Headless CMS

A traditional CMS ties content to one website and its templates. A headless CMS cuts off that "head": editors write and organize content in one place, and developers fetch it through an API to show on a website, a mobile app, an in-store screen or an email. Well-known examples include Contentful, Sanity, Storyblok and Strapi. Shopify itself can act as a headless back end, with metaobjects holding structured content. Why brands go headless: - One piece of content, such as a product story, can appear across the site, app and emails without copying. - Developers can build fast custom storefronts with modern frameworks. - Editors get structured fields instead of fighting page templates. What it costs: - Someone has to build and maintain the front end. Small changes that took a click in a theme may need a developer. - Preview, search and translations need extra setup. - Every app you use must work without your theme, through APIs or embeddable components. Reviews, loyalty and subscriptions are common gaps. Headless CMS vs headless commerce. A headless CMS handles content. Headless commerce handles the store itself: products, carts, checkout and subscriptions. Many headless builds use both. How Chargezen handles it: Chargezen Subscriptions works on Shopify Hydrogen and custom storefronts through its API and webhooks, and you can build your own subscriber portal on the same API.