# A headless WordPress agency — keep the CMS, replace the front end. > A UK headless WordPress agency putting a fast Next.js front end on your WordPress content. Keep the admin your team knows; ship 90+ Core Web Vitals. WordPress headless development done properly. URL: https://www.smartastudio.com/services/headless-wordpress-development **Headless WordPress** We put a fast Next.js front end on your WordPress content, so editors keep the admin they know and visitors get a site that flies. Headless WordPress decouples the editor from the delivery. Your team keeps writing in WordPress; we serve it through a bespoke Next.js front end over the WPGraphQL or REST API — statically generated, edge-delivered, 90+ Core Web Vitals. Familiar editing, modern performance. _It is the re-platform we run for clients: WordPress kept, front end rebuilt in Next.js._ - **Next.js** — The fast front end we build - **WordPress kept** — Your team keeps the admin - **90+** — Core Web Vitals scores we build to ## Three ways we work with headless WordPress. Whether you want a fresh headless front end, a re-platform of a classic WordPress site, or a partner to run an existing headless build — this is where we come in. - Build — a bespoke Next.js front end on your WordPress content - Migrate — re-platform a classic WordPress site to headless, CMS kept - Optimise & run — API, caching and front-end performance for a headless build ## The best of both: WordPress editing, modern performance. - **Keep the CMS your team knows** — No retraining, no migration of everyone to a new tool. Editors keep the WordPress admin they are fluent in — we only change what visitors see. - **Front-end performance, unlocked** — A static, edge-delivered Next.js front end escapes the weight of a classic theme — 90+ Core Web Vitals from content that still lives in WordPress. - **WPGraphQL and REST, done properly** — We wire the API layer cleanly — WPGraphQL or REST — with sensible caching and preview, so the front end is fast and editors still see changes in context. - **A small, senior team** — You work with the people building it. We run this exact re-platform for clients — no hand-off to juniors, no offshoring, senior hands throughout. ## A headless build that respects your editors. The tangible things you keep from every engagement. - **A bespoke Next.js front end** — Hand-built on the App Router — art-directed, typed React, Tailwind and GSAP, built to 90+ Core Web Vitals. - **Your WordPress admin, unchanged** — Editors keep writing where they always have. We decouple the front end without disrupting the way your team works. - **A clean WPGraphQL or REST layer** — The API wired properly, with the right queries and caching — the plumbing that makes headless fast rather than fragile. - **Preview and incremental builds** — Editors preview changes in context, and content updates rebuild only what changed — fast to publish, fast to load. - **SEO and redirects preserved** — Metadata, structured data and every URL carried across, so a re-platform reads as an upgrade to search, not a reset. - **A clean handover** — Documented, typed code and a clear map of how WordPress and the front end talk to each other. ## How we work: Audit, Design, Build, Run. A clear path from a classic WordPress site to a fast headless front end — the same method behind every SmartaStudio build. ### Audit Duration: Week 1 - We map your WordPress content model, how editors work, and what the front end needs to do — and confirm headless is the right call. - We plan the URL and redirect map so rankings carry across intact. You get: A headless plan and a clear scope. ### Design Duration: Weeks 2–4 - A bespoke design system and page designs in Figma, specced with motion — agreed alongside the API and content mapping. You get: Art-directed designs and an API plan. ### Build Duration: Weeks 4–12 - A typed Next.js front end wired to WordPress via WPGraphQL or REST, with caching, preview and incremental builds — measured on performance. You get: A fast headless front end on your WordPress. ### Run Duration: Ongoing - Launch, then ongoing build and design on retainer — the front end keeps improving while your team publishes as normal. You get: A partner who keeps it fast and current. ## Headless WordPress at a glance. - **Category:** Headless WordPress development (decoupled CMS + Next.js front end) - **Best for:** Content teams committed to the WordPress admin who need a faster, modern front end — and classic WordPress sites hitting a performance ceiling. - **Typical work:** WordPress → headless re-platforms, Next.js front ends on WordPress, WPGraphQL/REST integration, performance rescues. - **Stack:** WordPress (headless), WPGraphQL or REST, Next.js (App Router), TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, GSAP, deployed on Vercel. - **Proof:** Our own Awwwards-listed site runs on Next.js; we run WordPress → headless re-platforms and build to 90+ Core Web Vitals. - **Engagement:** Fixed-scope projects (typically 12–16 weeks) or ongoing build & design on retainer. Based in Nantwich, UK; £ GBP. ## Headless WordPress, answered. ### The basics **What is headless WordPress?** Headless WordPress keeps WordPress as the content management system but replaces its front end. Instead of a PHP theme rendering pages, a separate app — for us, a Next.js front end — pulls content from WordPress via an API and delivers a fast, modern site. Editors keep WordPress; visitors get something quicker. **Do our editors keep the WordPress admin?** Yes — that is the whole point. Your team keeps writing and managing content in the WordPress admin they already know. We only change the delivery layer, so there is no retraining. **WPGraphQL or REST — which do you use?** Both are options; we choose based on your content and needs. WPGraphQL gives precise, efficient queries for complex content; the REST API is simpler for lighter builds. We wire whichever fits, with sensible caching and preview. ### Working with us **Can you re-platform our WordPress site to headless without losing SEO?** Yes. We map every URL, set up redirects, and carry across metadata and structured data, so search sees an upgrade rather than a reset. It is the kind of WordPress → headless re-platform we run for clients. **When does headless WordPress make sense versus a full Next.js + Sanity build?** Headless WordPress is ideal when your team is committed to the WordPress admin and you have content and workflows worth keeping — you get modern performance without moving CMS. If you are open to changing CMS, a Next.js + Sanity build can be cleaner. We will tell you honestly which fits. **How much does a headless WordPress project cost?** It depends on the content model and front-end scope. Re-platforms typically run higher than a standard site because of the API and migration work — we scope properly before quoting. All prices in £ GBP. ## Thinking about going headless? Tell us about your WordPress site and where it is hitting limits. We will tell you whether headless is the right move — and how we would build it.