How to Use WordPress as a Headless CMS with Next.js

Learn how to use WordPress as a Headless CMS with Next.js. Our Headless CMS Integration Support team is ready to assist with any queries or concerns.

How to Use WordPress as a Headless CMS with Next.js

Traditionally, WordPress handles both content management (back-end) and website rendering (front-end). However, with a headless approach, WordPress manages only the content, while a separate front-end framework handles the display of that content.

This gives us content management capabilities of WordPress with the flexibility and performance of modern JavaScript frameworks like Next.js, React, or Vue.js.

Let’s break down how this works and why developers are embracing it.

What Is Headless WordPress?

In brief, Headless WordPress means decoupling the back-end (WordPress) from the front-end (the website’s user interface). Instead of using WordPress themes and templates for the front-end, we deliver content via APIs to a separate application that controls the presentation.

By combining WordPress and Next.js, we can streamline development, enhance performance, and deliver a seamless user experience.

Why Use a Headless CMS?

Using WordPress as a headless CMS offers several advantages:

• Static generation and server-side rendering with Next.js boost site speed.
• Front-end developers aren’t restricted by WordPress themes or PHP.
• Easily build multi-platform apps (web, mobile, etc.) using the same content source.
• Fine-tune the front-end experience without back-end limitations.

What is Next.js?

Next.js is a popular React-based framework that simplifies the process of building optimized web applications.
Here are some of its key features:

• Server-Side Rendering (SSR)
• Static Site Generation (SSG)
• Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)
• API Routes and File-based Routing

Next.js is ideal for building fast, scalable, and SEO-friendly websites, making it a perfect match for headless WordPress setups.

How to Set Up Headless WordPress with Next.js

1. Configure Your WordPress Site

1. To install WordPress, use local tools like XAMPP or WAMP, or deploy WordPress on a hosting provider.
2. Then, go to Settings > Permalinks in the WordPress dashboard and choose a structure that’s SEO-friendly. This ensures clean, consistent URLs.
3. Make sure the WordPress site is publicly accessible so the Next.js frontend can fetch data.

2. Install WPGraphQL

1. Now, go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress admin.
2. Search for WPGraphQL, install, and activate it.
3. Verify the installation by visiting yourdomain.com/graphql. We will see the GraphQL endpoint.

WPGraphQL lets us fetch exactly the data we need from WordPress with GraphQL queries, improving efficiency compared to REST APIs.

3. Build the Frontend with Next.js

1. Install Node.js and npm (or yarn) on the local machine.
2. Run the following command to initialize a new Next.js project:

   npx create-next-app my-headless-appCopy Code

This will create a project directory called `my-headless-app`, where we will write the front-end code.

4. Fetch Data from WordPress with GraphQL

Use the `graphql-request` library in Next.js to query your WordPress data.

To install the dependency:

npm install graphql-requestCopy Code

Here is an example GraphQL query in Next.js:

// pages/index.js
import { request, gql } from 'graphql-request';
const endpoint = 'https://your-wordpress-site.com/graphql';
export async function getStaticProps() {
const query = gql`
{
posts {
nodes {
id
title
content
}
}
}
`;
const data = await request(endpoint, query);
return {
props: {
posts: data.posts.nodes,
},
};
}
export default function Home({ posts }) {
return (Copy Code

);
}

This code pulls WordPress posts into the Next.js front-end and renders them dynamically.

5. Run the Next.js Development Server

To preview the site:

1. Install project dependencies:

   npm installCopy Code
2. Start the development server:

   npm run devCopy Code

Visit `http://localhost:3000` to see the site in action.

6. Set Up Incremental Static Regeneration (ISR)

With ISR, the pages update automatically without a full rebuild.

Here is an example implementation:

export async function getStaticProps() {
return {
props: {
// Your fetched data here
},
revalidate: 60, // Regenerate the page every 60 seconds
};
}
Copy Code

This ensures the content stays fresh, even after deployment.

7. Deploy Your Next.js App

Once the site is ready, deploy it to production. Some of the recommended deployment platforms are Vercel (official Next.js platform), Netlify, custom server or cloud provider.

To deploy, run this command:

npm run buildCopy Code

Then, follow the deployment instructions for the chosen platform.

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

By following the above steps, our Next.js front-end will dynamically pull content from our WordPress backend.

In short, our Support Engineers introduced us to MongoDB’s `$set` and `$unset` operators.