Service

Headless CMS: content via API, speed from static delivery

Next.js + Payload, Sanity, or Strapi. A JAMstack approach: editors edit content while the site serves static pages from edge nodes. When it pays off — and when we'll tell you honestly it's overkill.

An honest framing

Headless CMS is the right choice for some jobs and overkill for others

When headless CMS is the right choice

  • One body of content, many "storefronts": a website, a mobile app, an in-store screen, an email template. An API-first CMS serves the same content to every channel at once.
  • You need maximum speed: static pages on a CDN, LCP < 1.0s, Lighthouse 95+. For SEO-critical sites with high traffic, the difference is tangible.
  • The team is technical and wants full control of the stack: end-to-end TypeScript, CI/CD, and data structures you design for yourself.
  • Complex content with relationships: products → categories → authors → tags — a relational model designed around your content.
  • Security: the admin lives on a separate domain or behind authentication, the frontend is static only, and the attack surface stays minimal.

When headless is overkill

  • A small corporate site where one person updates content once a week — WordPress or Tilda ships faster and costs less to maintain.
  • Tight budget, short timeline: headless takes more time on architecture and more technical skill.
  • No technical team to maintain it: Payload and Next.js aren't "set it and forget it" — you need a developer for updates and extensions.
  • A simple landing page or business-card site — a simpler stack gets the same result for less. If your project is borderline, we'll say so on the call; we don't sell a heavier stack where it isn't needed.

What a headless project includes

  • Payload collection architecture built around the client's content model. TypeScript types from day one.
  • Next.js frontend: SSG / ISR / SSR depending on the page type. Edge deployment: Vercel or Cloudflare.
  • Localization uk + ru at the Payload level (localized: true fields where needed).
  • SEO layer: meta, canonical, hreflang, og:image, schema.org — generated automatically from the collections. Sitemap and robots.txt are generated on publish.
  • Core Web Vitals: LCP < 1.5s, CLS < 0.05, INP < 150ms — measured before release.
  • Content migration from an old site or WordPress (if needed).
  • Payload admin: tabs, live preview, drafts, slug auto-generation — a non-technical editor can work without a developer.
  • Maintenance documentation: Payload collections, hooks, deployment procedure.
Our headless stack
  • Next.js 15
  • Payload CMS 3
  • Sanity
  • Strapi
  • TypeScript
  • Tailwind CSS
  • GSAP
  • PostgreSQL
  • Vercel
  • Cloudflare

Case studies

This site runs on Next.js + Payload. Here are more projects on the headless stack

All cases

How we work

Architecture first, code second — that's how we build a headless site

  1. Architecture call

    30 minutes: we break down the task and decide whether headless is the right choice here. If it isn't, we say so upfront and suggest a simpler stack. Deliverable: a stack decision + a ballpark range.

  2. Content architecture

    Payload collection schema, relationships between entities, localization fields. TypeScript types from day one. Deliverable: an ER diagram + Payload schema draft + an agreed admin structure.

  3. Design and frontend

    Figma mockups → Next.js components → Storybook (optional). Deploy to staging after every sprint. Deliverable: final mockups + a design system + a fixed price.

  4. Integrations and content

    We connect the APIs (payments, CRM, analytics) and migrate or populate content through the Payload admin. Deliverable: a fully populated site on staging + all integrations.

  5. Performance and launch

    Lighthouse CI, a Core Web Vitals check, edge config. Redirects from the old site, GSC, analytics. Deliverable: a live site + Lighthouse ≥ 90 Mobile + documentation + 30 days of support.

FAQ

Headless — questions about architecture and budget

Let's talk

In 30 minutes with a developer, find out whether headless is worth it

  • 30 minutesOne-on-one online
  • Flexible formatVideo or phone call
  • Solution-focusedPractical answers
Where should we reach you?

Your data is protected and never shared with third parties.

More detail

Headless CMS and JAMstack on Next.js, Payload, Sanity, or Strapi — when it's the right choice

A headless CMS is an approach where the backend (the content store and API) is separated from the frontend (what the user sees). Content is edited in the admin, served via API, and the Next.js frontend builds static or dynamic pages. That gives two advantages: the speed of static delivery, and the ability to serve the same content to a website, a mobile app, and a showroom screen.

We moved to a headless stack for our own development not because "it's a trend" but because the work demanded it. This site — apri-code.com — is Next.js 15 + Payload CMS 3 + PostgreSQL. We keep speed within a hard performance budget and measure it before every release. Content is edited in the Payload admin with no HTML at all. Localization uk + ru is built in at the field level. This is our own production stack.

Payload CMS is our main choice for custom headless projects. Open source, Node.js + TypeScript, embedded in Next.js. Compared with Sanity, there's no hosted lock-in and no monthly SaaS charges per content item. Compared with Strapi, typing runs end to end from schema to frontend. For projects where a hosted real-time collaborative editor matters, Sanity is also the right choice. For projects with complex roles and multiple teams, Strapi. We use all three — depending on the client's task.

JAMstack in 2026 means web apps with complex logic, not just static business-card sites: public pages are served as static, authenticated areas as SSR or RSC. A headless CMS fits this architecture naturally: an online store with static product pages and a dynamic cart, an education platform with static course materials and a dynamic personal account. Web application development →

A word on SEO. Static pages on a CDN reliably hold LCP < 1.5s, and speed is one of the signals Google factors into ranking. For commercial pages that's an advantage, not a detail. Our SEO layer is built into the stack: meta, canonical, hreflang, og:image, and schema.org are generated from the Payload collections automatically on publish.

Headless doesn't always pay off. A small corporate site under 20 pages — WordPress or a simpler stack gets the same result cheaper and faster to launch. Tight budget and timeline — headless needs more architecture time. A team with no technical developer for maintenance — Payload and Next.js are not "set it and forget it." Where headless isn't needed, we'll say so honestly and suggest another stack. Let's talk about your task — in 30 minutes it will be clear whether headless is the right choice here. WordPress — when it's simpler →