Everything You Need to Know About Going Headless with WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) used today, powering millions of websites worldwide. But what if you want to take it further and go headless with WordPress? In this article, we’ll explore the ins and outs of headless WordPress and how it can make your web development process much easier! Let’s dig in! What Is a Headless CMS? A headless CMS is a management system built to deliver content through an API (Application Programming Interface) rather than generating HTML pages. This type of CMS typically uses JSON or XML as its data format, allowing users to access and manage their content from any device. A headless CMS has no frontend tools, unlike traditional CMSs, which rely on templates to render pages. Instead, it provides an API with endpoints (or URLs) that can be used to access the content data. Developers can then use this data to create custom web or mobile applications on the client side. What Is Headless WordPress? Headless WordPress is a type of Content Management System (CMS) that allows developers to create, manage, and deliver content to any device or interface without needing a graphical user interface (GUI). This is done by decoupling the backend functions of WordPress from its front-end output. In other words, headless WordPress allows developers to manage content from the WordPress admin panel while enabling them to use a different front-end framework of their choice. This approach is becoming popular as the best choice for developers, allowing for greater flexibility and customization when creating modern digital experiences. It also allows faster deployment times since all content changes can be managed without updating the entire website. For example, a headless content management system website might be built using JavaScript frameworks like React or Vue.js while content is managed from the backend of WordPress. This allows front-end developers to use all the features and benefits of WordPress, such as customization, scalability, and security reasons, without worrying about the front-end design and development. Benefits of Using Headless WordPress Headless WordPress is becoming increasingly popular among web developers and brands looking for a more streamlined and efficient way to manage their content. Here are some key benefits of utilizing a headless WordPress setup: Quicker Development Times A headless WordPress setup allows developers to build pages quickly, leveraging the existing WordPress framework and its content management capabilities. This reduces the time spent on development and helps ensure that pages are developed consistently. Streamlined Workflow By separating the backend functionality of WordPress from the frontend design, developers can focus on creating well-structured content rather than worrying about page styling. This allows for a more streamlined workflow and faster development times. Easy Maintenance With headless WordPress, maintenance is much easier. Instead of updating a website’s backend code and frontend design, developers only need to make changes to one part of the platform. This reduces the amount of time and money spent on maintenance. Improved Performance Headless WordPress websites can be delivered faster and more efficiently using API-endpoint-driven architecture. This leads to improved performance boosts and user experience. More Scalable Headless WordPress sites are easier to scale than traditional WordPress websites. This is because the front and back ends can scale independently, allowing developers to add more features and capabilities easily. Drawbacks of Headless WordPress Headless WordPress has some drawbacks that should be considered. While it can offer powerful flexibility but causes extra workload, there are a few things to consider: Additional Maintenance Sites running on a Headless WordPress system require additional maintenance, as they have the same components (WordPress and a web server) to be managed. For example, if the web server needs updates or security patches, it must be done separately from the WordPress core environment, which can be time-consuming and tedious. It’s like having two houses with their upkeep—double the work! Complexity Rendering dynamic content often requires a considerable amount of effort with headless WordPress. This is because no default user interface can create the desired data structure. Since the developer has to build it manually without proper knowledge, they may save time figuring out how to structure the data. Higher Development Cost Picking headless WordPress over a traditional setup requires extensive development, which will cost you. Though the initial costs of setting up a headless CMS are relatively low (as compared to buying an entire content management system), the long-term costs associated with customizing and maintaining it can be substantial. Due to the complexity of setting up a headless WordPress CMS, developers will often charge higher hourly rates to manage the project. Furthermore, as your development team can add more features and functionality to your website/app, you may be paying additional costs for plugins, extensions, and other customizations. Limited Support and Compatibility with Plugins and Themes Headless WordPress does not support all existing plugins and themes, as many are designed for traditional WordPress websites. Furthermore, since headless WordPress is a relatively new technology, there needs to be more technical support available to help you if something needs to be fixed. Your content team may need to hire a developer or an experienced user group to get your help. Examples of Companies that Use Headless WordPress Headless WordPress has quickly become one of the most popular tools in web development and is now being used by many companies. TechCrunch, for example, uses Headless WordPress to power its website. It’s one of the biggest technology blogs on the internet and is hosted on WordPress.com VIP. In 2018, they completely rebuilt their website using Headless WordPress to capitalize on advances in web development since their last overhaul. This allowed them to deliver a better user experience and make building future improvements easier. Frontity, another company that utilizes Headless WordPress for its website development needs, Frontity also states that they have experienced an increase in page speed due to their use of this technology. Finally, Beachbody On Demand, an online fitness platform, uses Headless WordPress to power its streaming service. With this technology, they can
