Why use a headless CMS with 11ty?
Markdown is great. I use Markdown in many projects, but it has its limits. When you start moving away from simple text-based content, the syntax becomes more problematic. Often, I find myself injecting HTML into my Markdown — which 11ty allows, by the way — and that ends up defeating the simplicity of Markdown. Add into the mix non-developers and even the simplicity of Markdown syntax is something that becomes a hurdle.
Beyond Markdown, frontmatter is a fine way of managing a small amount of data, but any level of complexity becomes a bit of a headache. A headless CMS can help us overcome both of these limitations.
What is a headless CMS?
You may be familiar with the concept of a content management system. It’s a place that stores data and content in an easily editable format. A traditional CMS typically has everything built in: an editing interface, a server-side language, and a way of building templates. This monolithic...