Using a CMS

Content Management Systems (CMS) add a web-based interface to your site, allowing both technical and non-technical folks the ability to easily update the web site on-the-go.

Eleventy (like most site generators) is not tightly coupled to any specific CMS and offers the flexibility to work with a wide variety of available industry and community options! Content Management Systems decoupled in this way are known as Headless.

Using a Headless CMS offers a variety of benefits that will be immediately recognizable to developers familiar with more tightly-coupled/monolithic options, where the front and back-end are co-dependent on each other.

Primarily, using Headless allows developers more control over the front-end. This alleviates pressure on front-end performance and accessibility issues common to monolithic options. It’s worth noting that traditionally tightly-coupled solutions like Drupal, Joomla, or WordPress are also starting to offer Headless options too.

Types of Headless#

Digging deeper, there are two main types of Headless CMS options:

1. Source Control: checks files directly into your code repository (git is a very popular one). You may hear these referred to as Git-based CMS solutions. A few benefits of this approach:
   • Your data and content are already versioned.
   • Works as-is with your existing deployment process, including branch/test/pre-production deploy previews.
   • No data migration is needed if you decide to swap providers—it’s baked in (not fried).
2. API Based: provide an external API that can be queried in your build or serverless functions. This approach gives you access to a powerful query language that can unlock access to complex data structures.

Headless CMS Providers#

Directus

API

Mattrbld

Git-based

CraftCMS

API

Ghost

API

Notion

API

Storyblok

API

WordPress REST API

API

CloudCannon

Git-based

Webflow CMS

API

Sanity

API

Strapi

API

Agility CMS

API

Builder.io

API

Contentful

API

Prismic

API

Wix Headless

API

Spinal

Git-based

DecapCMS

Git-based

The list above is not meant to be exhaustive.

Resources#

• Migrating from WordPress to Eleventy — or, you can keep using WordPress as a headless CMS, too!

From the Community#

• Headless CMS List on Jamstack.org
• YouTube: From Zero to CMS in 2 Minutes with CloudCannon and Eleventy
• How to get started with the 11ty (Eleventy) Blog Starter

×56 resources via 11tybundle.dev curated by Bob Monsour.

• DecapCMS with 11ty — DeaJae (2025)
• Building with an 11ty starter sites and headless WordPress — David Waumsley (2025)
• Now Using 11ty V3 — Devin Haska (2025)
• Long-term WordPress user tries building with 11ty — David Waumsley (2025)
• Dec 9: Building a blog — Callum Skeet (2024)