Headless WordPress
WordPress as the content back end for a separate front end. We build it when it solves a real problem, and we will tell you honestly when a traditional WordPress build will serve you better.
Worth it for the right project. Not by default.
In a headless setup, editors keep working in WordPress, and the content is delivered through an API to a front end built separately, often in a JavaScript framework. A website, an app, and other channels can all draw on the same content.
That flexibility has a cost: two systems to host and maintain, more development work, and WordPress features such as previews, plugins, and SEO tooling that need extra work to function.
For most organisations, a well-built traditional WordPress platform is quicker to deliver, simpler to run, and performs just as well. Where headless genuinely fits, we design the architecture, build the content model and the API, and keep the editing experience familiar for your team.
When it fits
- Content shared across a website and apps
- A front-end team already working in a JavaScript framework
- Highly interactive interfaces
- Several front ends from one content source
From the content model to the front end.
- 01
Architecture assessment
Whether headless suits the project, and what it will take to build and run, before any build begins.
- 02
Content modelling
Custom post types, fields, and relationships structured for delivery through an API.
- 03
API layer
REST or GraphQL endpoints, secured and documented.
- 04
Front-end build
A separate front end built to the approved design and wired to WordPress content.
- 05
Editor experience
Previews, roles, and workflows set up so editors keep working the way they do today.
- 06
Hosting and maintenance
Both sides of the platform hosted, monitored, and maintained together.
Our view on headless, in full.
How a headless project runs.
Assessment comes first, so the decision is an informed one.
- 01
Assess
We check whether headless solves a real problem for this project.
- 02
Model
Content types, fields, and the API designed together.
- 03
Build
WordPress and the front end built and tested on staging.
- 04
Run
Both sides hosted, monitored, and maintained by one team.
Headless projects follow the same six phases as every other WPFlat project.
See our full processFrequently asked questions
Does headless make a site faster automatically?
No. Speed depends on how the front end, the hosting, and the caching are built. A well-built traditional WordPress platform can be just as fast.
Do WordPress plugins work with headless?
Plugins that work in the admin, such as custom fields and editorial tools, generally do. Plugins that change what visitors see usually do not, because WordPress no longer renders the pages.
Is headless more expensive?
Usually, yes. There are two systems to build, host, and maintain. We set that out clearly during the assessment so the decision is an informed one.
How does it affect our editors?
Editors keep working in WordPress. We set up previews and workflows so the change is as small as possible for them.
Tell us what you need WordPress to do.
A new website, a redesign, a client portal, a booking system, or a move from another platform. Tell us what you need and we will tell you how WordPress can carry it.
What happens next
- 01Introductory callUnderstanding the project, the organisation, and the brief.
- 02Discovery questionnaireThe detail we need before designing anything.
- 03Scope agreementDeliverables, timeline, and investment confirmed in writing.