Next.js · GraphQL · WP REST API
Headless WordPress Development
Your frontend gets faster. But your editor stays.
Your WordPress site can hit a performance ceiling when traffic spikes or your frontend needs React. Headless separates the two.
Your team keeps using WordPress. Your frontend runs on React or Next.js, with pages loading in under a second, CDN delivery for traffic spikes, and APIs that connect to the rest of your stack.
Our approach
When WordPress is the CMS, not the frontend.
Traditional WordPress uses PHP to query the database and render HTML for every request. That works until traffic spikes, sub-second performance becomes a requirement, or your frontend team needs React.
With headless WordPress, your editors keep the WordPress admin. Your frontend is a separate Next.js, Nuxt, Gatsby, or React application.
Content comes through WPGraphQL or the WP REST API. Pages are statically generated or server-rendered, then delivered through a CDN.
Your editorial workflow stays the same. And your frontend can now scale independently.
Traditional vs. Headless
Traditional WordPress
Browser → PHP server → Database → HTML
Every request hits the server
Traffic spikes cause server strain
Headless WordPress
Browser → CDN edge → Pre-built HTML
Most requests never touch your server
Traffic spikes handled by CDN, not PHP
What we do
Headless solves specific problems but adds complexity.
Headless is not automatically better. We recommend it when the performance, frontend, or integration requirements justify the extra build cost.
High-traffic publishers
News sites, blogs, and media brands can face unpredictable traffic spikes. A viral article can overload a traditional WordPress server.
SaaS marketing sites
If your product runs on React or Next.js, your marketing site can use the same frontend stack and design system. Your team keeps WordPress while developers work in React.
Multi-channel content delivery
One WordPress repository can feed your website, mobile app, kiosk, and email system. WPGraphQL or the WP REST API delivers the same content without separate copies.
Performance-critical sites
If you need high-90s PageSpeed scores across every page type, static generation removes most server work from the request path and can provide a more reliable route.
When headless is NOT the answer
Most business websites, WooCommerce stores, and marketing sites don’t need headless. Optimized traditional WordPress can reach 90+ PageSpeed without separate frontend hosting, build pipelines, or a GraphQL layer. So if traditional WordPress fits better, we’ll tell you.
Enterprise with dev teams
Your frontend engineers can build in React while your non-technical team manages content in WordPress. Headless keeps both workflows separate without forcing editors into developer tools.
<1s
Typical TTFB on statically generated pages
100
PageSpeed scores achievable on static Next.js pages
10x
Traffic spike tolerance vs. traditional WordPress
Zero
Downtime during traffic surges with CDN delivery
Our headless stack
The technologies we use on headless WordPress projects.
CMS layer
WordPress + WPGraphQL
WordPress handles content. WPGraphQL exposes it as a typed GraphQL API. Editors use the familiar WordPress admin.
Frontend framework
Next.js (primary)
Next.js is our primary frontend framework. We use static generation with ISR for content pages and server-side rendering for dynamic pages. New projects use the App Router.
Frontend hosting
Vercel or Netlify
Your frontend runs at the edge and is distributed through a CDN with auto-scaling. Preview deployments let you review content updates before they go live.
WordPress hosting
WP Engine or Kinsta
Your WordPress backend runs on managed hosting. Public traffic does not hit it directly. WordPress is used for administration and API responses.
API layer
WPGraphQL or REST API
We use WPGraphQL for typed queries and efficient data fetching. For simpler integrations, or when GraphQL adds unnecessary complexity, we use the WP REST API.
Preview
WordPress Draft Preview
Editors can preview drafts on the actual frontend before publishing. What they preview is the same frontend output visitors will see live.
Our process
How a headless project runs.
01
Architecture audit
We review your current site, plugin stack, and traffic profile, and tell you honestly whether headless is justified. If a well-optimized traditional build serves you better, we say so.
02
Fixed quote and schedule
You get a fixed price and a firm schedule based on content complexity, page templates, and integrations. Typical headless projects take 8-16 weeks.
03
Build on staging
WordPress backend and Next.js frontend developed in parallel, with preview deployments so you can review real pages as they come together. Your live site stays up throughout.
04
Launch and verify
We wire up the CDN delivery, verify SEO metadata, structured data, and performance. Before handover, we confirm that editors can publish and preview content normally.
Our team
WordPress handled by people who understand the code, content, and systems behind it.
Marko
Head of Development
20+ yrs WordPress
Marko
Web Developer
10+ yrs WordPress
Miloš
Web Developer
15+ yrs WooCommerce
Stefan
Web Developer
5+ yrs Elementor
2000+
Projects delivered
20+
Team members
5.0
Rating on Clutch
2×
Top Clutch awards, 2026
Our work
Some of the brands we have built for.
Common questions
Headless WordPress questions answered plainly.
Yes. Your editors use the same WordPress admin they already know, including Gutenberg, custom fields, the media library, and post scheduling. The decoupling happens at the delivery layer, not the editorial layer. Your team manages content in WordPress while the frontend runs separately.
Backend plugins still work as data layers. That includes SEO plugins, form plugins, and custom fields such as ACF. Frontend-rendering plugins do not. Page builders and most themes are replaced by your React or Next.js frontend. We audit your plugin stack and identify what transfers, what needs replacing, and what gets rebuilt in the frontend.
The price depends on content complexity, number of page templates, and custom functionality, and we quote it as a fixed price after a free scoping call. The extra cost compared with traditional WordPress comes from the frontend build: Next.js development, deployment pipelines, and preview configuration. For most business sites, traditional WordPress is the better choice. For publishers, SaaS companies, and high-traffic sites, headless can justify the investment through better performance and reliability.
Yes. We use the WooCommerce Store API or WPGraphQL for WooCommerce. But headless WooCommerce adds real development work. Cart state, checkout flows, and payment gateway integrations all need to be rebuilt in the frontend. It usually makes sense for high-volume stores where checkout performance has a measurable impact on revenue. If your store volume doesn’t justify the added complexity, we’ll tell you.
Headless fits when you need an app-like frontend, multiple channels from one content source, or a React or Next.js stack. For a standard marketing site, traditional WordPress is simpler and cheaper. We’ll review your requirements and tell you which approach makes sense.
Headless projects typically take 8-16 weeks, longer than a standard WordPress build because the frontend is custom-developed. The timeline depends on your framework, design, and integrations. You get a firm schedule with the quote.
Headless adds cost and complexity because you maintain a separate frontend, and some page-builder and plugin features no longer apply. We assess whether the performance and frontend flexibility justify that tradeoff before recommending it.
Mostly React with Next.js, which gives you a strong fit for WordPress when speed and SEO matter. We choose the frontend stack based on your team’s skills and the project’s requirements, not a fixed default.
Yes. Server-side rendering or static generation keeps your content crawlable, while metadata, structured data, and frontend performance support SEO. A correctly built headless site can rank as well as or better than a traditional WordPress site.
Your content never left. WordPress still holds every post, page, and custom field, so reverting means building a theme against the content that’s already there rather than migrating anything. What you lose is the frontend investment. It’s a real exit, just an expensive one. That’s why we audit before recommending headless, not after.
Not sure if headless is worth it?
Most sites don’t need it. But the ones that do need it badly.
We’ll review your architecture, traffic, frontend requirements, and integrations, then tell you which approach makes sense.
