{"id":68306,"date":"2023-05-09T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T12:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/?p=68306"},"modified":"2023-10-12T04:25:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T01:25:08","slug":"what-is-headless-wordpress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Headless WordPress? Explained for Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What is headless WordPress? Even if you&rsquo;ve been using WordPress for years, that&rsquo;s a question you might not know the answer to. If you Google it, you&rsquo;ll get a lot of tech jargon that might leave you with even more questions, so let&rsquo;s try to answer it as simply as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p>Headless WordPress is a type of configuration where you still use WordPress to manage all the key functions of a website, from creating and managing content to user registration. However, it&rsquo;s called &ldquo;headless&rdquo; because you don&rsquo;t use WordPress to generate the part of the website that users see and interact with (i.e., the front end).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, we&rsquo;ll dig a little deeper into what headless WordPress is and how it works. We&rsquo;ll also discuss the benefits of this approach and when it makes sense to use it. Let&rsquo;s get to it!<\/p>\n\n\n    \r\n    <style>\r\n        :root {\r\n        --jtoc-progress-bar-color: #4267cf;\n        }\r\n                    .wpj-jtoc.--jtoc-theme-none.--jtoc-has-custom-styles {\r\n        --jtoc-width: 100%;\n--jtoc-toc-padding: 24px;\n--jtoc-toc-border: 1px solid;\n--jtoc-toc-border-color: #dedede;\n--jtoc-background-color: #f6f7f9;\n--jtoc-header-height: 20px;\n--jtoc-header-margin: 0;\n--jtoc-header-padding: 0;\n--jtoc-title-color: #393939;\n--jtoc-title-font-size: 1.2em;\n--jtoc-title-label-font-weight: 400;\n--jtoc-body-margin: 16px 0 0 0;\n--jtoc-body-padding: 0;\n--jtoc-headings-margin: 10px 0 0 0;\n--jtoc-link-font-size: 1em;\n--jtoc-link-font-weight: 400;\n--jtoc-link-color: #848484;\n--jtoc-link-color-hover: #4a66c8;\n--jtoc-link-color-active: #4a66c8;\n        }\r\n        .--jtoc-the-content{\r\ndisplay:none;\r\n}\r\n.--jtoc-is-active>.wpj-jtoc--item-content>a:before{\r\nmargin-left:3px;\r\n}\r\n.wpj-jtoc--nav>.wpj-jtoc--items li a::before{\r\ncontent:'\\203A';\r\ndisplay:block;\r\nfloat:left;\r\nheight:100%;\r\nfont-weight:700;\r\ncolor:#4267CF;\r\nline-height: 20px;\r\nmargin-right: 3px;\r\n}\r\n.sidebar .wpj-jtoc--toc{\r\nborder:0;\r\npadding:0;\r\n}\r\n.sidebar .wpj-jtoc--header,\r\n.sidebar .wpj-jtoc--body{\r\nbackground:transparent;\r\n}\r\n\r\n.sidebar .--jtoc-is-active>.wpj-jtoc--item-content>a{\r\ntext-decoration:none;\r\n}\r\n.sidebar-left .widget-first{\r\nposition:sticky;\r\ntop:70px;\r\nmargin-bottom:1250px;\r\n}\r\n.sidebar-left{\r\ndisplay:none;\r\nmax-width:300px;\r\nposition:absolute;\r\nleft:-330px;\r\ntop:0;\r\nheight:100%;\r\n}\r\n@media only screen and (max-width: 1900px) {\r\n.single-post .sidebar-left{\r\ndisplay:none !important;\r\n}\r\n.--jtoc-the-content{\r\ndisplay:block;\r\n}\r\n@media only screen and (max-width: 400px) {\r\n.wpj-jtoc--item .wpj-jtoc--item-content{\r\nmargin-top:5px;\r\n}\r\n.wpj-jtoc--header-main .wpj-jtoc--title{\r\nfont-size:1.1em;\r\n}\r\n}    <\/style>\r\n\r\n\r\n    <!-- jtoc progress bar widget -->\r\n    <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--widget-progress --progress-top\">\r\n        <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--widget-progress-bar\"><\/div>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n\r\n<div id=\"wpj-jtoc\" class=\"wpj-jtoc wpj-jtoc--main --jtoc-the-content --jtoc-theme-none --jtoc-title-align-left --jtoc-toggle-icon --jtoc-toggle-position-right --jtoc-toggle-1 --jtoc-header-as-toggle --jtoc-headings-full-row-clickable --jtoc-floating-toc-top --jtoc-floating-has-shadow --jtoc-has-custom-styles --jtoc-is-unfolded\" >\r\n            \r\n    <!-- TOC -->\r\n    <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--toc \">\r\n                            <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--header\">\r\n                <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--header-main\">\r\n                                        <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--title\">\r\n                        <!-- <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" class=\"lucide lucide-columns-3\"><rect width=\"18\" height=\"18\" x=\"3\" y=\"3\" rx=\"2\"\/><path d=\"M9 3v18\"\/><path d=\"M15 3v18\"\/><\/svg> -->\r\n                        <span class=\"wpj-jtoc--title-label\">Table of contents<\/span>\r\n                    <\/div>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n                                <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--body\">\r\n                        <nav class=\"wpj-jtoc--nav\">\r\n                <ol class=\"wpj-jtoc--items\"><li class=\"wpj-jtoc--item --jtoc-h2\">\r\n        <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--item-content\" data-depth=\"2\">\r\n                        <a href=\"#an-introduction-to-headless\" title=\"An introduction to headless WordPress (and how it works)\" data-numeration=\"1\" >An introduction to headless WordPress (and how it works)<\/a>\r\n                    <\/div> <\/li><li class=\"wpj-jtoc--item --jtoc-h2\">\r\n        <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--item-content\" data-depth=\"2\">\r\n                        <a href=\"#the-benefits-of-headless\" title=\"The benefits of headless WordPress\" data-numeration=\"2\" >The benefits of headless WordPress<\/a>\r\n                    <\/div> <\/li><li class=\"wpj-jtoc--item --jtoc-h2\">\r\n        <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--item-content\" data-depth=\"2\">\r\n                        <a href=\"#what-is-headless-used-for\" title=\"What is headless WordPress used for? Example use cases\" data-numeration=\"3\" >What is headless WordPress used for? Example use cases<\/a>\r\n                    <\/div> <\/li><li class=\"wpj-jtoc--item --jtoc-h2\">\r\n        <div class=\"wpj-jtoc--item-content\" data-depth=\"2\">\r\n                        <a href=\"#pros-cons-headless\" title=\"Pros and cons of using headless WordPress\" data-numeration=\"4\" >Pros and cons of using headless WordPress<\/a>\r\n                    <\/div> <\/li><\/ol>            <\/nav>\r\n                                                        <\/div>\r\n            <\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"ti-tweet-clear\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ti-tweet_wrapper\">\n\t\t    \t<div class=\"ti-tweet_text\">\n\t\t    \t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=What+is+%23Headless+%23WordPress%3F+%F0%9F%A4%94&amp;via=themeisle&amp;related=themeisle&amp;url=https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">What is #Headless #WordPress? &#129300;<\/a>\n\t\t    \t<\/div>\n\t\t    \t<div class=\"ti-tweet_sharebtn\">\n\t\t    \t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=What+is+%23Headless+%23WordPress%3F+%F0%9F%A4%94&amp;via=themeisle&amp;related=themeisle&amp;url=https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Click To Tweet \n\t\t    \t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t    \t<\/a>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"su-divider su-divider-style-dotted\" style=\"margin:40px 0;border-width:1px;border-color:#999999\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading joli-heading jtoc-heading\" id=\"an-introduction-to-headless\">An introduction to headless WordPress (and how it works)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Headless WordPress is a term used to describe a <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/decoupled-wordpress\/\">decoupled configuration<\/a> where the frontend layer (the &ldquo;head&rdquo;) is separated from the backend content management layer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In traditional WordPress websites, <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wordpress-backend\/\">WordPress provides both the backend<\/a> (where you manage your content) and the frontend (where users view your content).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a headless setup, however, you use WordPress only as a backend, while employing a separate technology or framework for the frontend. This means you&rsquo;d use WordPress for tasks such as content and user management, connecting to third-party apps, and more. You interact with WordPress using the dashboard as usual, but how you create and design the frontend is up to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea behind headless WordPress is to leverage the power of <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/rest-api\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the WordPress REST API<\/a> to fetch and manage data:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image blog-img-std\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-opt-id=968120167  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"962\" height=\"502\" src=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png\" alt=\"The WordPress REST API handbook.\" class=\"wp-image-68580\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:962\/h:502\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 962w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:300\/h:157\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 300w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:768\/h:401\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 768w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:50\/h:26\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 50w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:460\/h:240\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 460w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:761\/h:397\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 761w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:284\/h:148\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 284w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:374\/h:195\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 374w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:259\/h:135\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 259w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:962\/h:502\/q:mauto\/f:best\/dpr:2\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rest-api-handbook.png 2x\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\"><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This means it&rsquo;s possible to render and display this data with any programming language or library, such as React, Angular, or Vue.js:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image blog-img-std\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-opt-id=2041407623  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1336\" height=\"607\" src=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png\" alt=\"React.\" class=\"wp-image-68581\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1336\/h:607\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 1336w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:300\/h:136\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 300w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1024\/h:465\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 1024w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:768\/h:349\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 768w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:50\/h:23\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 50w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:480\/h:218\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 480w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:794\/h:361\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 794w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1200\/h:545\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 1200w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:296\/h:134\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 296w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:390\/h:177\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 390w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:270\/h:123\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 270w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1336\/h:607\/q:mauto\/f:best\/dpr:2\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/react.png 2x\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\"><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>This setup might seem overly complicated. However, it can offer a lot of benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"su-divider su-divider-style-dotted\" style=\"margin:40px 0;border-width:1px;border-color:#999999\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading joli-heading jtoc-heading\" id=\"the-benefits-of-headless\">The benefits of headless WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we&rsquo;ve answered the question &ldquo;What is headless WordPress?,&rdquo; it&rsquo;s time to talk about <em>why<\/em> it makes sense to use it. Setting up a headless website often requires a lot of work. Therefore, you&rsquo;ll need to make sure this approach is the right option for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#128073; In terms of benefits, here&rsquo;s why so many websites use headless setups:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Greater flexibility<\/strong>. If you don&rsquo;t like the way in which WordPress handles the frontend, including themes and the Block Editor, a headless setup enables you to choose a custom approach. You can use any technology stack or platform you want to create your website&rsquo;s frontend, while relying on WordPress for everything else.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Potentially faster page loading times<\/strong>. A separate frontend enables you to leverage modern web development techniques like server-side rendering and <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wordpress-pwa\/\">Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)<\/a> to improve site performance and reduce page loading times.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improved security<\/strong>. Separating the frontend from the backend makes it more difficult for hackers to <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/tighten-wordpress-security\/\">exploit WordPress vulnerabilities<\/a>, as they no longer have direct access to the underlying installation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Integration with third-party tools<\/strong>. The WordPress API enables you to request data from WordPress and use it on other platforms. For example, if you have a mobile app for users to read news or blog posts, WordPress can host the content and the app can request it using the API.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the biggest advantage of using WordPress in a headless setup is that <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/is-wordpress-open-source\/\">the software is open source<\/a>. It&rsquo;s fully customizable to suit the project&rsquo;s needs, and it&rsquo;s relatively easy to use. Compare that with developing a backend from scratch and WordPress becomes a very tempting option!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"su-divider su-divider-style-dotted\" style=\"margin:40px 0;border-width:1px;border-color:#999999\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading joli-heading jtoc-heading\" id=\"what-is-headless-used-for\">What is headless WordPress used for? Example use cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use WordPress for a blog, <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/portfolio-site-on-wordpress\/\">portfolio site<\/a>, or any other small project, the headless approach might sound interesting but unnecessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let&rsquo;s discuss some real-life use cases. That way, we&rsquo;ll be able to better illustrate why this configuration makes sense for some projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#128073; You might use headless WordPress for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ecommerce sites<\/strong>. Online stores can benefit from the flexibility of headless WordPress, as it allows for a fully customized shopping experience. Instead of being limited by how <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wordpress-plugins-for-ecommerce\/\">WooCommerce or other WordPress plugins<\/a> display products and checkout pages, you can design your own ecommerce experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>News portals<\/strong>. Media outlets and news portals often need to update multiple feeds simultaneously as new articles come out. A WordPress backend can push updates to news sites and apps through the REST API. For example, TechCrunch has used a headless WordPress approach since 2018 <sup>[1]<\/sup>, with a WordPress backend connected to a React app frontend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mobile apps<\/strong>. Using the REST API enables you to manage content for your mobile app through a WordPress backend. This means you can build the app using any development framework you want and continue to use WordPress in the background.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep in mind that any headless WordPress project will rely heavily on the REST API. This means that you&rsquo;ll need to familiarize yourself with the framework.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"su-divider su-divider-style-dotted\" style=\"margin:40px 0;border-width:1px;border-color:#999999\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading joli-heading jtoc-heading\" id=\"pros-cons-headless\">Pros and cons of using headless WordPress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now for the next question &ndash; what is headless WordPress actually useful for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, there are a lot of benefits to using headless WordPress. However, this type of setup is not for everyone and certainly not for every project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With that in mind, let&rsquo;s look at the pros and cons of a headless WordPress setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#128077; <strong>Pros<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It&rsquo;s much more flexible than a regular WordPress setup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can connect the WordPress backend with any third-party tool you need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It enables you to develop the frontend using any technology stack the project requires.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It&rsquo;s a perfect backend solution for simple mobile apps.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headless WordPress websites may <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/website-speed-optimization\/\">load faster<\/a> depending on how you develop the frontend.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There&rsquo;s an additional layer of security since attackers have a harder time trying to access the backend.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&#128078; <strong>Cons<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Headless WordPress requires you to be a developer or to work with one in order to create the frontend and connect it to the CMS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You need to manage the frontend from outside of the WordPress dashboard.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You won&rsquo;t be able to benefit from many WordPress plugins and themes, especially if the plugin relies on frontend functionality. You can still use some WordPress plugins to add important backend functionality, though.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless you&rsquo;re a developer, using headless WordPress for a simple website such as a blog or a brochure site might be overkill. We only recommend using this approach if the WordPress frontend limits the scope of your project.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"su-divider su-divider-style-dotted\" style=\"margin:40px 0;border-width:1px;border-color:#999999\"><a href=\"#\" style=\"color:#999999\">Go to top<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading joli-heading jtoc-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts &#128173;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>In this post, we explained what headless WordPress is and how it works. In short, it enables you to use WordPress to create custom websites and applications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n\t\t<div class=\"ti-tweet-clear\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"ti-tweet_wrapper\">\n\t\t    \t<div class=\"ti-tweet_text\">\n\t\t    \t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=What+is+%23Headless+%23WordPress%3F+%F0%9F%A4%94&amp;via=themeisle&amp;related=themeisle&amp;url=https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">What is #Headless #WordPress? &#129300;<\/a>\n\t\t    \t<\/div>\n\t\t    \t<div class=\"ti-tweet_sharebtn\">\n\t\t    \t<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=What+is+%23Headless+%23WordPress%3F+%F0%9F%A4%94&amp;via=themeisle&amp;related=themeisle&amp;url=https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Click To Tweet \n\t\t    \t\t<span><\/span>\n\t\t    \t<\/a>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of developing a backend from scratch, you can use WordPress to power your site and create any kind of frontend you want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This approach can be perfect if you want to design a custom ecommerce experience or use WordPress to power a mobile app. To get started, you can read &#128073; our guide on <a href=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/headless-wordpress\/\">how to create a headless WordPress website<\/a> and check out the basics of <a href=\"https:\/\/developer.wordpress.org\/rest-api\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">the WordPress REST API<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Do you have any questions about how headless WordPress works? Let us know in the comments section below!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.ticss-d144f107 strong{font-weight: 700;\n    letter-spacing: -0.2px;\n    line-height: 1.2;\n    display: inline-block;}<\/style>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns speed-guide has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-2f81f6c5526477b5b4d52d1ca4513949 is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"background-color:#4267cf\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:40%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img data-opt-id=30701221  fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png\" alt=\"speed guide\" class=\"wp-image-113040\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:300\/h:300\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 300w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1024\/h:1024\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 1024w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:150\/h:150\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 150w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:768\/h:768\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 768w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:50\/h:50\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 50w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:240\/h:240\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 240w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:397\/h:397\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 397w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:600\/h:600\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 600w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:148\/h:148\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 148w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:195\/h:195\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 195w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:135\/h:135\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 135w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 1200w, https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:1080\/h:1080\/q:mauto\/f:best\/dpr:2\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/e2ce20299a807336c68c2e029640adaa1.png 2x\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center ticss-58e79f2f\" style=\"font-size:14px\"><strong>FREE GUIDE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ticss-d144f107\" style=\"font-size:25px\"><strong>4 Essential Steps to Speed Up Your&nbsp;WordPress Website<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"ticss-3b627beb\">Follow the simple steps in our 4-part mini series and reduce your loading times by 50-80%.&nbsp;&#128640;<\/p>\n\n\n<p><\/p><div class=\"frm_forms  with_frm_style frm_style_themeisle\" id=\"frm_form_4_container\" data-token=\"04ae0143fb68c38d6bda7b8ed294b904\">\n<form enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" method=\"post\" class=\"frm-show-form  frm_pro_form \" id=\"form_site-speed-guide-below-post\" data-token=\"04ae0143fb68c38d6bda7b8ed294b904\">\n<div class=\"frm_form_fields \">\n<fieldset>\n<legend class=\"frm_screen_reader\">Site Speed Guide - Below Post<\/legend>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"frm_fields_container\">\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_action\" value=\"create\">\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"4\">\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_hide_fields_4\" id=\"frm_hide_fields_4\" value=\"\">\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_key\" value=\"site-speed-guide-below-post\">\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_meta[0]\" value=\"\">\n<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"frm_submit_entry_4\" name=\"frm_submit_entry_4\" value=\"fa389fb24e\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68306\"><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_meta[18]\" id=\"field_6px6q2\" value=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68306\" data-frmval=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68306\">\n<div id=\"frm_field_15_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_none_container\">\r\n\t<label for=\"field_6px6q\" id=\"field_6px6q_label\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Your Email\r\n\t\t<span class=\"frm_required\" aria-hidden=\"true\">*<\/span>\r\n\t<\/label>\r\n\t<input type=\"email\" id=\"field_6px6q\" name=\"item_meta[15]\" value=\"\" autocomplete=\"email\" placeholder=\"your@email.com\" data-reqmsg=\"Your Email cannot be blank.\" aria-required=\"true\" data-invmsg=\"Your Email is invalid\" aria-invalid=\"false\">\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_17_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_none_container vertical_radio\">\r\n\t<div id=\"field_6px6q3_label\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Subscribe to our newsletter\r\n\t\t<span class=\"frm_required\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t<div class=\"frm_opt_container\" aria-labelledby=\"field_6px6q3_label\" role=\"group\">\t\t<div class=\"frm_checkbox\" id=\"frm_checkbox_17-0\">\t\t\t<label for=\"field_6px6q3-0\">\n\t\t\t<input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"item_meta[17][]\" id=\"field_6px6q3-0\" value=\"true\" data-invmsg=\"Subscribe to our newsletter is invalid\" aria-invalid=\"false\"> Subscribe to our newsletter<\/label><\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n\t\r\n\t\r\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_14_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field \">\r\n\t<div class=\"frm_submit frm_flex\">\r\n<button class=\"frm_button_submit frm_final_submit\" type=\"submit\" formnovalidate=\"formnovalidate\">FREE ACCESS<\/button>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_key\" value=\"\">\n\t\t\t<div id=\"frm_field_24_container\">\n\t\t\t<label for=\"field_ukym0\">\n\t\t\t\tIf you are human, leave this field blank.\t\t\t<\/label>\n\t\t\t<input id=\"field_ukym0\" type=\"text\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field frm_verify\" name=\"item_meta[24]\" value=\"\">\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<input name=\"frm_state\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"tGKtIG19U6wyYcew8uBttYBZx+oohLS3pS5T4\/6dpWEwF9M0QAXa6pd1+Qu8+H8p\"><\/div>\n<\/fieldset>\n<\/div>\n\n<p style=\"display: none !important;\" class=\"akismet-fields-container\" data-prefix=\"ak_\"><label>&Delta;<textarea name=\"ak_hp_textarea\" cols=\"45\" rows=\"8\" maxlength=\"100\"><\/textarea><\/label><input type=\"hidden\" id=\"ak_js_1\" name=\"ak_js\" value=\"213\"><script>document.getElementById( \"ak_js_1\" ).setAttribute( \"value\", ( new Date() ).getTime() );<\/script><\/p><\/form>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"su-tabs su-tabs-style-default su-tabs-mobile-stack\" data-active=\"1\" data-scroll-offset=\"0\" data-anchor-in-url=\"no\"><div class=\"su-tabs-nav\"><span class=\"\" data-url=\"\" data-target=\"blank\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">References<\/span><\/div><div class=\"su-tabs-panes\"><div class=\"su-tabs-pane su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" data-title=\"References\">\n\n\n\n[1] <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2018\/03\/13\/welcome-to-the-new-techcrunch\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2018\/03\/13\/welcome-to-the-new-techcrunch\/<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What is headless WordPress? Even if you&#8217;ve been using WordPress for years, that&#8217;s a question you might not know the answer to. If you Google it, you&#8217;ll get a lot of tech jargon that might leave you with even more questions, so let&#8217;s try to answer it as simply as possible.","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":68553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_stopmodifiedupdate":true,"_modified_date":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"hashtags":[],"class_list":["post-68306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wordpress"],"wppr_data":{"cwp_meta_box_check":"No"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.8 (Yoast SEO v26.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is Headless WordPress? 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In this post, we&#039;ll show you how this setup works and discuss its pros and cons, plus when to use it!\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Themeisle Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-09T12:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-12T01:25:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Headless-WordPress.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2180\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1090\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"John Hughes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"John Hughes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-headless-wordpress\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"John Hughes\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/0f080762cdcc47aee80f11536fe87242\"},\"headline\":\"What is Headless WordPress? 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