Complete Guide to Headless WordPress Development in 2024

What is Headless WordPress?

Headless WordPress represents a modern approach to web development where WordPress serves as a backend content management system (CMS) while the frontend is built using modern frameworks like React, Vue, or Next.js. This separation of concerns offers numerous benefits for developers and content creators alike.

Key Benefits

• Improved performance and loading times
• Better security through separated architecture
• Freedom to use modern frontend technologies
• Scalability and easier maintenance
• Enhanced developer experience

Setting Up Headless WordPress

Let's walk through the essential steps to set up a headless WordPress installation.

# Add to wp-config.php
define('REST_API_ENABLED', true);
                    

// pages/index.js
export async function getStaticProps() {
const res = await fetch(
'https://your-wordpress-site/wp-json/wp/v2/posts'
)
const posts = await res.json()
return {
props: {
    posts,
},
}
}