Top Headless CMS Interview Questions for 2024

There is no doubt that a Headless CMS is the future of Content Management Systems. Gone are the days when you only rely on traditional CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, etc.

In this article, we’ll cover the top headless CMS interview questions for 2024. So without wasting time, let’s get started by looking at some commonly asked questions.

1. What is Headless CMS?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in interviews. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced professional, you are likely to encounter these questions. Here is how you should answer it:

A headless CMS, also known as a headless content management system, is a web content management system primarily focused on the back end, serving as a content repository.

2. Difference between Traditional CMS vs Headless CMS?

The key difference between a Traditional CMS and a Headless CMS lies in the way content is managed and delivered. In a traditional CMS, content management is a combination of Frontend and Backend. In contrast, a Headless CMS introduces an additional component between the Frontend and Backend, known as an API. In essence, it is a combination of Frontend + API + Backend.

3. Name some popular headless cms platforms?

Although there are plenty of Headless CMS available in the market, some of the most popular Headless CMS include :

Strapi CMS	https://strapi.io/
Contentful CMS	https://www.contentful.com/
Sanity	https://www.sanity.io/
Butter CMS	https://buttercms.com/
Directus	https://directus.io/
Storyblok	https://www.storyblok.com/
AgilityCMS	https://agilitycms.com/

4. What are the benefits of using a headless CMS over a traditional CMS?

Nowadays, Headless CMS is the most demanding technology compared to traditional CMS. There is no doubt that it offers plenty of benefits over traditional CMS. Here are some main benefits of Headless CMS :

• • Flexibility : Traditional CMS offers a very limited flexibility. This type of CMS ties content creation and presentation tightly together. Due to this, changes to one may affect the other. In Headless CMS, it provides numerous front-end technologies, frameworks, and languages. It fetches the data in form of API either from GraphQL or RestFul API.

• • Content Delivery : Traditional CMS is primarily designed for websites, such as WordPress and Joomla. In contrast, with the help of a headless CMS, we can target multiple channels and devices through APIs, resulting in consistent and seamless experiences across websites, mobile apps etc.

• • Scalability : Scaling in Traditional CMS is more challenging due to its design with specific architecture. Additionally, adopting new technologies can be difficult for traditional CMS. In contrast, Headless CMS can easily adopt new technologies because the separation of content management and the presentation layer simplifies scalability.

• • Security : In traditional CMS, where content creation and presentation are integrated, if a hacker gains access to one part, they may easily target or access other components.

5. List some disadvantages using headless cms :

• • If a non-technical person uses it, it will become challenging for that user. Due to this, they might require proper training

• • Maintaining consistency is important for developers. If it isn’t maintained, this can lead to challenges in content management.

• • There is no doubt that the headless CMS has a growing community. However, there is still a lack of community size for some of the headless platforms.

6. What is Strapi CMS ?

Strapi CMS is one of the most popular examples of a Headless CMS. It is open source and entirely built with JavaScript/TypeScript. Strapi CMS offers a user-friendly environment, allowing you to easily create and manage content

You can read more about Strapi CMS here : Strapi CMS

7. List some advantages of Strapi CMS :

• • Strapi CMS has a great community so far. it is one of the most rated CMS on GitHub around 60K.

• • Adopt new technologies easily.

• • Easier integration with third party services.

Also Read : Top-5 Best Animation Library For React

8. Which databases are compatible with Strapi?

Strapi extends its support for more databases, including MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite, and others ,allow developers more freedom to choose the database solution that best suits their needs.

9. Why is it essential to regularly update every headless CMS?

Keeping every headless CMS updated is essential to preserving the system’s performance, stability, and security.

• Security Patches : Updates often contain security patches to fix software vulnerabilities.
• Bug Fixes : Performance enhancements and bug fixes are frequently included in updates. Ignoring updates may lead to experience bugs and degraded performance.

10. How does a headless CMS support content scheduling?

Numerous headless CMS platforms come with scheduling capabilities, enabling content to be published or removed at predetermined times. This is typically managed through the CMS interface and reflected in API responses.

11. What is the role of GraphQL in some headless CMS platforms?

GraphQL is used in some headless CMS platforms to provide a more flexible and efficient way of querying content. It allows clients to request exactly the data they need, reducing over-fetching and improving performance.

12. How does a headless CMS handle caching??

While caching is often implemented at the API or CDN level, many headless CMS platforms offer built-in caching mechanisms to improve performance. This might include caching of API responses or individual content items.

13. What is content modeling in a headless CMS?

Content modeling involves defining the structure and relationships of content in a headless CMS. It’s important because it determines how content can be reused across different channels and impacts the flexibility and scalability of content management.

14. How does a headless CMS support multilingual content??

Headless CMS platforms typically offer features for creating and managing content in multiple languages, including translation management, language-specific content modeling, and API support for retrieving content in specific languages.

Bonus Tip for Headless CMS Interview Questions:

If you are reading this article, it means you are interested in or preparing for your upcoming interview as a Headless Developer. Your choice to become a headless CMS developer is fantastic.

Choosing to build with a Headless CMS is an great decision due to its speed, flexibility, and enhanced security compared to traditional CMS. So before moving your journey as a Headless CMS Developer, there are some key points you should keep in mind. Here are the essential considerations you shouldn’t overlook :

• • Headless CMS Basics: Ensure you have a solid understanding about basics of headless CMS concepts including decoupling, APIs, content modeling, and content delivery.

• • Familiarize Yourself with Popular Platforms : While there are numerous platforms available for Headless CMS, it’s not essential to master all of them. However, having a basic understanding of popular Headless CMS platforms can be beneficial

• • Read Documentation : As this community continues to grow, you may encounter challenges in finding solutions to problems. To overcome such situations, it’s crucial to focus on documentation thoroughly.

Sources :

The content presented in this blog is taken from a combination of personal experience, research and some reputable resources within the headless CMS community. Some of them are : Wikipedia, Strapi

Still have a question in your mind or feedback? Don’t worry; just drop a message in the comment section below, and we will get back to you

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