A content management system (CMS) is a software application that helps manage the creation and modification of digital content of your applications.

WordPress and Drupal are examples of traditional CMS that connects the front-end and the backend of a website in a manageable application codebase. Traditional CMS manages the backend and the front-end in a single software.

A headless content management system allows developers to build web applications while managing and accessing the application's content via RESTful API calls. Strapi is an example of headless CMS.

Strapi is an open-source Node.js, and it is based on Nodejs used for building fast and easily manageable APIs written in JavaScript. This makes it easier to build applications using Jamstack technology, separating the backend from the front end.

The use of API CMS has made it so easy that you do not have to write complex code to manage the content of your application. It gives you full control of the content via API calls. The response from the CMS API is in JSON format.

In this article, we'll be giving 10 reasons why you should use an API CMS as a developer.

Cross-Platform Technology

Headless CMS makes it possible for you to share content using any programming language via API call without writing any complex code.

Also, this type of technology can be used in any programming language as long as the language supports RESTful API, e.g., of languages in this category, including Java, JavaScript, Python e.t.c.

Cross-platform technology is one of the reasons most developers prefer using API CMS.

User-Friendly

CMS provides user-friendly features for easy editing and is compatible with installing plugins and tools that provide even more features for advanced functions.

API CMS's are built to have an excellent user-friendly interface that is easy to use and interact with by any group member. It is well organized, reliable, and requires minimal explanation on how to use it.

Cross-platform Content Sharing

Another primary reason developers use API CMS compared to a traditional database is that it allows you to deliver content across different channels without writing any additional code but by using the CMS API call.

No matter where the content is being shared, the integrity of the content will still be maintained by the CMS.

Time Saving

Application contents can be very complex and time-consuming to develop. With API CMS, this type of content is made easy, simple, and requires less time to develop.

Most developers use CMS for their applications because they get the content from the CMS via REST API at the front-end, thereby saving them time. Plus, it is straightforward to set up CMS configuration with a step-by-step instruction setup wizard.

SEO Optimization

When it comes to building web applications, developers tend to consider the best practices to optimize their applications for search engines. With the use of SEO optimization tools, you get to optimize the content of your application for multiple devices easily.

API CMS provides tools that we can use to optimize our content, e.g., URL slug, Meta title tag, Meta description, Canonical tag, Meta robots tag, etc.

Roles and Permission

Instead of writing codes to assign a different role for each user and setting the user permission level, CMS makes it possible to create a user group that can manage the content, with a different permission level set for each group user.

Every user in CMS must be a member of at least one or more groups. A group is made up of one or more users with different permissions. e.g., Super-Admin, editor, Author.

CMS makes sure that authors do not have access to editor's permission while editors do not have Super-admin permission.

Workflow

Another reason developers use API CMS is that it helps align team user roles with their workflow and provides access control needs. Restrict content access and automate workflows with Webhooks to communicate with your team when content has been changed and is ready for editor review.

Scalability

API CMS also helps with building scalable applications. Since the backend and front-end are separated, it will not affect the whole application performance if the backend has performance issues. And, the backend CMS can be easily updated without affecting the front-end and vice versa. This API CMS feature makes it easy for you to upgrade and maintain your application in less time.

Content Modeling

Content modeling allows you to document all types of content you'll need now and in the future to ensure it is effectively configured for multiple channels. API CMS Content modeling makes it possible to serve your user the content they are looking for whenever they need it.

Localization

Sometimes you may want to deliver some content to some of your users in a specific area in which the content is not for other users outside the area. API CMS localization allows this feature. Localization allows you to share different content for different users in different areas. This enables you to render content for your users in their local language by translating them.

Projects built using API CMS

The headless content management system can be used to build the following applications:

Ecommerce

Strapi makes it possible to create an e-commerce application using Strapi API. Managing the application products is easy because you do not have to make any changes to the front-end code.

Changing the product name, price, image, etc., is made possible by Strapi API. If you are new to Strapi API, read this tutorial on Building an Ecommerce Application using React, MongoDB, Strapi, and Socket.io to get started.

Blogging Website

Strapi can be used to create a blogging website the Strapi API. It gives you all the tools you need to manage your content, e.g., SEO, optimize content, deliver content to target audiences, e.t.c.

Car Rental Application

Are you working on building a car rental application where your customers can rent any car of their choice? Strapi is used for the backend, which provides you with all the tools that you need. It makes the development of the application easy and is easy to manage by the admin.

Delivery Application

Strapi API can be used to build a delivery application. It allows you to build a delivery application that allows your customer to track their orders. Strapi has all the tools you need to develop an outstanding delivery application.

Conclusion

In this article, we've had an overview of API CMS. We also discussed why developers should use an API CMS instead of a traditional database. You should also note that API CMS features are not limited to those listed above.

Whether you're a small team or enterprise customer looking for advanced permissions control, Strapi's headless CMS has you covered.