Headless WordPress with React Js : Environment Setup - Session : 1

A Headless CMS (Content Management System) is a backend-only content management system that acts primarily as a content repository. A headless CMS allows for the creation, management, and storage of content without a built-in front-end. The content is accessible via an API (Application Programming Interface), enabling developers to build the front-end separately using technologies of their choice, such as React, Angular, or Vue.js.

Setup Headless CMS

To set up a headless CMS with WordPress and React, follow these steps:

Create the Main Folder

1. Create a Folder:
   • Name the folder wp-headless. This folder will contain both WordPress (backend) and the React application (frontend).

WordPress Backend Setup

1. Setup WordPress:

   • Inside the wp-headless folder, create a folder named Wordpress.
   • Download and install WordPress following the famous 5-minute installation process.
   • After setup, your WordPress installation should be located inside wp-headless/Wordpress.

2. Remove Inactive Plugins and Themes:

   • Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard.
   • Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins and deactivate/delete any inactive plugins.
   • Navigate to Appearance > Themes and delete any inactive themes.

3. Verify API:

   • Ensure that your WordPress REST API is functioning correctly by visiting http://your-site-url/wp-json/wp/v2.
   • This endpoint should display a JSON response with the default WordPress API endpoints.

React Frontend Setup

1. Install Node.js:

   • Download and install Node.js from nodejs.org.
   • Verify the installation by running the following command in your Command Prompt (CMD):

    node -v
   

• This command should return the Node.js version, confirming the successful installation.

1. Create React App:

   • React will manage the frontend of your application. To set up a new React app, run the following commands:

    npx create-react-app frontend
   

• This command will create a new React application inside a folder named frontend with a default package.json file.

1. Start the React App:

   • Navigate into the frontend directory and start the development server:

    cd frontend
    npm start
   

• The above commands will change the directory to frontend and start the React development server. Your default browser should automatically open and display the React app.

Conclusion

Setting up a headless CMS using WordPress as the backend and React as the frontend provides a flexible and modern approach to web development. This setup decouples content management from content presentation, allowing developers to leverage the powerful WordPress CMS while using modern JavaScript frameworks for the front-end. This guide walks you through the basic steps to get started with a headless WordPress and React application, laying the foundation for a scalable and maintainable web application.