Wix Headless lets you build a custom frontend on any stack, backed by Wix's business management platform. Before you start, choose a development path. The right path comes down to how much you want Wix to manage, above all who hosts your frontend and who handles authentication.
Take advantage of a fully Wix-managed solution for developing and hosting your headless project. This is the recommended path for new headless projects.
Wix hosts and runs your site with managed infrastructure, including a global CDN hosting, secrets management, analytics, and the Wix CLI. When you scaffold a new project with AI or the Wix CLI, Wix's Astro integration configures authentication and built-in SEO support for you, so you can focus on building.
To learn more, see About Wix-Managed Headless.
Build your own frontend from scratch with any framework or platform, and connect it directly to Wix's backend using the Wix JavaScript SDK or the REST API. You're responsible for all configuration, authentication, and hosting.
You can connect an existing Wix site to Wix Headless, turning the site into the backend for your project. Use this approach to migrate to a custom frontend or to extend a site with additional frontends. The authentication strategy is the same as for any self-managed project.
| Path | Framework | Hosting | Authentication | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wix-managed | Astro (new or linked) | Wix | Automatic | Fastest, fully managed path |
| Self-managed | Any | You host | You set up | Full control, or an existing Wix site |
| Feature | Wix-managed | Self-managed |
|---|---|---|
| Project scaffolding & automatic authentication | ✓ | ✗ |
| Built-in SEO support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Managed hosting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Secrets management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Analytics tracking | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wix CLI | ✓ | ✗ |
| App extensions | ✓ | ✗ |
| Wix business APIs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Any hosting solution | ✗ | ✓ |
Choose a path and start building:
Last updated: 1 July 2026