Advanced WordPress Development

Chapter 11: WordPress and Headless CMS

11.1 Headless Architecture

WordPress as headless CMS separates content from presentation.

Benefits:

• Flexibility in frontend technology
• Better performance
• Multiple frontend applications
• Modern development workflow

11.2 REST API for Headless

Use REST API to connect frontend to WordPress backend.

// Fetch posts from REST API
fetch('https://example.com/wp-json/wp/v2/posts')
    .then(response => response.json())
    .then(posts => {
        // Display posts
    });

11.3 GraphQL with WordPress

Use GraphQL for more flexible data queries.

• Install WPGraphQL plugin
• Define GraphQL schema
• Query exactly what you need
• Better for complex queries

11.4 Frontend Frameworks

Build frontend with modern frameworks.

• React: Component-based UI
• Vue.js: Progressive framework
• Next.js: React with SSR
• Nuxt.js: Vue with SSR

11.5 Headless WordPress Setup

Set up WordPress for headless architecture.

• Install WordPress backend
• Configure REST API
• Set up CORS if needed
• Build frontend application
• Connect frontend to WordPress API