Introduction

There are numerous marketing blogs and articles online discussing the flexibility a content management system (CMS) with an API-only approach can offer an organization. However, the abundance of these discussions, especially when marketing teams delve into technical aspects like an API’s role in CMS architecture, can lead to confusion for decision-makers. Different sources may present varying conclusions about these terms and their implications. As a result, technical leads often resort to scrutinizing the systems themselves to understand what the CMS truly offers, causing unnecessary delays in the decision-making process.

The evolution of the CMS and the no-API approach

Over a decade ago, CMSs lacked APIs in their implementations. The back end, where content was created, managed, and stored (along with design and customization), was tightly integrated with the front end, where content was displayed to users. These no-API CMSs are now known as coupled CMSs.

Content teams favor no-API CMSs for their user-friendly nature. These CMSs come with built-in themes and templates that allow easy front-end customization. As a result, organizations using no-API CMSs do not heavily rely on IT for creating, managing, and displaying content. This reduces the need for technical leaders to allocate development teams for content delivery.

While no-API CMSs are ideal for smaller projects like blogs, they sacrifice flexibility for simplicity. As the Internet of Things (IoT) gained prominence in the early 2010s, the rigidity of no-API CMS architecture became apparent.

Users began adopting a variety of smart, Internet-capable devices. Audiences no longer consumed content solely on computers; they used smartwatches, voice assistants like Amazon Alexa, and even smart refrigerators. According to a 2020 Business Insider report, the number of IoT devices is projected to reach 41 billion by 2027, a fivefold increase from 8 billion in 2019.

Organizations needed to adapt to this changing landscape to remain relevant and engage their audiences effectively. Failure to do so meant missing opportunities for proactive engagement.

To address this trend, some CMSs began decoupling the back end from the front end. They introduced APIs to connect the two, allowing data from the back end to be displayed on multiple front ends. However, many of these efforts were retrofitted into existing no-API architectures, resulting in incomplete systems and suboptimal experiences.

This approach also increased workloads by requiring different versions of the same content for various channels, such as websites, mobile apps, and smart devices.

In response, new CMSs were developed with APIs built from the ground up. These API-driven CMSs offered greater flexibility to meet the challenges of the evolving technological landscape.

API-only architecture

One of the new CMS architectures is the headless CMS, which operates on an “API-only” approach. Unlike no-API CMSs, a headless CMS provides only the API and possibly an admin or editorial interface for data manipulation.

With an API-only CMS, organizations don’t get the front-end code needed to build a complete experience, whether that’s a website, an app, or other channels. However, this approach offers the advantage of allowing organizations to choose the best front end for their use case, providing significantly more flexibility.

As new smart devices emerge, an API-only CMS can connect to any front end through its API. Compared to its no-API counterpart, the API-only CMS offers additional benefits, including:

• Increased security, as there is no direct access from the front end to the database.
• Faster deployment of changes.
• Out-of-the-box integrations that help fit the CMS into your tech stack.
• Reduced costs, as there is no need to change the back end when adding a new channel.

While a no-API CMS allows content creators to manage and display content easily without heavy IT involvement, sacrificing flexibility for user-friendliness, the API-only CMS does the opposite. It provides more flexibility but requires back-end developers to handle the back-end and front-end developers to ensure seamless content delivery. This separation necessitates specialized engineers for both ends.

This separation means content creators, who plan and produce content, have less involvement in delivering it to audiences. This could be problematic, as content creators often have a vision for what will appeal to the audience. Additionally, since API-only CMSs are just APIs with an editorial or admin interface, there is no out-of-the-box preview system for content creators to see how their content will be displayed.

The no-API and API-only approaches represent two ends of a spectrum, forcing organizations to choose what they are willing to sacrifice to meet their content needs. This decision-making process often creates friction as organizations weigh their options.

Unlock the full potential of your content management system. Continue reading and download the comprehensive guide now!

• Introduction
• The evolution of the CMS and the no-API approach
• API-only architecture
• API-first architecture
• Considerations

Number of Pages:

• 9 pages

Pricing: 

• Free