Headless CMS

What it means

A headless CMS is a content management system that deals only with content: entering, editing, translating and approving it. Unlike a traditional CMS, it has no “head”, meaning no templates that display the content on a website. It serves content through an API, and a website, mobile app or other channel fetches and displays it in its own way.

Separating content from presentation means the same text can be used in several places, such as the website, an app, a newsletter or a screen in a shop. Developers can build the site on modern technology, for example as a static website that is fast and secure, while editors work in a clear interface.

Headless CMSs come as cloud services billed monthly by users and volume, or as open-source software the company runs itself. The difference lies in cost, control over data and who looks after updates and backups.

How it works in practice

A headless setup makes sense for multilingual sites, content shown across several channels and wherever speed and Core Web Vitals matter. For a simple company website of a few pages it is often needlessly complex, and a traditional CMS is cheaper.

When choosing, we recommend assessing whether editors can cope without a page preview, which headless systems sometimes offer only in limited form, and how much each design change will cost, since a developer makes it. The budget should include not just development but monthly fees for the CMS and hosting.

In the accounts a cloud CMS subscription is an operating expense. Custom website development may, if the conditions are met, be an intangible asset that is amortised, while content added in the course of normal work is not capitalised.

What to watch out for

The biggest risk is vendor lock-in. Cloud CMSs store content in their own format, and switching supplier or facing a price rise can make migration hard. Before choosing, check that content can be exported easily and keep regular backups outside the system.

The second risk is dependence on one developer. If a single freelancer built the site and it is undocumented, every change is expensive and everything stalls when they leave. The contract should include handover of source code, access credentials and basic documentation.