(Headless CMS)
A CMS your editors love.
A frontend your
users love more.
WebAnts is a London headless CMS development agency. We build Sanity, Contentful, and headless WordPress backends paired with Next.js frontends, fast, structured, and built for editors who want to publish without calling a developer.
Get a free quote
90+
Lighthouse score on Next.js
Live
Preview before publishing
4.9★
Rated on Google & Clutch
£0
Prepayment required
(What we build)
Every major headless CMS,
built and integrated.
01
Sanity CMS Development
Custom Sanity schemas, GROQ queries, and Studio configuration tailored to your content model. Portable Text custom blocks, image pipelines, and Next.js frontend integration with ISR.
02
Contentful Development
Content model design, content type setup, and a Next.js frontend with Contentful's Delivery and Preview APIs. Webhooks for on-demand ISR and migration from existing CMS.
03
Headless WordPress + Next.js
WP REST API or WPGraphQL backend decoupled from a Next.js frontend. Gutenberg blocks rendered via ACF or custom post types, with full preview mode and on-demand revalidation.
04
Strapi & Directus
Self-hosted Strapi or Directus as a backend CMS, ideal when you want full data ownership, custom roles, and REST or GraphQL APIs without a monthly SaaS bill.
05
Content Migration
Migrate content from any CMS to any CMS, WordPress to Sanity, Contentful to Strapi, custom database to structured content model. Automated scripts, image transfer, and redirect mapping included.
06
Live Preview & Editorial Tooling
Real-time content preview in Next.js using Sanity's Presentation tool, Contentful's Preview API, or a custom preview mode. Editors see changes live before publishing.
07
Multi-language & i18n
Internationalised content models with locale-specific fields, language routing in Next.js, and a seamless editorial workflow for managing translations across multiple markets.
08
CMS Training & Documentation
Plain-English CMS training documentation and a walkthrough session so your editors are confident from day one. No more "how do I edit this?" support tickets.
(How we work)
Content model agreed
before any code.
Content Modelling
Map your content types, relationships, and editorial workflows before touching any CMS. The content model is agreed in writing, changes at this stage cost nothing; changes after build cost a lot.
CMS Setup & Design
CMS schemas configured and Studio/interface set up. Figma designs for the Next.js frontend created and approved before build begins.
Frontend Build
Next.js frontend built against the CMS APIs, with ISR or SSG for performance, preview mode for editors, and full TypeScript types generated from the content model.
Migration & Launch
Content migrated from existing CMS, redirects implemented, Google Search Console set up, and editorial team trained before launch.
(Deliverables)
Everything to go live
and stay live.
- Content model documentation
- Configured CMS (Sanity / Contentful / WP)
- Next.js frontend (TypeScript)
- Live preview / draft mode
- Content migration scripts
- 301 redirect map
- CMS training guide
- Two weeks post-launch support
(Stack)
“WebAnts built something better than I’d ever imagined, shipped faster than any agency I’ve worked with.”
LaTisha Ebanks
Marketing Director, North Pointe Marketing
(FAQ)
Common questions about
headless CMS development.
What is a headless CMS and why does it matter?
A traditional CMS (like classic WordPress) tightly couples the content management backend to the frontend that renders it. A headless CMS separates the two, your content lives in a dedicated CMS (Sanity, Contentful, etc.) accessible via API, and your frontend (Next.js) fetches and renders it. The result is a much faster site, better developer experience, and a content model that can serve web, mobile, and other channels from a single source of truth.
Sanity vs Contentful, which should we choose?
Sanity is generally better for content-heavy sites with complex, custom content models, the Studio is highly customisable and the GROQ query language is very powerful. Contentful has a slightly simpler learning curve and better-established enterprise integrations. For most marketing sites and mid-complexity content, Sanity is our recommendation. For large enterprises with existing Contentful investment, we build against Contentful. We advise based on your specific content and team requirements.
Should we go headless or stay on traditional WordPress?
If your current WordPress site is fast enough and your editors are happy, going headless is probably unnecessary complexity and cost. If you're experiencing performance issues, developer frustration, or scaling challenges, or if you need to serve content to multiple frontends or channels, headless pays off. We give an honest recommendation during the discovery call based on your actual situation.
Can editors preview content before publishing?
Yes. We implement live preview for every headless build. With Sanity, this uses the Presentation tool with real-time overlays. With Contentful, it uses the Preview API with a Next.js draft mode. With headless WordPress, we use WP's preview post functionality hooked into Next.js. Editors can see exactly how content looks before it goes live.
How do you handle content migration from our existing CMS?
We write automated migration scripts to export content from your existing CMS and import it into the new one, transforming data structures along the way. Images are downloaded and re-uploaded to the new CDN. A redirect map is created to preserve all existing URLs. The migration is run in dry-run mode first for review, then executed to the new CMS before launch.
How much does headless CMS development cost?
A marketing site with Sanity and Next.js (10–20 content types, editorial preview, basic migration) typically costs £8,000–£15,000. A larger site with complex content modelling, multi-language support, or significant migration work typically costs £15,000–£30,000. Flat written quote after a free discovery call.
Ready to go headless? →
Free 30-min discovery call. Content model agreed upfront. No prepayment.
WebAnts is a London headless CMS development agency. We build Sanity CMS, Contentful, and headless WordPress backends paired with Next.js frontends. Services include content modelling, live preview setup, content migration, multi-language support, and editorial team training. Based in London, serving clients across the UK and worldwide. 4.9★ rated on Google and Clutch.