5 steps guide for smooth Headless CMS development

1. Content schema configuration

The first step to build an instance on any website, whether its JSON configuration or building an entire website, is content field configuration. In some platforms, the content feeding happens manually and dynamically updates with each publishes. Therefore, the developers have to tell the system which content needs to be fed into the system. To do so, a developer might choose any option among the following three:

a. Single page with view

A page on the website is similar to the pages of a book. The page schema denotes a set of single pages of content. These pages have multiple links on a website and can have different parents. This is a perfect solution for the one-off landing page or main pages that require a specific design and content structure, such as a homepage, landing page, or any other page with a unique design.

b. Page group with view

The page groups are the pages that will automatically create new pages with the same template for each content entry. Every content here is routed to a single page parent, such as articles to a category page or team members to a team page. The option, allows the developers to share a single template as a headless code between all the created pages in the group.

c. Headless data schema

Headless data schemas are arguably the most potent content structures that can be used in the back-end of a platform. Data entries usually represent free-form data that can render CMS framework. What makes Headless Data schema so impactful is the excellent use of relational or miscellaneous content.

According to the definition of a software developer, the data entries can also be accessed with JSON or relational fields in the content sets. The Headless data schemas are an easy way to develop and manage relationships such as one-to-one or one-to-many between content within the platform.

Since all the three options of content schema configuration are now clear let’s move to the next step.

2. Content population

As soon as the content loads and views are built, developers are ready to preview how the website looks in a staging environment also known as  Headlessness Mode.

3. SEO review

Using Headless CMS for website development allows the developers to leverage the benefits of automated SEO functionalities. Unlike SEO configuration with a purely Headless CMS, web engines automatically generate meta titles and descriptions. These are pre-populated, so the businesses are never without content in these fields. Nevertheless, reviews and changes are possible as the requirement arises.

4. Preview in staging environment

In Headless CMS, each instance comes with a staging environment for the developers to preview the look and functionality of the website. As with any build process, it’s crucial to preview a site’s functionality thoroughly before launch.

Once all the steps are complete, the final step is the launching of the website. To do so, the definition of the software developer has to configure the domain and ensure that HTTPS is enabled. Finally, all a developer has to do is press the launch button and check the newly launched website.