# Payload CMS

**Canonical:** https://apis.io/providers/payloadcms/  
**Website:** https://payloadcms.com  
**APIs profiled:** 3

Open-source headless CMS and fullstack Next.js framework providing automatic REST and GraphQL APIs for managing collections, globals, media, users, and custom fields in self-hosted or cloud deployments.

## Kin Score — 34.3 / 100 (thin)

Scored 2026-08-21 under rubric 0.12.0. Trend: flat (+0.0 from 34.3).

| Facet | Score |
|---|---|
| Discoverability | 74.1 |
| Contract Quality | 38.9 |
| Governance | 0.0 |
| Contract Governance | 0.0 |
| Operational Transparency | 36.8 |
| Developer Ergonomics | 11.9 |
| Commercial Clarity | 50.0 |
| Access Clarity | 50.0 |

## Agent readiness — 18.4 (agent-aware)

| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Spec Presence | yes |
| Agentic Access | no |
| Reversibility Documented | no |
| MCP Server | no |
| Auth Clarity | no |
| Idempotency | no |
| Error Semantics | no |
| OpenAPI Examples | no |
| Rate Limit Signal | documented |
| Event Surface Described | no |
| Agent Skills | no |
| Well Known Catalog | no |
| Consent Identity | no |
| Agent Card | no |
| Dry Run Mode | no |

## Access

Freemium — onboarding: unknown, pricing: freemium, trial: no (confidence: medium).

## APIs (3)

- **Payload CMS REST API** — Auto-generated RESTful API for managing collections, globals, media uploads, users, and preferences. Mounted at /api/{collection-slug} with full CRUD operations plus authenticat...
- **Payload CMS GraphQL API** — Fully featured GraphQL API exposed at /api/graphql with auto-generated types for all collections and globals. Includes a GraphQL Playground at /api/graphql-playground and suppor...
- **Payload CMS Local API** — Server-side Node.js API for direct database interaction without HTTP overhead. Supports all collection and global operations including authentication, ideal for React Server Com...

## Security (1)

- **Payloadcms Domain Security** — TLSv1.3 · HSTS · DMARC

## Plans (1)

- **Payloadcms Plans Pricing**

## Tags

Headless CMS, Content Management, REST API, GraphQL, Next.js, Open-Source, Self-Hosted, TypeScript

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Profiled by [API Evangelist](https://apievangelist.com) and published on [APIs.io](https://apis.io/providers/payloadcms/). Scores are computed from the provider's own public artifacts under a published rubric.