Headless CMS

Main Hero

Definition

A content system that delivers via APIs without a fixed front end.

Advanced

Content is modelled once and consumed by multiple clients such as websites, apps, and kiosks. Supports static generation or server rendering, webhooks, previews, and role-based access.

Why it matters

Enables multi-channel publishing, developer flexibility, and performance.

Use cases

  • Website and mobile app share one content source
  • Multi-language and multi-region delivery
  • Migration away from monolithic CMS

Metrics

  • Time to publish
  • Build or render time
  • API latency and error rate

Issues

  • Poor content models that limit reuse
  • Missing preview or publishing workflow

Example

Payload CMS serving a Next.js site and a React Native app through REST or GraphQL with preview and webhooks.