What
is headless CMS- Why is so popular?
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| Traditional cms v/s headless cms |
The “head” in “headless CMS” refers to the frontend. A headless content management system consists primarily of an API as well as the backend technology required to store and deliver content. The headless approach allows developers to provide content as a service, abbreviated as CaaS, which simply means that content storage and delivery are handled by separate software. A headless CMS can make the following tasks less of a headache:
- Modelling, creating and authoring content
- Organizing content repositories
- Improving workflow and collaboration
The “head” of a traditional content management system (CMS) refers to its front-end components, such as the front-end framework and templating system. These tools deliver and display the content on the desired platform. So, just as chopping off Ned Stark’s head opened up a possibility of storylines on “Game of Thrones,” chopping of the head of a CMS opens up the possibilities for content delivery.
A headless CMS removes those front-end components. This leaves raw and unpublished content at a development team’s disposal. Since they are not tied down by one default front-end system to deliver that content, developers can build as many heads as they’d like to display content. With a little magic from an API, this content is delivered to a variety of platforms, from websites, to apps, to smart watches and more. A traditional CMS already has a front-end delivery layer built in. That means content is only displayed onto one platform.
Common features of a headless CMS
- API functionality
- Content model creation
- Asset management
- Multi-language publishing
- Benefits of a headless CMS
As discussed the biggest benefit of a headless CMS — the fact that developers can build multiple heads to which content is delivered. It’s the main component that sets this type of content management solution apart from a traditional CMS. But that’s not the only feature that makes this software worth looking into.
Simple implementation
With a traditional CMS, you would need to reimplement the tool each time you wanted to upload content to a different platform. As a headless CMS does not include a frontend delivery system, there is no need to reimplement.
User-friendly
A traditional CMS is built upon a website and there is a lot of code and content required to make that happen. You only need a little code to get a headless CMS up and running, which makes it far easier to use than a traditional CMS.
According to Forbes, “It’s also a lot quicker for business teams to create new functionality. For example, if a marketing department wishes to create a new series of product mini-sites, it can go straight into the CMS and start creating the content immediately.”
Quicker deployment
As previously mentioned, a beneficial feature of a headless CMS is the fact that it allows you to streamline various tasks. One of which is the fact that content creators and developers can work in tandem with a headless CMS. With this ability, you can get your content up and running quicker than you could with a traditional CMS, since a traditional CMS requires the system to be fully developed before content is created.
Reasons why headless CMS is popular
A headless CMS isn’t always the best choice, so you have to consider your circumstances carefully. We recommend using a headless CMS in the following cases:
- Websites/web apps that use JavaScript frameworks such as React, Angular or VueJs
- Native mobile apps
- Any environment in which you need to publish content across multiple platforms all at once
- When using a static site generator.
I hope these thoughts will help your team match the appropriate type of CMS to each project.
