How to Use WordPress as a Headless CMS

Web development has evolved beyond simple, monolithic websites. Many businesses are making use of social media, mobile apps, and Internet of Things (IoT) channels to deliver content to users.

To make the most of this changing landscape, some business owners might consider a headless content management system (CMS) approach. A headless CMS is a content management backend (WordPress) decoupled from a custom-built frontend.

Headless CMS allows you to take advantage of WordPress’s established content management capabilities through the Representational State Transfer (REST) API or the GraphQL API and extend your content management beyond your WordPress theme to other web formats.

This article will demystify using WordPress as a headless CMS, guiding you through its core concepts, setup process, and the significant advantages it offers for modern web applications.

Understanding Headless CMS and Why WordPress Is a Perfect Fit

In a traditional, monolithic approach to web development, WordPress handles both content management (the backend) and the display or theme of content (the frontend).

With a headless (decoupled) approach, WordPress manages the content and makes it accessible via API (WordPress REST or GraphQL) to a now separate frontend framework (for example, React, Vue, Next.js, Gatsby), which fetches and displays content for the user.

The headless CMS approach can provide numerous advantages:

• Flexibility: Allows you to use any frontend technology rather than being locked into WordPress.
• Performance: Supports faster load times, better user experience, often via static site generation (SSR).
• Scalability: It separates frontend and backend scaling in support of increased traffic and/or content volume.
• Security: This approach reduces the attack surface of the WordPress backend.
• Multi-Channel Delivery: Allows the serving of content to websites, mobile apps, IoT devices, and smartwatches from a single source.

WordPress is an ideal choice for a headless CMS for many reasons:

• Provides a familiar content management interface for non-developers.
• Delivers robust user management and permissions.
• Offers an extensive plugin ecosystem for content fields and search engine optimization (SEO), though not all plugins work with headless CMS.
• Works with REST API (built in since WP 4.7) and growing GraphQL support.

Key Components of a Headless WordPress Setup

There are four main components that make up a standard headless WordPress setup.

• WordPress Backend (the Head): This is your core WordPress installation that has been optimized for speed and security. The Head includes plugins for custom post types, custom fields such as Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or Custom Post Type (CPT) UI, and GraphQL. No active frontend theme is needed.
• API Layer (the Neck): This is your WordPress REST API, the default way to fetch posts, images, custom post types, etc. An alternative approach to the Neck is to use GraphQL.
• Frontend Application (the Body): This is built with a modern Javascript framework (for example, React, Vue, Next.js, or Gatsby). The Body fetches data through the Neck from the Head and renders it to the end user. It handles routing, styling, and user interaction.
• Hosting and Deployment: Headless CMS separates hosting for the WordPress backend (typically with a managed WordPress host) and the frontend (typically with Vercel, Netlify, or a dedicated server). Continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines can be implemented as part of the deployment.

Step-by-Step: Setting Up WordPress as a Headless CMS

The process for setting up WordPress as a headless CMS is straightforward.

1. Install WordPress. Set up a fresh WordPress instance on a reliable host.
2. Install essential plugins. This includes the following:
   • ACF: For creating custom data fields for your content.
   • CPT UI: For defining custom content such as “Products” or “Events”.
   • WPGraphQL (recommended): Helps install and configure for efficient data querying.
   • Headless CMS Plugin (optional): Plugins like WP Headless can help streamline the content flow.
3. Create custom content. Define your custom post types and fields in WordPress to structure your content. Populate your site with some initial content.
4. Develop your frontend application. Choose your framework (React, Vue, Next.js, Gatsby). Set up your project. Use libraries (such as Apollo Client for GraphQL) to connect to your WordPress API. Fetch and display content dynamically.
5. Configure API security and authentication. Implement secure API keys or OAuth for protected content. Consider read-only API access for public content.
6. Initiate deployment. Deploy your WordPress backend to a managed WordPress host such as Pressable. Deploy your frontend application to its dedicated hosting environment.

Benefits of Headless WordPress for Your Project

Once you have everything set up, you will start to discover firsthand some of the benefits of headless WordPress for your site.

• Ultimate Flexibility: You have the freedom to use any frontend technology.
• Superior Performance: Your site experiences faster loading times, better SEO, and improved UX.
• Enhanced Security: The decoupled architecture reduces vulnerabilities to the backend.
• Future-proofing: It is relatively easy to swap out frontend frameworks without touching your content.
• Multi-Platform Content: You can deliver content to the web, mobile apps, IoT devices, and even smartwatches.
• Developer Freedom: Developers can work with their preferred tools.

Potential Challenges and Considerations

Using WordPress as a headless CMS has many benefits, but it is not a good fit for every circumstance. It presents some challenges.

• Increased Complexity: It requires more technical expertise than monolithic WordPress.
• Plugin Compatibility: Not all WordPress plugins work seamlessly in a headless setup, especially those that impact your frontend.
• SEO Management: This approach requires careful setup on the frontend for optimal SEO.
• Development Costs: You will need a developer with this approach, driving up costs initially for the specialized skills that are needed to set it up and maintain it.

Embracing a Modern Development Approach

For businesses that require something beyond a simple website setup or that are looking to utilize their content in the widening world of content channels, using WordPress as a headless CMS may be a strong fit.

It provides a flexible approach to presenting content, boosts the overall performance of your site, scales to meet growing content and traffic demands, reduces the attack surface of your valuable backend data, and supports multi-channel content delivery.

While it demands a more modern development approach, the benefits can be transformative for ambitious websites. Take some time and explore how headless WordPress can push the boundaries of the digital experience you are offering your users.

Pressable Support WordPress as a Headless CMS

Pressable makes it easy to use WordPress as a headless CMS. We provide a hosting environment that is optimized for both the WordPress backend and the decoupled frontend. In addition, we provide hosting optimized for speed, security, and reliability. Our infrastructure is designed to automatically scale to meet traffic spikes, ensuring that your WordPress backend can handle surging requests from your frontend. We give you the technical confidence you need to focus your attention on managing other parts of your content process, including your frontend framework.

Pressable—part of the Automattic family that also includes WordPress.com, WordPress VIP, and WooCommerce—is staffed by WordPress experts with the skills and knowledge to effectively manage your WordPress site. If you’re thinking about switching to managed WordPress hosting, schedule a demo to see how Pressable can support your continued optimization and growth.

Kevin MacGillivray

Kevin MacGillivray is the Chief Marketing Officer at Pressable, where he’s focused on helping more creators build fast, secure, and successful WordPress sites. He’s driven to grow Pressable’s impact and make it the go-to choice for more businesses. Kevin enjoys making technology feel simple, useful, and inspiring through clear storytelling, creative experiments, and building new ways for the community to connect and thrive. Kevin lives in Victoria, British Columbia, where you’ll often find him swimming in the ocean, exploring local trails with his dog, Minerva, or embracing the West Coast’s vibrant lifestyle and easy rhythm.