A headless CMS is a back-end only content management system. This tool allows businesses to manage, store, and track content projects from creation to publication, just as a traditional CMS does. Unlike web content management software, the front-end delivery layer of a website is removed from a headless CMS. Developers can use any front-end tool they want to present the content that has been created. This content is stored within a cloud and provided as a service through an API. This means that businesses can deliver content beyond websites and apps onto platforms such as smartwatches and virtual reality headsets. This solution also often offers the option to translate content into different languages.
Despite the open-source nature, the best headless CMS
should not be confused with business content management software (BCM). An API allows content from a headless CMS to be published on any platform, while the open-source aspect of a BCM ensures that users across multiple locations can edit files. A headless CMS should integrate with WYSIWYG editors.
To qualify for inclusion in the Headless CMS category, a product must:
Offer content modeling
Allow for the creation, reading, updating, and deleting of content
Facilitate content production workflow
Organize content in a cloud-based repository
Give businesses the opportunity to repurpose content across multiple channels
