WP Engine’s platform for headless WordPress, Atlas, has seen unbelievable development over the previous 12 months, due to a full suite of merchandise supported by lots of our inside groups.

All through 2022, these groups and merchandise led the way in which as WP Engine made vital strides within the headless WordPress house.

We’re excited to share a few of that work with you, and under, we’ll break down final 12 months’s key launches and enhancements to the Atlas platform, Faust.js, WPGraphQL, and extra.

Bonus: We’ll additionally offer you a sneak peek at what we need to construct in 2023! However first, let’s dive in with Atlas platform enhancements.

Getting Began With Atlas is Simpler

Since its launch in 2020, the Atlas platform and its rising ecosystem have taken goal on the hurdles to headless growth, making the headless constructing expertise extra accessible and streamlined for veteran builders in addition to those that are new to headless.

2022 was no exception as our groups targeted on updates and enhancements that make it simpler than ever to experiment with and create a headless WordPress challenge.

Atlas Sandbox Accounts

One of many largest launches of 2022 was the addition of Sandbox, or trial accounts for Atlas, which give builders with a free and feature-complete atmosphere the place they’ll study extra about headless expertise and begin constructing shortly.

We’re thrilled to supply our clients and expertise fans with a safe place to start out new initiatives, and alongside Atlas Sandbox accounts, WP Engine additionally prolonged Atlas plans to companies of all sizes in 2022.

Atlas Blueprints

At DE{CODE} 2022, we launched Atlas Blueprints, that are pre-configured, easy-to-install environments that give Atlas customers a place to begin for studying and constructing with a headless tech stack.

Blueprints permit builders to hurry up studying and save time that might in any other case be spent studying documentation, putting in the tech stack, and studying the right way to piece collectively headless websites from scratch.

As an alternative, you need to use Atlas Blueprints to spin up a templated headless website in minutes and focus your efforts on constructing your subsequent headless challenge.

The Atlas Platform is Extra Intuitive and Person-Pleasant

2022 additionally noticed our groups shore up the core Atlas platform, operating via the next punch checklist of updates, additions, and optimizations, which all make Atlas simpler to make use of and navigate.

• Area-level redirects added to the Person Portal. Atlas customers not must handle domain-level redirects via their DNS host or with customized code.
• Runtime logs and real-time construct logs had been added to the Person Portal, making this info simpler to entry.
• Rebuild and Clear Rebuild webhooks added to the Person Portal. In contrast to “common” rebuilds, a “Clear Rebuild” purges all beforehand cached folders and solely then pulls the newest commit out of your department earlier than rebuilding the atmosphere. Customers can now generate a webhook that can allow them to provoke a Clear Rebuild.
• Github integration enhancements together with the flexibility to delete a department, rename the repo, subdirectory assist, and extra.
• Password Safety enabled to supply an extra layer of safety
• Cancel Construct performance added. As an alternative of ready for a construct to finish or day trip, customers can now cancel a construct and queue up further builds (with standing indicators) within the Person Portal!)
• Potential to shortly roll again to earlier profitable construct (if damaged pictures, errors, and so on. are current).
• Portfolio Blueprint and new BigCommerce Blueprint added in 2022.
• Monorepo assist. The Atlas construct system now helps the flexibility to pick out a subdirectory in Github when selecting the repository. This enables builds to have a number of JavaScript apps in a single repo, and have the JavaScript app in a subfolder of the WordPress repo.
• Atlas Debug mode enabled, which helps builders troubleshoot higher (and sooner).
• Area revalidation button added, and area standing lights added to the Person Portal, making it straightforward to replace and revalidate DNS information shortly.
• Direct .zip add through API now obtainable, permitting builders to add code to Atlas immediately utilizing WP Engine’s API credentials.

Pull Request Preview Environments

One other Atlas enchancment that can make your Atlas workflow simpler is the flexibility to dynamically create new Atlas environments to check your adjustments from GitHub pull requests, all with out having to undergo the configuration steps within the Person Portal.

Should you determine to show this function on, each pull request opened to a department used as a supply department in your Atlas atmosphere will create a preview atmosphere based mostly on the department that’s being in comparison with your supply department. Closing or merging the pull request will shut the atmosphere down.

Faust.js is Even Extra WordPress-Pleasant

Faust.js is an open supply framework sponsored by WP Engine, constructed on prime of Subsequent.js and React. Faust is an entire library that can scale back the event time wanted for headless WordPress websites whereas additionally bringing ahead all the ability of WordPress to the frontend software.

In 2022, we targeted on enhancements to Faust.js that re-imagined what a headless WordPress library may and ought to be. We rebuilt it from the bottom up with WordPress builders in thoughts and with the purpose of constructing certain Faust.js is the correct library for all sorts of headless WordPress websites.

Re-introducing Faust.js

We relaunched Faust.js in 2022, due to nice buyer suggestions {that a} WordPress-focused JavaScript framework could be impactful for enabling primarily-WordPress builders.

Faust.js Made Headless Improvement Simpler for WordPress Builders

Faust.js launched the WordPress template hierarchy into headless growth, permitting customers to regulate their headless templates as simply as they might a traditional WordPress theme. This protects time and power for groups by permitting for a lot sooner integration with WordPress’ content material administration.

Faust.js Made Headless the Preferrred Platform for Businesses and Enterprises

Faust.js additionally launched two new options to headless growth, the Apollo shopper and Faust.js plugin that, collectively, permit Atlas to be the best platform for websites of all sizes by letting builders construct precisely what they want all through all the cycle of their headless software.

WPGraphQL is Smarter and Sooner!

The perfect GraphQL API for WordPress obtained even higher in 2022. WPGraphQL is a free, open supply WordPress plugin that gives an extendable GraphQL schema and API for any WordPress website.

Whereas it’s already extensively used for constructing wealthy JavaScript purposes with frameworks corresponding to Subsequent.js, Gatsby, Vue, and Svelte (and it performs a key position within the bigger Atlas ecosystem), enhancements to WPGraphQL over the previous 12 months will little doubt encourage a good bigger set of use instances.

SmartCache

Some of the vital updates to WPGraphQL in 2022 was the discharge of SmartCache, a WPGraphQL plugin that lets you cache your GraphQL requests from WordPress.

As soon as these requests are cached, they not hit the WordPress server and as an alternative undergo WPGraphQL SmartCache. This supplies you with higher efficiency whereas utilizing fewer assets! The plugin is engineered in order that it really works particularly along with your WordPress internet hosting platform’s community caching layer.

New Customized Publish Sorts and Taxonomy Registration Choices

WPGraphQL additionally makes it straightforward to expose Customized Publish Sorts and Taxonomies to the GraphQL Schema. As of October 2022, WPGraphQL gives new choices for the way your submit sorts and taxonomies are added to the WPGraphQL Schema.

This allows builders to make use of WPGraphQL in numerous (simpler) methods with much less code. For instance, this replace helps convey extra compatibility between instruments like WooCommerce and WPGraphQL.

Search is Unlocked for Headless Initiatives

Atlas Search Beta Launch

Headless WordPress websites that use the native REST API or WPGraphQL to carry out searches with out every other efficiency optimizations would possibly expertise points corresponding to sudden search outcomes, the lack to go looking multiple phrase at a time, and a scarcity of assist for customized information.

Atlas Search was launched to vary that, and supplies a search answer tailored for headless WordPress, with better performance and customizability than default WordPress search.

Atlas Search beta was made obtainable free to all Atlas clients within the spring of 2022 as a part of our Beta program, however keep tuned for updates on Atlas Search Common Availability!

Content material Is Extra Performant on Atlas

Headless structure gives a brand new expertise for web site builders and content material creators, however it may possibly additionally present dramatic efficiency enhancements to the way in which web sites and content material are delivered.

Android Authority, the most important unbiased publication devoted to Android OS, achieved dramatic enhancements to web optimization and the looking expertise for its 50 million month-to-month readers— together with a 6x enhance in web page pace— after adopting a headless structure with a WordPress again finish.

Georgian School, an Ontario, Canada-based School of Utilized Arts and Expertise, noticed its web site soar from twenty third to second place in search outcomes after changing to a headless construct utilizing Atlas.

Different Atlas customers, from high-traffic digital publishers to enterprise shopper manufacturers leveraged the Atlas platform and ecosystem in 2022 to ship content material extra successfully, throughout extra channels and digital touchpoints, with pace and precision for inside and exterior customers alike.

“Headless adoption has been ramping up for a while now, however because it continues to develop, and as extra enterprise leaders perceive how this strategy will help them meet their digital calls for, we’re seeing extra clients profit from headless structure than ever earlier than,” WP Engine Director of Product Administration, Jason Konen.

“Content material is extra performant on Atlas, full cease,” he added. “If creating content material is a central a part of your online business, constructing it with WordPress and utilizing the frontend frameworks your builders favor to make use of is simply such a game-changer. However don’t take my phrase for it—attempt it free utilizing an Atlas Sandbox account to expertise the headless distinction firsthand.”

Wanting Forward in 2023

We’re doubling down on our dedication to Atlas enhancements within the coming 12 months, and are excited to announce just a few new instruments and options launching at our digital DE{CODE} convention for builders!

You received’t need to miss the joy so reserve your spot now—totally free! You possibly can register right here.

And keep tuned— we’ll proceed to share a few of the initiatives we’re wanting into for 2023, together with enhancements to the CI/CD expertise, updates to our new search function, integrations with Superior Customized Fields (ACF), and naturally, ongoing efficiency optimization.

What else would you wish to see us construct? Tell us within the feedback!