Headless CMS
A headless CMS is a type of content management system that separates content management from the presentation layer. Content is stored in a central repository and delivered via API to any platform: a website, a mobile app, a voice assistant, or a digital kiosk. Unlike a traditional CMS, where content is tied to a specific template, a headless CMS lets you publish the same content anywhere.
Headless CMS is changing how companies manage and distribute digital content. Large-scale surveys and market analyses confirm its importance:
- The market is growing by more than 22% a year. According to Market Research Future, the headless CMS software market is worth USD 3.94 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 22.28 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 21.42% (Market Research Future – Headless CMS Software Market, 2024)
- 73% of companies already use headless. A WP Engine survey conducted by Censuswide in July 2024 among 1,015 CTOs, CMOs, and IT decision-makers showed that 73% of businesses have already implemented a headless architecture, up 14 percentage points since 2021 (WP Engine – State of Headless, 2024)
- 99% of companies report improvements after switching. In its State of CMS 2024 survey (1,719 respondents), Storyblok found that virtually every company saw measurable improvements after moving to a headless CMS: 61% report higher ROI and 58% higher productivity (Storyblok – State of CMS, 2024)
- Gartner predicts composable will dominate. Gartner predicts that by 2026, at least 70% of organizations will require composable DXP technology instead of monolithic solutions (Gartner – Predicts 2024: Composable DXP)
FAQ
When does it make sense to switch to a headless CMS instead of a traditional one?
A headless CMS makes sense when you need to deliver content to several channels at once (website, app, kiosk), you need maximum loading speed, or your development team wants freedom in choosing its frontend technology. The WP Engine survey showed that 78% of companies consider headless key to adopting new technologies (WP Engine – State of Headless, 2024).
What is the difference between a headless CMS and a traditional CMS?
A traditional CMS (for example, WordPress with classic themes) combines the backend and frontend into one whole, so content is tied to a specific look of the website. A headless CMS removes that link: you manage content in one system and send it anywhere via API. Storyblok reports that 65% of CMS users now see visual editing that doesn’t depend on developers as an essential requirement (Storyblok – State of CMS, 2024).
Can Webflow work as a headless CMS?
Yes. Webflow offers a CMS API that lets you use its content collections as a data source for external frontend applications. This means you can manage content in Webflow’s visual environment and distribute it to other platforms via API at the same time.
Sources:
- Market Research Future – Headless CMS Software Market (2024) – market analysis of the headless CMS segment, growth projection at a CAGR of 21.42%
- WP Engine – State of Headless (2024) – survey of 1,015 CTOs, CMOs, and IT decision-makers
- Storyblok – State of CMS (2024) – survey of 1,719 CMS users from 5 countries
- Gartner – Predicts 2024: Composable DXP (2023) – forecast of composable DXP adoption
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