Headless WordPress Guide: The Practical Playbook for 2026

Headless WordPress is no longer experimental. In 2026, it powers production storefronts, content platforms, and enterprise applications across every industry. The architecture has matured, the tooling has caught up, and the community has solved most of the problems that made early adopters sweat. If you've been waiting for the right moment to decouple your WordPress frontend, this is it.

This is a practical, step-by-step headless WordPress guide. Not the conceptual "what is headless" overview — the hands-on guide to actually doing it. We cover architecture decisions, frontend framework choices, WordPress configuration, API options, common pitfalls, and the tooling landscape. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for taking your WordPress site headless.

TL;DR

Going headless with WordPress means keeping WP as your content and commerce backend while replacing the PHP frontend with a modern JavaScript framework (typically Next.js). You'll need to choose between REST API and WPGraphQL, configure WordPress for headless operation, handle CORS and authentication, and solve preview/draft workflows. This guide walks through every step. For e-commerce, WPBundle is the fastest path from zero to production.

The headless WordPress architecture

In a traditional WordPress setup, PHP handles everything: it queries the database, processes business logic, and renders HTML. The theme layer is inseparable from the application layer. When you go headless, you split this into two independent systems.

WordPress becomes a headless CMS — a content API that manages posts, pages, products, users, and media. A separate frontend application (built with Next.js, Nuxt, Astro, or similar) fetches data from that API and renders the interface. The two communicate over HTTP, typically via REST or GraphQL.

Think of it like a newsroom

WordPress is the editorial desk — journalists write stories, editors approve them, photographers upload images. The frontend is the printing press, the website, the mobile app, and the social media feed. Going headless means the editorial desk can serve any number of distribution channels without changing how it operates. The desk doesn't care what the output looks like. The output doesn't care how content gets created.

What stays in WordPress: content creation, user management, media library, plugin logic, custom fields, taxonomies, WooCommerce (if applicable), and all admin functionality. What goes: the PHP theme, the template hierarchy, and server-side page rendering. What connects them: the REST API or WPGraphQL, running on the same WordPress instance.

Choosing your frontend framework

The frontend framework is the single most consequential decision in a headless WordPress build. It determines your developer experience, your performance ceiling, your hosting options, and the size of the community you can draw on when things get complicated. Here are the serious contenders in 2026.

Next.js

The dominant choice for headless WordPress, and for good reason. Next.js offers server-side rendering (SSR), static site generation (SSG), incremental static regeneration (ISR), and React Server Components. It handles routing, image optimisation, and API routes out of the box. The ecosystem is enormous — nearly every tutorial, starter kit, and integration you find for headless WP targets Next.js.

Pros

Largest community and ecosystem of any React framework
SSR, SSG, ISR, and Server Components for flexible rendering
Built-in image optimisation, routing, and API routes
First-class TypeScript support
Vercel deployment is seamless, but works with any host
Most headless WordPress tooling targets Next.js first

Cons

Vercel-centric features can complicate self-hosting
Bundle size requires careful management at scale
Rapid release cadence means frequent migration effort
Server Components add conceptual complexity for teams new to React

Nuxt (Vue.js)

If your team prefers Vue over React, Nuxt is the equivalent of Next.js in the Vue ecosystem. It offers SSR, SSG, and a strong module system. The developer experience is excellent, and the WordPress headless community is smaller but active.

Astro

Astro is purpose-built for content-heavy sites. It ships zero JavaScript by default, hydrating interactive components only when needed. For blogs, documentation sites, and content marketing platforms built on WordPress, Astro delivers exceptional performance. It supports React, Vue, and Svelte components within the same project.

Remix

Remix focuses on web fundamentals: progressive enhancement, nested routing, and strong data loading patterns. It works well with WordPress as a backend but has a smaller headless WP community than Next.js. Shopify adopted Remix for Hydrogen, which has grown its ecosystem significantly.

Our recommendation

For most headless WordPress projects, Next.js is the right choice. The ecosystem advantage is substantial — more tutorials, more starter kits, more plugins, more developers who know it. If you're building a content-only site with minimal interactivity, consider Astro. If your team is already deep in Vue, go with Nuxt. But if you're starting fresh, Next.js gives you the most options and the largest safety net.

WordPress API options

Your frontend needs to fetch data from WordPress. You have three approaches, each with different strengths. Choosing the right one depends on how complex your data model is and how much control you need over the queries.

WordPress REST API

The REST API is built into WordPress core. No plugins required. It exposes posts, pages, categories, tags, users, media, and custom post types as JSON endpoints. For straightforward content sites, it works well out of the box.

Built into WordPress core — zero configuration needed
Well-documented with stable, versioned endpoints
Authentication via application passwords or JWT tokens
Supports custom post types and taxonomies automatically
Extensible with register_rest_route for custom endpoints
WooCommerce extends it with full commerce API coverage

WPGraphQL

WPGraphQL adds a GraphQL endpoint to WordPress. Instead of hitting multiple REST endpoints and stitching data together on the frontend, you write a single query that requests exactly the data you need. This is particularly valuable for complex content models with deep relationships.

Single query for nested, related data (posts with authors, categories, and ACF fields)
Request only the fields you need — no over-fetching
Strong typing and introspection for better developer tooling
Extensions for ACF, Yoast, Gravity Forms, and WooCommerce
Excellent with Next.js and Apollo Client or urql
Active community and regular updates

Custom endpoints

For performance-critical or complex use cases, custom REST endpoints let you craft the exact response shape your frontend needs. You register routes with register_rest_route() and write the query logic yourself. This eliminates over-fetching entirely and lets you optimise database queries for specific views.

Complete control over response shape and database queries
Best performance for specific, known data requirements
Can aggregate data from multiple sources in a single request
Useful for search, filtering, and aggregation endpoints
Requires PHP development for each endpoint
No automatic schema documentation like GraphQL provides

Which should you choose?

Start with the REST API for simple sites and WPGraphQL for complex content models. You can use both simultaneously — REST for straightforward fetches and GraphQL for pages that need deeply nested data. Add custom endpoints only when you have specific performance bottlenecks. Most headless WordPress projects do well with WPGraphQL as the primary data layer.

Setting up WordPress for headless

WordPress doesn't ship in headless mode. You need to configure it deliberately. Here is what to change and why.

Disable theme rendering

You have two options. The first is to create a minimal theme that redirects all frontend requests to your headless frontend URL. This keeps WordPress functional (some plugins expect an active theme) while ensuring no one accidentally sees the PHP-rendered site. The second is to use a headless-specific theme like developer-starter-theme or headless-theme that returns API data instead of HTML.

Configure CORS

Your frontend application runs on a different domain (or port during development). WordPress needs to accept cross-origin requests from that domain. Add CORS headers either in your theme's functions.php, a must-use plugin, or at the server level (Nginx/Apache config). Be specific with allowed origins — don't use a wildcard in production.

Authentication

Public content (published posts, products, pages) requires no authentication. But preview/draft content, cart operations, customer accounts, and admin actions need authenticated requests. WordPress supports application passwords natively. For more robust token-based auth, use the JWT Authentication plugin or implement OAuth. For WooCommerce, consumer key/secret pairs handle store API access.

Permalinks

The REST API requires "pretty" permalinks to be enabled. Go to Settings → Permalinks and select any option other than "Plain." This is usually already done, but it's the first thing to check if your API returns 404s.

Essential plugins for headless WordPress

The right plugin stack makes the difference between a smooth headless WordPress build and weeks of custom PHP. These are the plugins that production headless WP sites rely on.

WPGraphQL — adds a full GraphQL API to WordPress
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) — structured content fields with REST and GraphQL support
WPGraphQL for ACF — exposes ACF fields in the GraphQL schema
Yoast SEO — REST API integration exposes meta titles, descriptions, and Open Graph data
WPGraphQL for Yoast — adds Yoast data to GraphQL queries
Application Passwords (core) — built-in token authentication for API requests
JWT Authentication — stateless token auth for frontend user sessions
Headless Mode — redirects frontend requests to your headless URL
WP Webhooks — triggers revalidation when content changes
Safe SVG — allows SVG uploads through the media library API

For WooCommerce headless setups, add WPGraphQL WooCommerce (WooGraphQL) to expose products, cart, checkout, and order data via GraphQL. The WPBundle companion plugin extends the WooCommerce REST API with additional endpoints for cart sessions, real-time inventory, and storefront configuration.

Keep it lean

Every plugin you install is a potential API performance hit. Only install what you genuinely need. In headless mode, plugins that solely modify the PHP frontend (page builders, theme enhancers, visual editors) serve no purpose. Audit your plugin list and remove anything that doesn't contribute backend logic or API data.

Common pitfalls

These are the issues that derail headless WordPress projects. Every one of them is solvable, but only if you plan for them from the start.

Preview and draft handling

WordPress previews rely on cookie-based authentication and server-side rendering — neither of which exist in a headless frontend. You need to build a dedicated preview route that authenticates against WordPress, fetches draft content via the API (using the ?status=draft parameter or a preview token), and renders it in your frontend. Next.js Draft Mode is designed for exactly this pattern. Set it up early — editors will expect it from day one.

Authentication token management

JWT tokens expire. Application passwords persist but lack scope controls. Refresh token flows need careful implementation to avoid logging users out unexpectedly. Define your auth strategy before writing frontend code. For public content sites, you may not need auth at all. For sites with user accounts or gated content, test your token refresh logic thoroughly under real network conditions.

Image optimisation

WordPress serves images from its uploads directory at whatever resolution was uploaded. Your headless frontend needs to handle responsive images, format conversion (WebP/AVIF), and lazy loading independently. Next.js Image component handles this well when configured with your WordPress domain as a remote image source. Alternatively, use a CDN like Cloudinary or imgix as an intermediary.

CORS issues in development and production

CORS errors are the number one frustration in the first week of any headless WP project. Your local development server (localhost:3000) and your production frontend (yourdomain.com) both need to be in the allowed origins list. Credentials (cookies, auth headers) require explicit CORS configuration with Access-Control-Allow-Credentials: true. Test this on day one, not day thirty.

Caching and revalidation strategy

Static generation is fast, but stale content is worse than slow content. You need a revalidation strategy: on-demand revalidation triggered by WordPress webhooks when content changes, or time-based ISR with a sensible revalidation interval. For e-commerce, product availability and pricing must never be stale. Use a combination of static pages with client-side inventory checks for the best balance of speed and accuracy.

Performance considerations

The entire point of going headless is performance. But you only get those gains if you architect the data fetching and rendering strategy correctly. Here is what a well-built headless WordPress site achieves compared to a traditional WordPress setup.

<100ms

TTFB with edge-cached static pages (vs 800ms+ traditional)

40-60%

LCP improvement with Next.js Image and static generation

90+

Lighthouse performance scores consistently achievable

These numbers are not theoretical. They come from production headless WordPress sites using Next.js with ISR, deployed to edge networks via Vercel or Cloudflare. The key architectural decisions that drive performance:

Static generation for content pages. Blog posts, landing pages, and product detail pages that change infrequently should be statically generated at build time and cached at the edge. Use ISR with a revalidation interval (e.g., 60 seconds for content, 30 seconds for products) so pages regenerate in the background without blocking requests.

Server components for dynamic data. Cart contents, user-specific pricing, and inventory status should be fetched server-side with React Server Components or client-side with SWR/React Query. Don't statically generate data that changes per user or per second.

The performance rule of thumb

Statically generate everything that can be static. Fetch dynamically everything that must be dynamic. Cache aggressively at every layer: WordPress object cache, API response cache, CDN edge cache, and browser cache. The fastest request is the one that never reaches your server.

Headless WordPress for e-commerce

WordPress decoupled from its frontend is powerful for content. But the real unlock is e-commerce. WooCommerce powers over 36% of all online stores, and taking it headless solves the performance ceiling that PHP rendering creates for high-traffic shops.

The challenge is that WooCommerce headless e-commerce requires more than just API calls. Cart session management, checkout flows, payment gateway integration, shipping calculations, tax computation, and coupon validation all need custom frontend implementation. This is months of engineering work if you start from scratch.

WPBundle exists to eliminate that engineering time. It is a production-ready headless WooCommerce starter kit built with Next.js that solves every hard problem out of the box:

Persistent cart sessions synchronised with WooCommerce backend
Complete checkout flow with shipping, tax, and coupon support
Payment gateway integration that works with your existing WooCommerce gateways
Automatic SEO: meta tags, JSON-LD structured data, Open Graph, XML sitemaps
Product catalogue with filtering, search, and pagination
Customer account management with order history
Companion WordPress plugin extending the REST API for headless operations
AI-powered catalogue tools for product descriptions and metadata

Instead of spending three to six months building headless WooCommerce infrastructure, you start with a working storefront and customise from there. The architecture is standard Next.js — no proprietary abstractions to learn or vendor lock-in to worry about.

From zero to headless e-commerce

WPBundle is designed for teams that want headless WooCommerce performance without the headless WooCommerce build timeline. If your WordPress site already runs WooCommerce, WPBundle is the fastest path to a production headless storefront.

The headless WordPress decision checklist

Before you commit to a headless WordPress build, work through this checklist. Every "yes" strengthens the case. More than two "no" answers should give you pause.

Your site performance is a measurable bottleneck that caching alone cannot solve
Your team (or agency) has production experience with React and Next.js
You need design and UX capabilities that PHP themes cannot deliver
Your content model is well-defined and your WordPress data is structured with ACF or custom fields
You have a plan for preview/draft workflows that editors will accept
Your budget covers both the initial build and ongoing frontend maintenance
You understand which WordPress plugins will and won't work in headless mode
You have a caching and revalidation strategy mapped out before writing code
For e-commerce: you have a solution for cart, checkout, and payment (or you're using WPBundle)
You're going headless to solve a real problem, not because the architecture sounds appealing

Getting started

Headless WordPress in 2026 is a mature, well-supported architecture. The tooling is production-ready. The community has documented the patterns. The performance gains are proven and measurable. What was once a risky bet is now a sound engineering decision — provided you go in with clear requirements and the right tooling.

For content sites, start with WPGraphQL and Next.js. Build a proof of concept with a single page type, validate the editorial workflow, and expand from there.

For e-commerce, skip the months of infrastructure work. WPBundle gives you a production-ready headless WooCommerce storefront built on Next.js, with cart, checkout, SEO, and payment gateway integration solved from day one. Join the waitlist and start building in days, not months.