How Does A Headless CMS Work?
BeginnerDeep Dive
TL;DR
A headless CMS works in three layers: an editing interface where content creators write and manage content, a content repository (database or cloud store) where structured content is stored, and APIs that deliver content to any frontend application. When an app needs content, it sends an API request to the CMS, which returns structured data (usually JSON) that the app renders however it wants.
Key Takeaways
- Three layers: editing interface, content storage, API delivery
- Content is stored as structured data (usually JSON)
- APIs serve content to any frontend that requests it
- Supports both real-time and build-time content fetching
- Webhooks notify frontends when content changes