Headless CMS

A headless CMS is a content management system that separates the content repository (backend) from the presentation layer (frontend). Content is stored, managed, and delivered via APIs rather than being tied to a specific template or rendering engine.

In a Shopify Plus context, a headless CMS sits alongside Shopify in a composable commerce architecture. Shopify handles products, inventory, checkout, and orders. The headless CMS handles everything else - editorial content, campaign landing pages, lookbooks, brand storytelling, and any content that lives outside the product catalogue.

Popular headless CMS options for Shopify include Sanity (our default recommendation), Contentful, Prismic, and Storyblok. The choice matters more than most teams realise - it's where your non-technical team lives day-to-day for the next three to five years.

Think: the place your content lives, independent of wherever it gets displayed.

Frequently asked questions

What is a headless CMS?

A headless CMS separates the content repository from the presentation layer. Content is stored and managed in the CMS, then delivered via APIs to any frontend - website, mobile app, kiosk, or wearable. There are no built-in templates or rendering engines.

Which headless CMS is best for Shopify Plus?

Sanity is the most common recommendation for Shopify Plus headless builds. Its structured content model, real-time collaborative editing, and GROQ query language pair well with commerce data. Contentful, Prismic, and Storyblok are alternatives depending on team preferences and project requirements.

Do you need a headless CMS for a headless Shopify store?

Not always, but usually. Shopify handles products, inventory, and checkout. A headless CMS handles everything else - editorial content, campaign pages, lookbooks, brand storytelling. If your content needs are minimal, you might get by without one, but most brands going headless have content ambitions that justify it.

Related terms: Sanity CMS, Headless Commerce, Composable Commerce. For hands-on help, see Flux's headless Shopify team.