Headless 2.0: Redefining the Standards, Delivering Real ROI

By Danny Paul Van Iersel, 22-08-2025

What does Headless mean?

The concept of Headless is not new and exists since early 2000s. Headless is designed to separate content from presentation. The CMS is the “body” (content storage), and the front-end is the “head” (how it looks). They’re connected through APIs.

This means:

• Content editors manage text, images, and structure inside the CMS.
• Developers build modern apps, websites, or even mobile experiences on top.
• The two are independent — so one can evolve without breaking the other.

Your presentation is handled by a front-end application. This application (also known as the Head) is responsible for the visualization of the data. The front-end app can be developed in any language/framework, whether it be in React, Next.js, Angular or any native programming language.

Why choose a Headless CMS?

✅ Flexible: content is reusable across web, mobile, and beyond.
✅ Future-proof: redesign front-ends without touching the CMS.
✅ Developer freedom: no CMS templating restrictions.
⚠️ Integration needed: the CMS doesn’t directly “know” how your app works.
⚠️ Editorial preview gaps: editors may miss the traditional “what you see is what you get.”

Why does Headless matter more?

In today’s fast-changing IT landscape, we see a strong shift towards composable architectures. Instead of relying on a single, monolithic platform, businesses can now assemble their MarTech stack from specialized modules, products, or platforms —each doing one job really well.

The promise of composable is simple:

• You should be able to swap out one block (e.g., your CMS, DAM, or CRM)
• And replace it with another that offers similar functionality
• All without breaking the other parts of your stack

This flexibility future-proofs your digital ecosystem, helping you adapt quickly to new business needs.

But here’s the nuance: Headless doesn’t always mean fully composable.
While all Headless CMS solutions share the same principle — content delivery through APIs — they often differ in how content is modelled and structured. That means switching from one Headless CMS to another is not always plug-and-play. For example, migrating content models between vendors can be complex and require re-thinking schemas or integrations.

Example: Composable Technology Stack

In a truly composable architecture, you can remove any product and replace it with another, while the rest of the stack continues to work seamlessly.

Our Solution: An API Layer

Instead of binding the front-end app directly to one CMS, we’ve built a middleware API layer.

📌 How it works:

1. Front-end app requests content → API layer
2. API layer fetches content → CMS
3. API layer translates CMS response into a unified structure
4. Front-end app dynamically renders the page from a unified structure

Traditional Headless vs Our API-First Approach

The API layer abstracts away the differences between CMSs.

This results in a unified response structure.

When the Front-end app requests a page, it doesn’t matter which CMS it comes from.

The front-end app simply renders components based on this structure.

This setup means the front-end app doesn’t care which CMS sits behind it. You can plug in Sitecore, Kentico, Umbraco, or any other system – the API layer ensures consistency.

The next overview shows how everything remains connected.

Even though it adds a layer, it actually simplifies maintenance and makes integrating other data sources easier.

How our solution benefits you?

The API-first approach simplifies content management and empowers editors to build and modify web pages without needing a front-end developer. With this method, editors stay in full control of content and have influence in how a page feels.

Our API layer abstracts away the technical complexities, providing a unified structure that front-end application can understand. Editors can create different page layouts and sections, while still benefiting from the separation of content and presentation.

For example, an editor can decide to add a new section with an image and text. They simply add the content and define the layout in the CMS. The API layer then sends this structured information to the front-end application, which dynamically renders the new section on the website. This allows for rapid changes and updates without developer involvement.

Challenges with traditional Headless

While the traditional headless approach separates content from presentation, it can create a gap between editors and developers. Content editors manage text and images in the CMS, but developers are typically needed to build the front-end apps and define how the content is displayed. This can lead to what's known as "editorial preview gaps", where editors don't have a true "what you see is what you get" view of the final page. Making structural or layout changes often requires a developer to update the front-end application.

Our solution reduces the workload to create new components and have these displayed in a variety of ways. It separates responsibilities: editors focus on content, developers on creating robust components. At the same time, editors get the tools they need to freely set up and adjust their pages.

Why editors love this approach

• They stay in full control of content placement and hierarchy. Whether they want to create four columns, a single wide block, change colours, or adjust spacing — these styling options are all interpreted consistently in the front end.
• They don’t need to worry about frameworks or APIs — that’s handled in the background

This preserves the editorial freedom they’re used to, while keeping presentation logic neatly in the front-end.

Benefits Recap

• 🔄 Reusable – one API layer, multiple apps (website, mobile, tablet, watch)
• ⚡ Simpler architecture – clear separation of concerns
• 🛠️ Independent parts – front-end and CMS evolve separately
• 🚀 Scalable – easy to plug in and grow with a new CMS or channel later

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Will I be able to change my platforms without impacting my website?

Yes. Thanks to the API layer, you can replace or upgrade any part of your system — even swapping your CMS for a different platform — without breaking your website. The API ensures the front-end app receives content in a consistent format. Existing connectors can be reused, and new ones can be created with minimal development effort.

I am using a CMS and it is running my website(s), why would this benefit me?

That’s a valid point — if your current platform works, there’s no immediate reason to change. But technology moves fast: costs may rise, support for your platform might end, or you may want features your current CMS doesn’t offer. By using an API layer, you keep the freedom to switch platforms in the future without disrupting your website. It creates flexibility and choice — so you’re prepared when change becomes necessary.

👉 With this method, we keep Headless simple, flexible, and editor-friendly, while giving developers a clean, reusable architecture.

Do you want to get a demo?

Get in touch with us.