What is a headless CMS?
A plain-English definition, with a real example from a small business.
Geoff BromilowAI systems developerUpdated 1 min readDefinition
A headless CMS is a content management system that stores your content separately from how it’s displayed, so the same content can appear on a website, app or portal.
At a glance
- Also called
- Decoupled CMS
- Good for
- Content across many channels
In plain English
You write it once, in one place, and it shows up everywhere it’s needed.
An example
A property developer writes each project once in Sanity, and it appears on the main website, the project microsite and the sales team’s tablet app.
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Questions people ask
Not for editors — it’s often simpler. It does take more developer time to set up than an all-in-one platform.
Related terms
Geoff builds the AI systems, automations and integrations behind our projects — and explains them without the jargon.
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