Ghost Content API Embedded in A Site

Using Ghost
1

Hi all. Thanks in advance for any help here.

I’m interested in using Ghost (it sounds like the Ghost Content API makes the most sense from other posts here) to create a blog area on our website that lives within the existing header, navigation, etc of the larger site. Having a subdomain or separate URL is not an option. So it’s essentially like a headless CMS for making regular Blog/Tutorial type posts. The posts will have text, images, and video embeds in them.

What I’m wondering is: if we are hosting it, do we get any of the backend functionality I see on the Ghost site in terms of styling fonts, images, etc similar to how a Wordpress or a Medium works for the user? Or is that only available when you are doing a custom site with Ghost or other Pro use of the platform. Essentially I am hoping the person creating content can i) use the platform easily to create and upload posts and ii) have flexibility to make nice layouts/designs, but I don’t know how much is included on the open source version.

Thanks for any help! And forgive me as I am the one doing the research, but am relaying it to our tech team who probably better understands how these things work.

2

Anyone who can provide any insight here?

3

You can use the backend without the front end. You can pull content from the content API using an API key (fine to do in the front end - its read only). You’ll probably want to load at least cards.min.js and .css, to style post content. (You could also build your own.)

Self-hosters have access to everything that Ghost Pro users do (there are no locked features), but you need to set up a couple services:

  • Mailgun (required for bulk email - search the forum) - if you’re going to send a newsletter.
  • Outbound transactional email (can be Mailgun or an SMTP server) - will be needed for memberships and for staff invites, so not really optional
  • Pintura if you want image editing within the admin dashboard - otherwise just crop before you upload, so this is entirely optional

Managed hosting typically provides these as part of the cost.