About Self-Managed Headless

Self-managed headless lets you build your frontend with any framework and connect it to Wix's backend using the JavaScript SDK or REST API. You handle configuration, authentication, and hosting yourself.

This approach is relevant for integrating Wix business solutions into existing sites, using non-standard frameworks, or building highly customized solutions.

How it works

A headless project is a Wix site that uses Wix's business management platform without necessarily using a Wix frontend. It appears in your Wix account alongside your sites, so you can manage everything in one place. There are two ways to start:

• New project: Create a headless project, then connect your frontend to it.
• Existing Wix site: You don't need a new project. Set up a headless client to turn your existing site into the backend for one or more custom frontends.

Authorization

To call Wix APIs, your frontend (a "client") must be authorized. The strategy you choose depends on what you're building:

• Visitors and Members (OAuth): For a site or app used by customers, such as anonymous visitors and logged-in members.
• Admin (API Key): For a project with customized administrative access to your Wix account's sites and projects.

You can use more than one strategy in the same project. To learn more, see Authorization Strategies.

Calling Wix APIs

There are two ways to interact with the Wix platform from your frontend:

• JavaScript SDK: If you're coding in JavaScript.
• REST API: If you're not coding in JavaScript.

In some cases, you may want to use both.

See also

• Quick Start a Self-Managed Headless Project
• Set Up a Headless Client
• Authorization Strategies
• Invite collaborators