Glossary
Headless CMS
A CMS that delivers content via API — without owning how the frontend looks. You own presentation; the CMS owns editorial and structure.
What does it mean?
In a classic CMS (e.g. WordPress with a theme), content and frontend are coupled. A headless CMS separates them: editors work in the CMS, and your site (often Next.js) fetches content via API or at build time.
That gives you control over performance, SEO, and UI — and lets marketing publish without redeploying the whole app when preview and webhooks are set up correctly.
When it makes sense
Marketing publishes often
Without waiting in a developer queue for every copy change.
You want fast Next.js pages
With full control over rendering, metadata, and Core Web Vitals.
Multiple channels, same content
Website, app, newsletter — one content layer.
The WordPress theme became the bottleneck
When plugins and theme slow you more than they help.
Short answers
Is markdown in git also headless?
It is content without a classic CMS UI. Fine for docs and technical sites; heavier for non-technical editors.
Can WordPress be headless?
Yes — as a bridge. You get a modern frontend, but you still operate WordPress.
Which CMS do you choose?
By editorial needs, languages, and preview — often Sanity, Payload, or files in repo. See our decision guide.
Read next
Read next
Guides on CMS choice and migration.
- Web5 min read
How to choose a headless CMS — without building a new WordPress
A headless CMS solves a specific problem: content must be editable without redeploying the entire app. It is not automatically better than WordPress — it is better when your site is an app, not a theme.
→How to choose a headless CMS — without building a new WordPress - Web6 min read
WordPress to Next.js — when migration makes sense
WordPress is still a good choice for many marketing sites. But when performance, security, and developer experience start costing you more than WordPress gives back, Next.js is often the natural next step — if you do it with a plan.
→WordPress to Next.js — when migration makes sense
Need editorial without redeploy?
Let’s find the CMS level you actually need.
Sometimes the answer is files in git. Sometimes headless. We say so honestly.