Learn More About Headless CMS Software
What is Headless CMS Software?
A headless CMS, also known as API-first CMS, is a back-end exclusive content management system where the content repository “body" is decoupled from the front-end presentation layer. The architecture of a headless CMS differs from traditional CMS architecture. Instead of a static front-end display, content is pulled from the repository via a RESTful API (web services that implement a REST API), which allows it to be displayed on any type of device. Since content is pulled from a RESTful API, the front-end presentation is generated on the end user’s side and developers can create digital experiences without creating bespoke front-end displays for different types of devices.
The ability to avoid the development of unique, device-specific front-end displays is the main purpose of a headless CMS. Traditional web content management systems (WCMS), also known as monolithic CMS, struggled in this regard, and developers were often tasked with creating multiple, device-specific user interface displays for their websites and other digital experiences. While some traditional B2B CMS are advertised as being mobile friendly and ready to be viewed on mobile apps, many are unable to take into account all the types of devices a web page could be viewed from, including smartwatches, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and other internet of things (IoT) devices. Since a headless CMS is entirely device agnostic, it can deliver and format content to any of the above devices and more. With a headless CMS, developers can develop as many front-end layers as they would like in whatever coding language they prefer. Further, because the back-end is decoupled from the front-end, headless CMS allows for real-time editing and collaboration.
Decoupled content management systems are also discussed alongside headless CMS; both have similarities, but the differences are stark. Both headless and decoupled content management systems separate the back-end content repository from the front-end presentation layer of a website or application. However, a decoupled CMS will provide traditional WCMS features like content templates and what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) editors to create front-end content experiences. This can be beneficial for marketers who may find headless CMSs too technical to use for publishing content.
What Does Headless CMS Stand For?
Headless CMS stands for headless content management system. A content management system is a software application that manages web content and allows multiple contributors to create, edit, and publish content. In a traditional CMS, the content is stored in a database and users can select templates and extensions to design and customize the front-end. Headless CMS is a type of content management system that only deals with content. Once the content is created, it is published through an API.
What Types of Headless CMS Software Exist?
Headless CMS providers offer the same core features across most solutions. There can be variation in functionality if the headless CMS is part of a larger software solution like a digital experience platform (DXP), but most standalone options are very similar. The key difference between headless CMS solutions is how they are licensed. Headless CMS, like many other content management systems, are either open source or software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions.
Open source
Some headless CMS options are completely open-source software solutions, meaning developers can access the source code if need be. Open-source content management systems are easier to customize and tailor to a business’ needs. Since open-source software can be modified, developer communities tend to build around them, allowing programmers to collaborate and solve problems together. Open-source solutions are great options for developers looking for community support and collaboration for their software of choice.
SaaS
Many headless CMS options are available as SaaS products that can either be hosted in the cloud or on site. In either case, SaaS solutions require a license to use, so businesses must purchase the product. Since the software is licensed, developers won’t be able to modify the source code. However, one key benefit of SaaS headless CMS options is their focus on business use cases, and typically SaaS headless CMS options provide some specific, predefined modifications so businesses have some customization options. Another benefit to SaaS solutions is access to vendor-provided technical support—something open-source solutions very rarely have.
What are the Common Features of Headless CMS Software?
The following are features that make managing content using a headless CMS efficient for an organization.
RESTful API: REST stands for representational state transfer, an architectural style for communications utilized in web services. An API is a set of procedures or functions that allow programmers to access features or data of an application, operating system, or database within their application. A RESTful API uses HTTP calls to GET, PUT, POST, and DELETE resources from a content repository. A RESTful API is the backbone of a headless CMS. Without it, device and channel-agnostic content delivery wouldn’t be possible since developers would need to create bespoke front-end layers for every device and channel. With a RESTful API, how content should be displayed is already built into the code and isn’t dictated by a static presentation layer.
Editor interface: Like other web CMS software, a headless CMS provides an editor interface or dashboard where users can draft content, upload and manage assets, and view different project layers.
Content repository: A core component of a headless CMS is its content repository. The content repository houses all content that will be delivered through a website or application via the RESTful API, including written content, images, video, and audio files.
Content taxonomy and tagging: A headless CMS often provides a comprehensive taxonomy and tagging system for content added to the content repository. This provides structure to the content repository for ease of navigation and simplifies reusing assets.
Versioning: Headless CMS options also provide content versioning akin to versioning features in other content management systems. This feature allows content authors to keep track of changes and revert edits to content if the need arises.
User permissions: User permissions features allow administrators to designate access to specific features or permission to view and edit particular projects and content. Permissions and roles are standard features in content management systems, including headless CMSs. Every user working within a headless CMS does not need access to every project or piece of content; locking specific features or access to content is a practical solution to ensure security and prevent mistakes.
Workflows: Many headless CMS providers provide built-in agile workflows to enhance efficiency within the application. This allows teams to delegate tasks and keep track of the different stages of a project.
Other features of headless CMS software: AR/VR Capabilities, Content Performance, Form Building, and Unlimited Environments.
What are the Benefits of Headless CMS Software?
Multi-platform and omnichannel content delivery: A headless CMS allows for omnichannel content delivery, meaning that it gives companies the ability to distribute content to users through various channels and build a cohesive user experience across multiple platforms. A headless CMS streamlines operations and allows for content management to occur from a single location, making content optimization and delivery efficient.
Flexibility for developers while developing front-end layers: Using a traditional CMS structure can be extremely limiting for developers because the front-end layers are dependent on the back-end, meaning that there needs to be separate code for each type of device that the content will be displayed on. With a headless CMS, the front-end presentation layer is decoupled from the content repository, giving the user freedom to build a front-end framework that makes sense for the project. Headless CMS allows users to focus on content creation as opposed to content management, allowing for more freedom and scalability.
Who Uses Headless CMS Software?
Developers and programmers: While a headless CMS provides many benefits over a traditional CMS, it does require more technical coding knowledge. In a traditional CMS, marketers would be provided a WYSIWYG editor to draft content for publishing or a functionality of website builder software to design and publish a website. Since headless CMS removes the static front-end delivery of a WCMS, presentation layers must be built before content can be delivered. While developers and programmers have always had a hand in creating their business’s web experiences, marketers have less knowledge of what they can typically do in a headless CMS. As a result, the majority of a workforce’s time spent in a headless CMS belongs to development teams.
Marketers and content creators: While developers and programmers will likely spend the most time within a headless CMS, marketers, content creators, and content editors still leverage some features within one. In particular, written content and assets still need to be added to the CMS’s content repository. Since marketers and other content creators handle writing text-based content or designing assets, they might also be tasked with adding their new content (text, images, or videos) to a headless CMS’s content repository.
What are the Alternatives to Headless CMS Software?
Alternatives to headless CMS can replace this type of software, either partially or completely:
Traditional CMS: A traditional CMS is similar to a headless CMS in that they are both forms of content repositories and are used to manage web content. The main difference between the two types of CMS is that headless CMS doesn’t have a presentation layer, meaning that using a headless CMS requires more development knowledge. Users of headless CMS can switch to a traditional CMS if they find the development process using headless CMS to be too complex and want something quicker and simpler. While a traditional CMS is better for simpler websites, such as blogs, a headless CMS is better for more complex material, such as e-commerce sites. A traditional CMS may be better suited for smaller organizations that don’t have the required resources to effectively use a headless CMS.
Hybrid CMS: A hybrid CMS is a CMS that is decoupled from the front-end, similar to a headless CMS. However, unlike a headless CMS, a hybrid CMS includes a presentation layer similar to a traditional CMS. Because it has features of both a headless CMS and traditional CMS, a hybrid CMS gives developers some flexibility and freedom to deliver content across multiple channels while allowing for a marketer-user friendly interface and a content publishing experience that includes WYSIWYG editing.
Website builder software: Website builders are another common way to build websites. Unlike headless CMS, using website builders does not require coding and developing knowledge as they utilize ready-made templates and drag-and-drop options instead to create simple websites.
Challenges with Headless CMS Software
Headless CMS options can come with their own set of challenges.
No WYSIWYG functionality: The main drawback of a headless CMS is the lack of WYSIWYG functionality. Marketers accustomed to formatting their content within a CMS in a provided WYSIWYG editor don’t have that luxury with a headless CMS. Instead, developers code formatting protocols into their website or application, so marketing and development teams will have to work together closely to ensure they have a cohesive vision of how content should appear to customers and visitors. While this functionality can better guarantee formatting consistencies, it removes marketers’ ability to change formatting styles themselves.
As mentioned above, a decoupled CMS provides the benefits of a headless CMS while still providing the WYSIWYG editing marketers lean on to publish content. If hands-on, immediate content formatting permissions are a must for a marketing team, a decoupled CMS can be a great compromise.
Security: There are security concerns with headless CMS because it’s difficult to decide the level of access different users need. The code in the client’s browser along with the data transferred from APIs is an open book, meaning that anyone has access to this data and there is a risk of delivering confidential information to non-authorized users.
Preview: Because the presentation layer is decoupled from the content repository, there is no built-in way to preview how the presentation layer will react to coding changes in the CMS.
SEO: Most of the SEO work has to be implemented manually using a headless CMS because there's usually no plugin or add-ons that can do it for the user. Further, most headless CMS and front-end frameworks at the moment are Javascript-based, so SEO for these environments can be complicated to use because crawlers aren't able to render Javascript easily.
How to Buy Headless CMS Software
Requirements Gathering (RFI/RFP) for Headless CMS Software
Purchasing a headless CMS is a significant purchase that needs to be made carefully as the chosen product is a long-term decision. The first step is evaluating the needs of the business and the functionality that the website needs to have. Because there are alternatives to headless CMS (traditional CMS and hybrid CMS) which are often simpler to set up and implement, it’s important to decide if using a headless CMS is necessary for creating an effective website. Once it is decided that an organization needs a headless CMS, here are additional areas to evaluate:
How content needs to be managed in the CMS: It is important to look at the type of content that will be managed on the CMS. This will ensure that the selected solution allows matching the data types to the required content structure. If data types are complex and frequently changed, a user-friendly builder should be prioritized.
How file assets need to be managed from the CMS: Some websites include rich media assets, such as images and videos. In that case, the CMS needs to provide an asset management capability along with the ability to store files through the CMS in a cloud storage environment. Different headless CMS solutions will have varying limitations on these parameters, so it’s important to consider factors such as size limit per asset, included bandwidth, and total storage amount.
Integration extensions: A headless CMS needs to have extensions that allow it to integrate with third-party applications such as CRM, PIM, email marketing programs, localization tools, and more. These extensions allow for the personalization of content.
How many support resources are needed: Depending on the level of development expertise that the organization has, it will need more or less support resources, such as solid documentation, a customer service team, and community support (e.g., Slack, forums, etc.)
Compare Headless CMS Software Products
Create a long list
There is an extensive amount of options when it comes to headless CMS software. Once buyers understand the requirements, they should search for solutions by browsing the internet. Most product websites will have a ‘Features’ page that will provide a high-level picture of what the software encompasses. G2.com is a good place to start.
Create a short list
Next, buyers should research further into the long list of solutions to create a short list. There is lots of research (articles and videos) that explain and review different products from different perspectives. Buyers should find research that caters to their industry. G2.com’s ‘Compare’ feature will help to stack software up side by side to compare specific features and learn how real users rate them.
Conduct demos
Demos are a great way to get a firsthand look at potential solutions and the ability to ask the right questions to determine which product is right for the organization. Buyers should prepare for each demo by having a standard list of questions and clarifications to ask each vendor.
Selection of Headless CMS Software
Choose a selection team
Given the complex and technical nature of operating a headless CMS, it will be developers and programmers who will be most involved with the use of a headless CMS. Thus, they need to be included in the conversation when choosing a solution. Content creators and marketers should also be included in the selection process as they are most familiar with the type of content that will be managed through the CMS.
Negotiation
At this stage, it is important to discuss pricing and ask if any discounts are available, whether it be for purchasing a larger number of licenses or for a longer duration. Buyers should explore payment options and implementation and onboarding services at this time as well.
Final decision
Now that buyers know which software solution they want to purchase, they should ask for a trial run of the product to test how it will be implemented and adopted by their teams. If it is well integrated with existing technology and the teams receive it well, the buyer can be confident that the purchase will be successful.
Headless CMS Software Trends
More copycat headless CMS products popping up: With the rapid growth of the headless CMS market and new solutions coming to market faster than ever, legacy CMS solutions are struggling to compete. Oftentimes, traditional CMS players will market themselves as headless, when in reality, these platforms only offer APIs and not a true decoupled experience that allows for the flexibility that actual headless CMS solutions offer. Buyers should be cautious of this.
