How to Get Headless WordPress Right
Using WordPress as a content store behind a separate front end built with another framework.
Marcus Adeyemi
Where most projects go wrong
The usual mistakes:
- Going headless without an editor workflow plan
- Assuming page builders work
- Uncached API calls on every request
- Underestimating maintenance
What good looks like instead
- Confirm editors keep preview and layout control
- Map which plugins still work
- Cache API responses
- Plan authentication for private content
- Budget for maintaining two systems
Why it matters
It suits teams that want WordPress editing with a custom front end, but it gives up much of what WordPress provides.
The specs that matter
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| REST API | WordPress exposes content through a REST API |
| Preview | editor previews need extra work when decoupled |
| Plugins | many plugins assume they control the front end |
| Hosting | two systems must be hosted and maintained |
Knowing when to hand it over
Tip: Bring in help when deciding between headless and traditional WordPress.
Where this comes from
- WordPress Developer Resources — REST API handbook
- Next.js Documentation — Data fetching
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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