REST API - Mehedi Hasan

In the fast-evolving world of web development, headless WordPress has emerged as a top choice for developers who want flexibility, speed, and modern tooling. I recently built a personal portfolio site that leverages WordPress as a content management system (CMS) and Next.js for the front end—here’s how I did it, what I learned, and why you might want to try something similar.

Why Go Headless?

With traditional WordPress, your site’s front end and back end are tightly coupled. Headless WordPress decouples them: WordPress only handles content creation and management, while a separate framework (like React, Vue.js, or Next.js) powers the user experience. This setup offers blazing-fast performance, greater design freedom, and access to a rich JavaScript ecosystem.

My Tech Stack

WordPress: The latest version (6.8+), set up on a reliable host, with the REST API or GraphQL enabled.
Next.js: A React framework for static and server-rendered sites. It’s perfect for modern portfolios and blogs.
ACF (Advanced Custom Fields): For flexible content modeling in WordPress.
Tailwind CSS: For fast, responsive styling.
Vercel: For deployment and hosting.
GitHub: For version control and collaboration.

Step-by-Step Build Process

1. Set Up Your WordPress Site

Install WordPress on your chosen hosting provider.
Enable the REST API (or install WPGraphQL if you prefer GraphQL).
Create a ‘Projects’ custom post type (easy with plugins like Custom Post Type UI).
Add custom fields for project details (title, description, images, links, technologies used).
Populate your portfolio with a few projects.

2. Build the Front End with Next.js

Initialize a Next.js project with npx create-next-app.
Fetch data from WordPress using fetch in Next.js’s getStaticProps for fast, static rendering.
Design your portfolio layout—keep it clean, visually oriented, and mobile-friendly.
Integrate project details from your custom fields, displaying title, description, images, and links.
Add a blog section pulling from WordPress posts if you want to share thoughts and updates.

3. Deploy and Optimize

Deploy your Next.js site on Vercel (it’s free for starters and super fast).
Enable incremental static regeneration to keep content fresh without full rebuilds.
Optimize images and assets for speed.
Set up analytics (Google Analytics, Vercel Analytics, or something privacy-focused).
Test on all devices—speed, functionality, and accessibility matter.

Lessons Learned

Performance is transformative: Headless WordPress with Next.js delivers near-instant page loads.
Flexibility is key: You can use any front-end tech or design system you like, without being limited by WordPress themes.
Content management remains familiar: Clients or collaborators can update content in WordPress’s familiar admin, while your dev team works in modern tooling.
Edge cases exist: Previewing content before it’s published and handling authentication (for protected content) require extra plugins or code—e.g., WordPress’s Preview API or Headless WordPress preview plugins.

Example Code Snippet

js// In your Next.js page
export async function getStaticProps() {
  const res = await fetch(
    'https://your-wordpress-site.com/wp-json/wp/v2/projects'
  );
  const projects = await res.json();
  return { props: { projects } };
}

Call to Action

If you’re a WordPress developer in 2025, try a headless project. Whether it’s a portfolio, blog, or client site, the combination of WordPress content management and a modern JavaScript front end is powerful, scalable, and future-proof.

Questions? Suggestions? Drop a comment below—let’s build the future of WordPress, together.

Tag: REST API

Building a Headless WordPress Portfolio with Next.js in 2025