Headless CMS Break Down & Roundup

In this episode of Syntax, Scott and Wes talk about headless content management systems — why you might want to use one, things you should take into account, and more! Sanity - Sponsor Sanity.io is a real-time headless CMS with a fully customizable Content Studio built in React. Get a Sanity powered site up and running in minutes at sanity.io/create. Get an awesome supercharged free developer plan on sanity.io/syntax. Freshbooks - Sponsor Get a 30 day free trial of Freshbooks at freshbooks.com/syntax and put SYNTAX in the “How did you hear about us?” section. Show Notes 02:38 - What and why • A headless CMS doesn’t mean you have to use a static site generator • A headless CMS has an API: • REST • GraphQL • GROQ • • A headless CMS can pipe its content into: • Static Site on build - like Gatsby • An app on run/refresh • An existing website - widget • • What makes a CMS? Do you need a UI? • What is the threshold? • Is a hotdog a sandwich? • Things to think about when choosing an API • Auth - Rules + roles + levels • • How easy is it to create new data types? • Is it code or UI? • Can my mom use it? • • Can you create one-off content types? (e.g. settings pages) • Custom workflows • dRafts, revisions, roll backs • • How are images handled? Do you need another service for that? • Pre-determined UI • Is custom UI possible? • Two-way relationships? • Tags? • • Data validation? • UI + API? • • Hosting? • Pricing? • Content movability? • Can you get your data out? • Schemas • Users • Revisions • • CORS or realtime API? • APIs • Can you insert data via the API? (or just pull) • Node • API • Importing data • 24:37 - Hosted • Sanity • Prismic • Contentful • Dato CMS • Storyblok • 8Base • Agility CMS • • Seems to be making a big corporate play • 36:59 - Self-Hosted • WordPress • • WordPress REST API • GraphQL API • WP GraphQL • Advanced Custom Fields • for custom UI • Most things in WordPress are custom post types and taxonomies, so data from plugins can often be surfaced • The theme UI from plugins is often lost • • Drupal • • contentacms.org • • Craft CMS • Ghost • Strapi • Keystone • Joomla • (JK!) 44:33 - API (BYOUI) • Hasura • Prisma • Firebase 47:37 - Git Based • Netlify • Forestry 50:30 - Other Google Sheets • Sheety • Airtable Tina CMS • • Not a CMS • • Markdown under the hood Notion Links https://twitter.com/wesbos/status/1254772936935739393 Pixel & Tonic GraphCool GraphCMS Sapper ××× SIIIIICK ××× PIIIICKS ××× • Scott: DEWALT Random Orbit Sander • Wes: Shelf Brackets Shameless Plugs • Scott: New course on Sapper • - Sign up for the year and save 25%! • Wes: Wes’ YouTube Channel Tweet us your tasty treats! Scott’s Instagram LevelUpTutorials Instagram Wes’ Instagram Wes’ Twitter Wes’ Facebook Scott’s Twitter • Make sure to include @SyntaxFM • in your tweets