import NotV5 from '/docs/snippets/_not-updated-to-v5.md'

Backend customization: An examples cookbook using FoodAdvisor#

The present section of the documentation is intended for developers who would like to get a deeper understanding of the Strapi back end customization possibilities.

The section is a collection of examples that demonstrate how the core components of the back-end server of Strapi can be used in a real-world project. Front-end code that interacts with the back end may also be part of some examples, but displayed in collapsed blocks by default since front-end code examples are not the main focus of this cookbook.

Examples are meant to extend the features of , the official Strapi demo application. FoodAdvisor builds a ready-made restaurants directory powered by a Strapi back end (included in the /api folder) and renders a -powered front-end website (included in the /client folder).

• 👀 You have read the Quick Start Guide and/or understood that Strapi is a headless CMS A headless CMS is a Content Management System that separates the presentation layer (i.e., the front end, where content is displayed) from the back end (where content is managed).
  
  Strapi is a headless CMS that provides:
  • a back-end server exposing an API for your content,
  • and a graphical user interface, called the admin panel, to manage the content.
  The presentation layer should be handled by another framework, not by Strapi. that helps you create a content structure with the Content-Type Builder and add some content through the Content Manager, then exposes the content through APIs.
• 👀 You have read the back-end customization introduction to get a general understanding of what routes, policies, middlewares, controllers, and services are in Strapi.
• 👷 If you want to test and play with the code examples by yourself, ensure you have cloned the repository, setup the project, and started both the front-end and back-end servers. The Strapi admin panel should be accessible from and the Next.js-based FoodAdvisor front-end website should be running on .

This section can be read from start to finish, or you might want to jump directly to a specific page to understand how a given core element from the Strapi back end can be used to solve a real-world use case example: