Quick answer
A headless CMS has no built-in website. It exposes content via an API. Any frontend can consume it: Next.js, Astro, mobile apps.
What it is
A headless CMS keeps content separate from design. Writers use the CMS to add content. Developers fetch it via API and display it on any frontend. Sanity, Payload, Strapi, Contentful and Storyblok are headless CMSs.
Why it matters
Headless CMSs let you pick the best frontend for each channel. You are not locked into one system. They scale well across multi-brand, multi-language and multi-channel programs.
How to use it
- Pick a headless CMS that suits your editorial team.
- Design content models that match your workflow.
- Connect your frontend with API calls.
- Set up previews so writers see the published result.
Examples
- A multi-brand site uses one Sanity workspace and several Next.js frontends.
- A publisher uses Contentful and ships the same content to web, mobile and AMP.