Headless ATS: recruitment software built API-first
A headless ATS is recruitment software where the engine and the screens are separate. Every job, candidate, application, submission and placement sits behind a full public API, so your website, your own tools and your AI agents can run recruitment directly, with or without the standard app on top.
Most ATSs are built the other way round. The screens come first and an API is added later, usually with gaps. That is fine until you want a careers page that matches your brand, a client portal, a link to your back office or an agent to do the admin. Then you find out what the API cannot do. Lovelio is built API-first. The app your consultants use runs on the same public API you get, so anything a screen can do, your code can do too.
What headless means for an agency
You keep one engine for your data and your workflow, and put whatever you like in front of it.
- Your website. Post jobs to your own careers page and send applications straight into Lovelio.
- Your own front end. Build a client or candidate portal on Lovelio's engine, in your brand.
- Your other systems. Use webhooks to tell your finance or payroll tools when a placement is made.
- Your AI agents. Let an agent do the admin through Lovelio's MCP server, with the permissions you choose.
API-first, not API-later
An API added later often covers a few records and leaves the rest on screen. In Lovelio, the API is the product. There are 262 operations across jobs, job ads, clients, candidates, talent pools, applications, interviews, submissions, placements, email, calendar, automation and account setup. Every Lovelio screen uses the same list, so nothing is held back for the app.
What developers get
Everything you need to build and test without waiting on anyone.
- A sandbox agency and API key in about a minute.
- An OpenAPI 3.1 spec and a full reference, plus a plain markdown version for agents.
- Single-file TypeScript and Python SDKs with no dependencies.
- Webhooks with signed events, and clear rules for retries, idempotency and rate limits.
- An MCP server at one URL for every agency.
- Workspaces in three regions: US, EU and ANZ.
Do you need to go headless?
Not on day one. Most agencies use Lovelio straight out of the box and never touch the API. Headless is there when you want it: a branded careers page this month, an agent next quarter, a client portal next year, without changing your ATS again.
Headless and agentic go together
An AI agent needs the same thing your developer does: a complete API it can act on. Because Lovelio is headless, it is also an agentic ATS. The agent works through the same front door as your app, with the same permissions and the same activity history.
Questions to ask any headless ATS
| Question | Lovelio |
|---|---|
| Does the vendor's own app use the same API? | Yes. Every Lovelio screen runs on the public API. |
| Can you write, not just read? | Yes. Create jobs, move candidates, submit shortlists and log placements. |
| Is there a sandbox? | Yes. A whole sandbox agency and an API key in about a minute. |
| Is the spec published? | Yes. OpenAPI 3.1, plus a markdown reference written for agents. |
| Are there webhooks? | Yes, with signed events, so your systems can react when things happen. |
| Can AI agents use it? | Yes, through an MCP server with sign-in and consent. |
| Do you pay per user? | No. Every plan includes unlimited users and AI agents. |
Headless ATS vs traditional ATS
| Topic | Traditional ATS | Headless ATS |
|---|---|---|
| Where the API comes from | Added after the app, often partial | The app runs on it, so it is complete |
| Careers page | The vendor's template | Your own site, with live jobs from the API |
| New integrations | Wait for the vendor's roadmap | Build what you need and test it in a sandbox |
| AI agents | A chat box inside the app | Agents work through an MCP server |
| Changing your front end | Usually means changing your ATS | Change the front end and keep the engine and data |
Questions
What is the difference between a headless ATS and an ATS with an API?
Most ATSs have some API. A headless ATS is built so the API comes first and covers everything, because the vendor's own app runs on it. If the app can do it, the API can too.
Do I need a developer to use a headless ATS?
No. Your team can use the Lovelio app as normal. A developer, or an AI agent, only comes in when you want to build on top, such as your own careers page or a link to your finance system.
Can I still use the Lovelio app?
Yes. Headless means the app is optional, not missing. Most agencies use the app every day and use the API for one or two extra jobs.
Is a headless ATS the same as an agentic ATS?
They are closely linked. Headless describes how the software is built, with a full API under every screen. Agentic describes what that allows, which is AI agents doing real work inside it. Lovelio is both.
How do I start building on Lovelio?
Sign in with your work email on the developers page and you get a sandbox agency and an API key in about a minute. Building for one agency you already work with? Ask them for an API key from their settings instead.
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