headless CMS
noun
A headless CMS is a content management system that makes content available through an API without determining how it is presented to visitors.
The editorial team manages product information in a headless CMS, and the website and app retrieve the same content.
A headless Glossary · In briefCMSA CMS is software that lets users create, organize, edit and publish digital content, usually through an administration interface.Read more separates content management from presentation. Editors work in an administration interface, while a website, app or other channel displays the content. The name refers to the absence of a fixed presentation layer, or head.
How does a headless CMS work?
Editors enter text, images and data into structured content models. The system makes that content available through an Glossary · In briefAPIAn API is a defined way for software to exchange data or call functions in other software without needing to know how that software works internally.Read more, often using REST or GraphQL. A developer then builds a Glossary · In brieffrontendThe frontend is the part of a website or application that users see and operate, such as pages, buttons, forms and interactive screens.Read more that retrieves the required content and turns it into pages or screens.
Because the CMS does not determine the content's appearance, the same information can be used in several places. A product description might appear on a website, in a mobile app and on an information display. Each channel can have its own design and interactions.
How it differs from a traditional CMS
A traditional CMS usually combines the administration interface with templates that build pages. Editors can often see directly how a page will look and change elements within fixed templates.
With a headless CMS, developers build the presentation layer separately. This offers freedom in technology choices and allows content reuse across channels. In return, a working website needs more than the CMS alone: the frontend, hosting and API integration also need development and maintenance. The choice depends on the channels, editorial workflow and technical knowledge within the team.