common, too.
Limitations of a headless CMS
While many organizations are now turning to a headless CMS for a fast, safe solution they can use across channels, the technology does have some drawbacks. Some limitations of a headless CMS are below.
- No content previewing. Companies typically want to know how content will look and feel to their users. Since a headless CMS lacks a tightly coupled front-end, it’s hard to preview content to find and fix formatting errors.
- More labor. Organizations choosing a headless CMS usually need to invest in a developer to manage the complexities involved with configuring the set-up with the front-end. While this may be fine for larger businesses already working with a development team, smaller companies could find it a dealbreaker.
- Cost. A headless CMS can come with a high installation price. Companies must pay for a developer and a separate front-end or hosting infrastructure.
Headless CMS use cases
A headless CMS may not work for every organization, but this option excels in certain applications. Some of these use cases include:
- E-commerce. These online stores use a headless CMS to manage product descriptions and images and deliver them to websites, mobile apps, and social media product listings. Plus, headless CMSs integrate with e-commerce platforms for an end-to-end solution.
- Internet of Things (IoT). A headless CMS can deliver content to IoT devices, like smartwatches, voice assistants, or smart security systems. Not limited to text delivery, the headless CMS can also send images to these devices, enhancing the user experience (UX).
- Cross-channel publishing. Instead of just publishing a blog or guide to their own site, companies with a headless CMS can send it to their chatbots or mobile apps. This allows them to provide information and support in a way that’s more accessible to customers.
Headless CMS vs. traditional CMS
As the headless CMS becomes a more popular choice, companies may wonder how it differs from a traditional CMS. While both types of systems allow for content creation and management on the back-end (the body), key differences arise when it comes to the front-end (the head).
A traditional CMS is an everything platform that provides both the content management system and the presentation layer for displaying content. Since the front-end is tightly coupled to the back-end, content managers can easily preview how content will appear to end users. On the flip side, it’s difficult to customize or change that appearance or to repurpose content across channels and platforms.
A headless CMS only contains the content database for creating, editing, and managing content. This means developers can use or build any front-end tool to deliver that content. This can pose issues with seamlessly previewing content, but it allows wider-scale broadcasting and repurposing.
Overall, a traditional CMS is often a better fit for smaller companies with a simpler content distribution strategy, while a headless CMS solution works well for enterprises with lots of content and more complex needs.
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Kelly Fiorini
Kelly Fiorini is a freelance writer for G2. After ten years as a teacher, Kelly now creates content for mostly B2B SaaS clients. In her free time, she’s usually reading, spilling coffee, walking her dogs, and trying to keep her plants alive. Kelly received her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame and her Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Louisville.
