XM Cloud is it a headless Content Management System (CMS) or not? Well, before we dive into this question, let's first define the definition of a headless CMS. Wikipedia describes this as follows:
A headless content management system, or headless CMS, is a back end-only web content management system that acts primarily as a content repository. A headless CMS makes content accessible via an API for display on any device, without a built-in front end or presentation layer. The term 'headless' comes from the concept of chopping the 'head' (the front end) off the 'body' (the back end).
Whereas a traditional CMS typically combines a website's content and presentation layers, a headless CMS comprises the content component and focuses on the administrative interface for content creators, the facilitation of content workflows and collaboration, and the organization of content into taxonomies. A headless CMS must be combined with a separate presentation layer to handle design, site structure, and templates. That combination generally relies on stateless or loosely coupled APIs.
One advantage of this decoupled approach is that content can be sent via APIs to multiple display types, like mobile and Internet of things (IoT) devices, alongside a website. A disadvantage, however, is that maintaining two separate systems for a single site can require more resources.
Cloud-first headless CMSes are those that were also built with a multi-tenant cloud model at their core and whose vendors promote software as a service (SaaS). These vendors promise high availability, scalability, and full management of security, upgrades, and hotfixes on behalf of clients. Headless commerce uses the same setup to separate back-end product management and navigation from the front end of a website or other display types (e.g., IoT). This is similar to how headless CMSes focus on creating content in the back end to be displayed on front ends via APIs.
Headless CMS is similar to but distinct from the use of widgets or plugins on a site, like adding an online ordering and delivery plugin to a restaurant website.
Source Wikipedia
In summary, a headless CMS can be defined as a backend system designed to store various content, such as text, images, videos, and more. Unlike a traditional CMS, it delivers content exclusively through APIs. Notably, a headless CMS lacks a built-in presentation layer, often referred to as the frontend system. The primary advantage of this approach is the decoupling of the backend and frontend systems, connecting them solely through data contracts. While this separation provides greater flexibility, it does introduce the challenge of managing two systems.
Visualizing this distinction would reveal a significant shift: the separation of the front end from the CMS. The CMS retains only the user interface necessary for content management, simplifying the maintenance of the front end and the CMS independently, allowing each to evolve at its own pace.
Let's shift from the general discussion of headless CMS to XM Cloud. XM Cloud represents a unique approach to content management, characterized by its remarkable flexibility. However, it's important to note that XM Cloud, while aligning with the headless CMS philosophy to a significant extent, isn't a purely headless CMS; it's more accurately described as a hybrid headless CMS.
What is a hybrid headless CMS? And how do they differ?
The distinction between a purely headless CMS and a hybrid headless CMS lies in the capacity to create and structure pages directly within the CMS itself. In the case of a purely headless system, your content presentation depends entirely on the front end, granting full control to the developers. This is awesome for the speed of development, they don't need to worry about the editor experience. They will just create the components that are needed for the channels (aka websites, apps, etc.), not worrying about the editor's capabilities.
However, for a marketing-driven website, we recommend considering a hybrid headless CMS. This choice empowers developers with the agility and tools required to not only enhance your brand's digital presence but also greatly improve the editing experience for content editors and marketers.
Allowing the end-user to fully take control of the presentation of the content, but without the hard coupling of front and backend systems, making a better world for both developers and content editors.
The way that Sitecore has achieved this, is by upgrading the previous Horizon editor. Which is now fully SaaS and goes by the name Pages. Sitecore Pages is a dynamic feature within XM Cloud that seamlessly integrates both editing and design capabilities, revolutionizing the creation of web pages. At the core of Pages is a user-friendly WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, allowing for effortless modifications to all visible elements on a webpage, including text, graphics, logos, and more. By selecting the Editor tab, you gain a preview of the page as it will appear on your website upon publishing.
Conclusion
What CMS you might need, always depends on the use case at hand. What should be clear, is the move into a SaaS headless CMS. If it's hybrid or not, moving into decoupled CMS will greatly decrease the time you need to go to market with new features. Depending on your need for control of the presentation you might go one way or the other. One last thing to point out, Sitecore offers also a lightweight purely headless CMS called Content Hub ONE. It offers a SaaS lightweight CMS with a global delivery network. I would suggest taking a look at their site in case you need a purely headless CMS.
Until next time.