How to build a headless WordPress with Angular
Tags: webdev, javascript, devops, angular
Published: 2022-06-13 18:09:16

WordPress is widely regarded as one of the most popular content management systems in the world.  

In fact, as of late 2021, WordPress powered 35% of the top 1 million websites in the world. And around 25% of all websites, period.  

Why is it so popular?  

First, it’s free to download and use. However, if you want to customize it, WordPress does charge a fee for some of their templates and plug-ins. Especially the best ones. 

Beyond being free, WordPress’s ubiquity means if you’re a content creator on the internet, you’ve probably used it before.  

And if you haven’t, that’s no problem because it’s extremely user-friendly. Plus, it’s versatile enough to not only work as a great as a blog, but for many different possible projects.  

## Downsides to WordPress 

However, there are serious downsides to using WordPress.  

One is security simply because it’s so popular. The logic used by hackers is, if it’s popular, it makes more sense to figure out how to hack inside. Then, once discovered, the process can be repeated.  

Another downside is that WordPress sites have slow download times. That means the audience is waiting for the site to load and could become disinterested and leave. Their use of redundant code and heavy themes certainly hurt their sites’ speeds.  

Finally, the necessity of plugins is a third drawback. Using many plugins at once will result in lethargic loading times. On top of that, many crucial plugins are only accessible by paying a yearly subscription fee. That means your “free” site is now much more to operate a year.  

## Solution: Headless WordPress with Angular and deploy with Fathym 

Here at Fathym, we’re not only a web host, but we offer a [micro frontends platform, too.](https://www.fathym.com/blog/articles/2022/march/2022-03-14-a-simple-micro-frontends-explainer)  

That means we offer [developers the freedom to choose whichever JavaScript framework](https://www.fathym.com/blog/articles/2022/february/2022-02-28-angular-vs-react-vs-vue-you-choose) they want to use for building sites with us. And in this case, we’re using Angular as the example.  

## Angular history 

Off the top, Angular is a JavaScript framework. Angular was created and released by Google in 2010 and then reworked and re-released in 2016. The framework is currently used by Google in their Google Ads.   

Overall, Angular is defined as having a steeper learning curve than React and Vue, and that’s likely because it’s very complex. However, that means it’s also the one more likely to be utilized for larger-scale development. It’s known for its code consistency, for being high-performance and its ease of use once you’ve mounted that learning curve. They also have a good amount of documentation compared to some others. Angular is used by big-time companies like HBO, Forbes, PayPal and Sony. 

## Build with Angular, display your content uniquely 

A headless WordPress means, basically, the user still creates content (blogs, photo galleries etc) in WordPress’s back end, but by using APIs, that content is displayed on the frontend, built by Angular.  

Why use Angular?  

### Customization 

Within WordPress, creators are limited. They’re boxed into whatever plugins the CMS has already built.  

Instead, developers have the ability to create new and unique design layouts. You can decide how best to display your content, and how your end-users interact with that content.  

Let’s say you’re a fashion company. You can have a gallery of the latest T-shirts you’ve designed. But, when the user clicks the picture, they’re taken to a new page, which is a video of the model walking through the streets in that shirt.  

The options are basically limitless!  

### Popularity 

A framework’s popularity is important because it’s an indicator of how well is actually works.  

According to StackOverflow’s 2021 survey of developers, Angular was the ninth-most popular JavaScript framework to use last year. In fact, [55.82% of respondents said they “love” to use it](https://www.fathym.com/blog/articles/2022/april/2022-04-13-micro-frontend-popularity), with 45% saying they dread using Angular.  


![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/3l41ezqjqoq542hqzejx.PNG)

Popularity is also important because there’s a robust community out there which can answer questions if you run into issues.  

### Improved user experience 

Because of Angular’s app size, websites built with it will load somewhat faster than they would on WordPress. That’s a big deal because, in 2022, when sites load slowly, sometimes users get disinterested and back out. Not only that, but load times can be indicative of professionalism, and for users with slower internet connections, the smaller size is needed, not just an added benefit. 

The user experience continues to improve with better security than Wordpress, too. Because WordPress sites are so common, hackers have spent time to get into them, sometimes with DDoS attacks. When using a headless WordPress option, because the front end is decoupled from the back end (where all the information is stored), it’s almost impossible for hackers to get to that info. 

Also, the user experience will be improved due to Angular’s ability to make incredibly interesting, robust, well-functioning user interfaces. Some WordPress plugins can be a bit slow or glitchy, but a strong React developer can help create something wonderful.  

## Let Fathym host 

Finally, bring that new headless WordPress site over to Fathym for your hosting needs. We utilize Microsoft Azure, have a free-to-start plan, and offer unique advantages like the [Social UI](https://www.fathym.com/blog/articles/2022/march/2022-03-02-introducing-fathyms-social-ui) for developers.  

Fathym is free to try, it’s extremely easy to use and it’s secure.  

[Join Fathym today!](https://www.fathym.com/dashboard)