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Glossary· Building and hosting

What is a headless CMS?

A headless CMS stores and manages content without controlling how the website displays it.

Definition

Content is delivered through an API to any front end, such as a Next.js site, instead of being tied to a theme as in traditional systems.

Why it matters

It separates editing from design, so a site can look custom while editors still have an easy interface.

How to get it right

  • Model content around what pages need.
  • Let editors preview changes.
  • Cache content for speed.
  • Keep URLs stable.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Over-complex content models
  • No preview for editors
  • Fetching content on every request without caching

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Questions

Questions, answered.

The things people ask before they start building.

What is a headless CMS?

A headless CMS stores and manages content without controlling how the website displays it. Content is delivered through an API to any front end, such as a Next.js site, instead of being tied to a theme as in traditional systems.

Why does Headless CMS matter?

It separates editing from design, so a site can look custom while editors still have an easy interface.

How do you get headless cms right?

Model content around what pages need. Let editors preview changes. Cache content for speed. Keep URLs stable.

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