Corporate websites · Headless
Headless WordPress development
We build custom Next.js front ends on top of WordPress. Visitors get a website that loads like an app; your team keeps the editor it already knows.
Overview
What headless WordPress is
Headless WordPress keeps WordPress as the place where your team writes and publishes, and replaces the theme with a separate front end built in Next.js. The two sides talk through an API, so the design is no longer limited by what a theme or page builder can do.
Pages are pre-rendered and served from cache, then refreshed the moment an editor presses Update. The website you are reading is built this way.
WordPress
Editor: pages, articles, media
GraphQL API
Persisted queries, cached at the server
Next.js front end
Pre-rendered pages, refreshed on change
Your visitors
App-like speed on any device
Comparison
When headless is the right call, and when it is not
Headless costs more to build than a page-builder website and needs a developer for layout changes. It pays off when the website is a main sales channel. It is the wrong choice when a standard build already does the job.
| Criterion | Standard WordPress | Headless WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Front end | WordPress theme or page builder | Custom Next.js application |
| Page loads | Rendered by PHP on each request, tuned with caching plugins | Pre-rendered pages served from cache, updated the moment content changes |
| Design freedom | Within what the builder allows | No template limits; any layout, animation or interaction |
| Front-end plugins | Work out of the box | Their front-end output is rebuilt; admin plugins keep working |
| Who edits content | Your team, in WordPress | Your team, in the same WordPress admin |
| Who changes layout | Your team, in the page builder | A developer |
| Security surface | WordPress is publicly exposed | WordPress origin is hidden behind the front end |
| Build cost and time | Lower, 15 to 20 working days | Higher, estimated per project |
| Best for | Most company websites | Websites that carry sales, recruiting or brand |
If the website mainly has to present the company and collect enquiries, start with our standard WordPress build. Your content stays in WordPress, so you can move to headless later without starting again.
Scope
What you get
A custom front end
Designed in Figma and built in Next.js, with semantic HTML and accessibility handled from the first component.
The editor your team knows
Pages, articles, case studies and team members are edited in WordPress, with fields built for each section.
Instant content updates
Saving in WordPress refreshes only the affected pages, within seconds, with no full rebuild.
A cached API layer
Queries are stored as persisted documents and cached at the server, so visits do not hit the database.
A hidden WordPress origin
Media and API traffic are routed through the front-end domain, so the admin address is not exposed.
Search and AI readiness
Structured data, clean sitemaps, llms.txt and Markdown versions of pages, so search engines and AI assistants read the site correctly.
Spam-safe forms
Contact forms validated on the server and protected without tracking visitors.
Analytics and consent
GA4 with event tracking and a consent banner that respects EU rules.
Process
How a project runs
Discovery
We map the content types, integrations and goals, and agree what is in scope.
Design
Key templates are designed in Figma and reviewed with you before any code is written.
Content model
WordPress is set up with the fields each section needs, and the API layer is secured.
Front-end build
We build in short iterations on a staging address you can open at any time.
Testing
Performance, accessibility and SEO checks, mobile first, plus two review sessions with you.
Launch and handover
Redirects from the old website, Search Console setup, an admin walkthrough and a support period after go-live.
Live demo
You are looking at one
This website is a headless WordPress build. Every page, article, case study and team profile is written in WordPress and served by a Next.js front end, and the page you are reading was edited from the WordPress admin.
- Next.js front end over WordPress
- Content updates live within seconds
- Structured data on every page type
- Markdown and llms.txt for AI assistants
- Spam protection without tracking
- WordPress origin hidden from visitors
Stack
Technology
Hosting can be on your own server or a managed platform; we set up whichever fits your traffic and budget.
- Next.js + React
- Front end
- WordPress
- Editor
- WPGraphQL
- API with persisted queries
- Tailwind CSS
- Styling
- Yoast SEO
- SEO data
- GA4
- Analytics
Frequently asked questions
Everything you might want to know before reaching out. Can't find what you're looking for?
Get in touchIt is a WordPress website where the front end is a separate application, in our case built with Next.js, that reads content through an API. WordPress remains the editor for pages, articles and media.
Yes. Your team writes and publishes in the same WordPress admin. Changes appear on the website within seconds, without a rebuild.
Plugins that work in the admin, such as SEO, custom fields and editorial tools, keep working. Plugins that only add things to the theme front end need their output rebuilt, so we review your plugin list during discovery.
Yes. Content stays in place because WordPress does not change. We build the new front end alongside the live website, then switch over with redirects so existing URLs keep their search rankings.
It gives full control over markup, structured data and loading speed, which are the parts of SEO a website can influence. Content quality and links still matter as much as on any other website.
When the website mainly presents the company and a well-built page-builder site already meets your needs. A standard WordPress build is faster and cheaper, and you can move to headless later.
Your team edits all content. Layout and feature changes to the front end need a developer, which we cover through a maintenance agreement or on request, billed at 120 EUR per hour for headless work.
Start a project
Tell us about your project
A few lines are enough. We come back with questions, a realistic timeline and a quote.
- Enquiry about
- Headless WordPress development
- A reply within one business day
- A clear scope and quote before any work starts
- You talk directly to the people building it