Having a CMS API does not make your CMS headless

Highlights

You'll learn what to look for beyond a content management API in a true headless CMS.

• API-first design: Built for flexibility, not pages and templates
• Front-end agnostic: Compatible with any framework or service
• Omnichannel delivery: Seamless publishing across all platforms
• SaaS-based ease: No upgrades, hosting or scaling costs to you

A true headless CMS offers more than just an API. It is flexible, cloud-native, microservices-driven and based on back-end-front-end separation.

While a content management system (CMS) can claim “headless capabilities” by providing a CMS API, simply having an API does not make a headless CMS. Yet that does not stop many vendors from trying to convince you otherwise.

To save you trouble from this misconception, we have put together this guide to help marketing professionals understand the ins and outs of APIs.

It includes how APIs define the functionality of a headless CMS, the danger of investing in the wrong CMS and — best of all — the ultimate list for spotting and shutting down a headless CMS imposter.

What is an API?

An application programming interface (API) is a technology that enables one application to make requests from or invoke actions in another application. APIs allow computer programs to interface — or communicate — with one another.

Software that uses APIs to provide data and functionality is more flexible, scalable and integrable, which means it can be valuable and useful to businesses in many ways.

What is a CMS API?

A CMS API or content management API is a programming interface that allows developers to interact with, retrieve and manage content within a content management system (CMS).

A CMS API is one of many methods of accessing data. Even if a headless CMS delivers content via an API, traditional CMSes like WordPress and Drupal provide an API, but it is only an afterthought. There is no front-end separation, no flexibility and no automatic omnichannel support that makes a true headless CMS.

Why is API integration critical to headless CMS?

Headless CMSes separate content creation and management in the back end (the “body”) from the front end, where the content is formatted and distributed (the “head”).

Using an API makes it possible to deliver content stored in the back-end repository to any device or channel in the front end. This is central to what makes headless architecture ideal for brands that need to deliver experiences across consumer touchpoints.

This should be all of them, considering that in 2020, the customer experience is expected to “overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.”

To learn more about the differences between the various content management systems, download our free ebook: The Ultimate Guide to CMS, Vol. 1.

The challenges of using a traditional CMS in place of a headless CMS

We mentioned WordPress and Drupal earlier, and you must have heard of them. These are traditional, monolithic CMS platforms that include a frontend presentation layer (the “head”) intertwined with the backend.

Because of this entanglement, content must be developed, designed and delivered in the specific format that the CMS was built to handle. Often, the default delivery channel is either a static website or a web-based application.

This tight “coupling” of content and presentation is outdated, as it limits how and where organizations can distribute content. To get around this, businesses tack modern interface-building (think React) software to a traditional CMS backend to create a DIY “headless” solution.

This approach does have a few advantages, such as:

• Delaying spending time and money to migrate content from one CMS platform to another
• Content managers do not learn the ins and outs of a headless CMS, which can be costly when they need to advance their skills to keep up with changes in the industry

However, trying to use a souped-up traditional CMS instead of a headless CMS also has plenty of disadvantages, such as:

• Speed and performance issues: While a traditional CMS would not be nearly as useful without plugins, most come with more than you could ever need. Like pulling a cart of rocks uphill, the weight of these plugins slows down websites. On average, Google’s top sites load under three seconds, and 57% of people bounce if a page takes longer to load, you cannot afford slow performance.
• Stability issues associated with plugins: Upgrades to plugins can also cause problems. Not all plugins are automatically updated to work with the latest release, so using new and old plugins that don’t work together can result in downtime or a broken site.
• Security concerns: Plugins introduce security and compliance concerns. In WordPress, for example, plugins are the largest source of security vulnerabilities. Of the ten most vulnerable plugins on WordPress, half are from commercial companies — and one is even a security-focused plugin.
• Poor editorial workflow: Even with multi-channel distribution tools that mimic a headless CMS, the editing workflow in a traditional CMS will always revolve around templates. Hence, content managers must structure content according to the technology’s built-in logic — no matter how your business or content needs to evolve.
• Costly maintenance: While you may feel like you are buying a little slice of security when you invest in a traditional CMS that is hosted in-house or on an external server, you are only signing up for a lifetime of hosting expenses, upgrades, security and version maintenance. A headless CMS is hosted and managed by the vendor. You do not have to worry about upgrades, hosting bills and back-breaking expenses if you need to scale.
• Lack of flexibility: The interdependency between the authoring experience, content visualization and the vendor ecosystem used to be a delight for single-channel publishers. Today, you do not want to be locked into a single selection of plugins or a software suite. A headless CMS allows you to pick and choose your tech stack to optimize content and publish it across multiple channels, devices and audiences.

How to spot a headless CMS “imposter”

With the growing popularity of headless CMS, it seems every content management provider is looking for a workaround that will allow them to call their platform “headless.” Some traditional CMS now offer CMS APIs or content management APIs to claim they are headless.

While imitation is the best form of flattery, we want to make sure you do not fall for false advertising. If you are shopping for a pure headless CMS, this six-step checklist will help you identify and avoid imposters.

1. A headless CMS offers more than a singular, content-focused API.

Most modern content management systems, both headless and traditional, include some APIs. These content management APIs pull content out of a repository. However, a single API does not make a headless CMS. If you want a headless solution, look for details on APIs that enable functionality across the platform — from content creation to management to delivery.

2. A headless CMS can support any frontend

Because APIs are used to link the front and backends, a headless CMS solution should be able to work with any front end. That means a genuine headless CMS solution should have software development kits (SDKs) that cater to all frontend frameworks, frontend-as-a-service providers, mobile apps and traditional application programming languages.

3. Headless is always API-first

“Headless” is synonymous with “API-first” because headless architecture is predicated on the assumption that the APIs were there first. If the CMS is built on pages and templates with APIs layered over the top, that makes the APIs an afterthought. You will probably find that such architecture starts to crumble the deeper you dig.

4. Headless CMS as (usually) delivered as a service

Some traditional CMS vendors will sell you usage-based packages, similar to offerings with SaaS platforms. However, they are probably just fancied-up managed services. If so, you may eventually find that you lack the flexibility and rapid development pace a service-based headless CMS offers. Here is a tip. Ask how much money and time you can expect to spend on version upgrades. With a proper SaaS headless CMS, the answer should be none.

5. Headless CMS is automatically omnichannel

Technically speaking, any CMS can publish to multiple channels. However, with a traditional CMS, you must manually create separate content for each channel. A headless CMS serves as many channels, platforms and audiences as you want from a single content source.

All the business user has to do is establish rules and implement integrations to translate, localize and further optimize it. This distinction is critical, as manually creating content with a traditional CMS can ramp up your overhead costs and kill your speed to market.

6. Headless CMS can flex to fit your use cases

You are about to invest a large sum on the platform upon which your entire digital experience will rest. So, by all means, take it for a spin! Headless or not, you want to make sure the CMS you choose is going to fit your business needs. Even if it requires a small investment, get a test account and work through several realistic proofs of concept. If the vendor is unwilling to let you try before you buy — they likely have something to hide.

To recap, traditional CMSes may offer APIs to manage content, but that does not make them headless. They lack the front-end decoupling, API-first design and cloud-native capabilities that make a true headless CMS.

FAQ section

What is the difference between headless and API-first?

Headless means that the back end is detached from a front-end presentation layer. API-first means that the system prioritizes APIs, which enables seamless integrations.

What is the difference between CMS and headless CMS?

A regular CMS manages content, and the front end and back end are intertwined within one system, while a headless CMS separates content management (back end) from the presentation layer (front end).

What is the difference between headless API and rest API?

A headless API allows developers to interact with a back end without being tied to a specific front-end interface. A REST API is an architectural standard for designing APIs that use HTTP methods to access and interact with data on a server.

Is a CMS an API?

No. A CMS is a content management system, while an API is a set of protocols that enables software applications to communicate with each other.

Learn more

Now that you can differentiate between a headless CMS and a traditional CMS that provides a content management API, it makes your job easier to find a content management system to power your digital experience. As you prepare yourself to dive into CMS shopping, our primer on how to choose a CMS should also give you a great place to start.

Contentstack offers a pioneer headless CMS that allows you to bring your innovative ideas to life faster and at scale with its API-first and cloud-native capabilities. Beyond that, you can take things further with specialized solutions for automation, AI and personalization. Talk to us today to get started.