MACH Architecture Is Better With a Git Based CMS

Large enterprises have discovered that to succeed in the modern era, they need to replace their bulky monolithic tech stacks and instead compose digital experience platforms from best-of-breed tools. That’s because customers today demand a customer experience that meets them where they are, no matter the channel. 

Facilitating that experience has required these businesses to adopt a different approach to building their tech stacks, particularly one based on MACH principles. A key component of the MACH approach is headless architecture and the headless CMS that delivers content to various channels. 

Most headless CMSs are either API-first or Git-based, with many platforms that support MACH principles leaning towards the API-first approach. However, an API-first and Git-based CMS provides the best foundation for a MACH architecture, because in fact the two features are not mutually exclusive. You can have an API-first, Git-based content platform approach with CrafterCMS.

In this article, we’ll explain how enterprises can adopt the MACH approach with an API-first, Git-based CMS and gain an even greater advantage. 

Why Enterprises Are Turning to MACH Architecture

A MACH architecture combines microservices, APIs, cloud-native technologies, and headless architecture to give businesses more agility and freedom when building their technology stacks. So when it composes to content-driven applications, an API-first CMS is a must (to satisfy the A in MACH).

Modern enterprises have discovered that the one-size-fits-all approach made popular with monolithic suites is no longer viable. Not only do these systems restrict organizations that want to be agile and flexible in their decision-making, but it also locks them into working with a single vendor, and it can be costly to maintain. 

Instead, by adopting the principles of MACH and leveraging them to construct their tech stacks, businesses can begin to create composable experiences by selecting the vendors best suited to their current needs without being locked in for an eternity. 

Some of the benefits they gain from MACH include: 

Increased Scalability: Organizations can effortlessly scale to accommodate a growing business and an onslaught of new customers without having to deal with the unnecessary burden of adding more infrastructure. 

Future-proof Adaptability: New channels, a better option for specific capabilities, or changing customer preferences don’t matter. MACH allows enterprises to adapt as required. 

Omnichannel Capabilities: With headless architecture removing the frontend layer, organizations can deliver content to multiple channels and create the omnichannel experiences their customers ask for. 

Read More: Building a MACH Digital Experience Platform: 7 Ways CrafterCMS Is Ideal

Why an API First, Git Based CMS Is Important

Most headless CMSs use a traditional database architecture on the backend using SQL and NoSQL databases. While these platforms solve many of the content management issues companies might face, they may struggle to cope with modern development processes and environments that DevOps teams, in particular, rely on. Security and scalability of database-centric CMSs bring major headaches to organizations as well.

Additionally, the collaboration between content authors and developers can sometimes be problematic, forcing teams that need to be working together to create engaging content experiences to step on each other’s toes, resulting in issues like content freezes, code and content development bottlenecks, double publishing, and more. 

On the other hand, Git, which already provides amazing source code management and versioning capabilities, can enable CMSs to deal with many of the issues caused by databases. Organizations that leverage a Git-based headless CMS can benefit from sophisticated versioning of content and configurations, automatic syncing of content and code between environments, easy rollbacks, and a naturally distributed repository that supports collaborative development of content and code.

Combining MACH Architecture with a Git Based CMS

Even though many of the headless CMS platforms that also champion MACH architecture are database-centric, the MACH concept itself doesn’t force businesses to adopt a database architecture. MACH and Git can complement each other quite well at the content management layer.

Here are some of the benefits that organizations can gain from combining MACH with an API-first Git-based CMS:

Multi-object Versioning: A Git-based CMS supports tracking for multiple objects, a useful capability when dealing with multiple channels and real-world content models and associated content assets. Content teams can track changes across multiple assets, preview content, and improve their workflow management as content, code and configuration easily moves between different environments. 

Distributed Repository: Developers can use their local branches and link them to a upstream or downstream repositories, allowing code to flow from independent repositories quickly and facilitating higher levels of productivity. Collaborative workflows are easier to implement, which is useful as organizations incorporate distributed workforces. 

DevContentOps: Developers build and test applications in lower environments. Moving content and code between environments can be problematic with database-centric CMSs. With Git-based platforms, code can be moved forward from lower environments and content can be moved back to production more easily, eliminating content freezes and making it develop, test, and deploy digital experiences. 

Branching: Sites and apps undergoing major updates or redesigns may have previously found the different versions of their content siloed. However, with Git, daily work can be done in one branch while major updates and redesign efforts can be completed in another, allowing content authors and developers to work independently without losing time. 

CrafterCMS: An API-First, Git-Based, MACH-Ready CMS For the Enterprise

Enterprises understand that to meet the demands of their customers, beat out the competition, and adapt in the face of constant change, they need the right technology support. That’s why more and more organizations are adopting the MACH approach to create their customized best-of-breed technology stacks.  

CrafterCMS is an API-first, Git-based headless CMS built for enterprises that fully supports the modern MACH approach. However, it's also a Git-based CMS and provide numerous other features that enterprises can leverage for better results. 

With the help of our distributed Git repo, CrafterCMS provides the workflows that content authors, developers, and operations need to create and deliver engaging content-driven digital experiences. Content authors can leverage WYSIWYG editing tools for any digital channel, and all three teams can easily work together thanks to its unique support for DevContentOps processes. With CrafterCMS’s DevContentOps approach, teams can seamlessly collaborate and deliver value faster than ever before. 

Learn more about how CrafterCMS by reading our White Paper: Five Reasons Why You Should Use a Git-Based CMS.