diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dd73208..4bd76e1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -163,6 +163,7 @@ The "default" column shows the default value if the attribute is not set.
 | branding  | boolean to include logos                                  | true    |
 | mock      | boolean to use the mock wasm client data                  | false   |
 | target    | string "web", "extension-offscreen" or "extension-popup"  | web     |
+| headless  | boolean to skip UI rendering (headless mode)              | false   |
 
 In development, these settings can be customized using the `REACT_APP_*` environment variables in the `.env` or in your terminal.
 For example, to run the widget in "panel" layout, you can run `REACT_APP_LAYOUT=panel yarn start`. To run the widget with mock data,
@@ -174,6 +175,81 @@ you can set `data-layout="panel"` in `ui/public/index.html`.
 If you enable the editor (by setting `REACT_APP_EDITOR=true` or `data-editor="true"`), you can also edit the settings dynamically in the browser using a UI editor the renders above the widget.
 *Note* that the `mock` and `target` settings are not dynamic and therefore not editable in the browser. These two settings are static and must be set at the time the wasm interface is initialized.
 
+#### Headless mode (programmatic API)
+
+Headless mode lets you run the WASM proxy without rendering any UI, giving the host page full control over the user experience. When `data-headless="true"` is set, React rendering is skipped entirely. A global `window.LanternProxy` API is exposed for programmatic control — call `init()` to load the WASM proxy engine, then `start()` to begin sharing.
+
+This is useful when you want to:
+- Build a custom UI around the proxy (e.g. embed proxy stats in your own dashboard)
+- Run the proxy silently in the background
+- Integrate proxy data (connections, throughput) into an existing application
+
+**Minimal example:**
+
+```html
+<browsers-unbounded data-headless="true"></browsers-unbounded>
+<script defer src="https://embed.lantern.io/static/js/main.js"></script>
+<!-- Use type="module" so this runs after deferred scripts and supports top-level await -->
+<script type="module">
+  const proxy = window.LanternProxy;
+
+  // Subscribe to events BEFORE calling init() to avoid missing them
+  proxy.on('ready', (isReady) => {
+    console.log('Proxy ready:', isReady);
+    if (isReady) proxy.start();
+  });
+
+  proxy.on('sharing', (isSharing) => {
+    console.log('Sharing:', isSharing);
+  });
+
+  proxy.on('connections', (conns) => {
+    console.log('Active connections:', conns.length);
+  });
+
+  proxy.on('throughput', (bps) => {
+    console.log('Throughput:', bps, 'bytes/sec');
+  });
+
+  proxy.on('lifetimeConnections', (count) => {
+    console.log('Total connections served:', count);
+  });
+
+  proxy.on('chunks', (chunks) => {
+    console.log('Data chunks:', chunks);
+  });
+
+  // Now initialize — events registered above will fire during init
+  await proxy.init();
+</script>
+```
+
+**API reference:**
+
+| Method / Property | Description |
+|---|---|
+| `init(options?)` | Initialize the WASM proxy. Accepts optional `{ mock: boolean }`. Must be called before `start()`. Safe to call concurrently — duplicate calls return the same promise. |
+| `start()` | Begin proxying traffic (fire-and-forget). |
+| `stop()` | Stop proxying traffic (fire-and-forget). |
+| `on(event, callback)` | Subscribe to an event. Returns an unsubscribe function. |
+| `off(event, callback)` | Unsubscribe from an event. |
+| `getState()` | Returns a snapshot of current state: `{ ready, sharing, connections, throughput, lifetimeConnections, chunks }`. |
+| `initialized` | Boolean — whether `init()` has been called successfully. |
+| `config` | Read-only copy of the WASM client config (discovery server, egress, etc). |
+
+**Events:**
+
+| Event | Payload | Description |
+|---|---|---|
+| `ready` | `boolean` | Fires when the proxy engine is ready to start |
+| `sharing` | `boolean` | Fires when the proxy begins/stops sharing traffic |
+| `connections` | `Connection[]` | Active connection list updates |
+| `throughput` | `number` | Average throughput in bytes/sec |
+| `lifetimeConnections` | `number` | Cumulative connections served |
+| `chunks` | `Chunk[]` | Data chunk updates |
+
+**Note:** `window.LanternProxy` is registered on every page load (even without `data-headless`), so you can use the API alongside the standard UI embed too. The `data-headless` attribute only controls whether the React UI renders.
+
 Links:
 
 [Github pages sandbox](https://embed.lantern.io)
diff --git a/ui/src/headlessApi.test.ts b/ui/src/headlessApi.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd37f5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/headlessApi.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+import {readyEmitter, sharingEmitter, connectionsEmitter, averageThroughputEmitter, lifetimeConnectionsEmitter, lifetimeChunksEmitter, WasmInterface} from './utils/wasmInterface'
+
+// Mock WasmInterface before importing headlessApi
+jest.mock('./utils/wasmInterface', () => {
+	const {StateEmitter} = jest.requireActual('./hooks/useStateEmitter')
+	const readyEmitter = new StateEmitter(false)
+	const sharingEmitter = new StateEmitter(false)
+	const connectionsEmitter = new StateEmitter([])
+	const averageThroughputEmitter = new StateEmitter(0)
+	const lifetimeConnectionsEmitter = new StateEmitter(0)
+	const lifetimeChunksEmitter = new StateEmitter([])
+
+	const mockInstance = {}
+
+	class MockWasmInterface {
+		initialize = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(mockInstance)
+		start = jest.fn()
+		stop = jest.fn()
+		ready = false
+		initializing = false
+		connectionMap = {}
+		throughput = {bytesPerSec: 0}
+		connections = []
+	}
+
+	return {
+		WasmInterface: MockWasmInterface,
+		readyEmitter,
+		sharingEmitter,
+		connectionsEmitter,
+		averageThroughputEmitter,
+		lifetimeConnectionsEmitter,
+		lifetimeChunksEmitter,
+	}
+})
+
+// Import after mock is set up
+import {LanternProxy} from './headlessApi'
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+	// Reset emitter state between tests
+	readyEmitter.update(false)
+	sharingEmitter.update(false)
+	connectionsEmitter.update([])
+	averageThroughputEmitter.update(0)
+	lifetimeConnectionsEmitter.update(0)
+	lifetimeChunksEmitter.update([])
+})
+
+describe('LanternProxy.on / off', () => {
+	test('on() delivers emitter updates to subscribers', () => {
+		const cb = jest.fn()
+		LanternProxy.on('ready', cb)
+		readyEmitter.update(true)
+		expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true)
+	})
+
+	test('on() returns an unsubscribe function', () => {
+		const cb = jest.fn()
+		const unsub = LanternProxy.on('throughput', cb)
+		averageThroughputEmitter.update(100)
+		expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+
+		unsub()
+		averageThroughputEmitter.update(200)
+		expect(cb).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1) // no new calls
+	})
+
+	test('off() removes a specific callback', () => {
+		const cb1 = jest.fn()
+		const cb2 = jest.fn()
+		LanternProxy.on('sharing', cb1)
+		LanternProxy.on('sharing', cb2)
+
+		LanternProxy.off('sharing', cb1)
+		sharingEmitter.update(true)
+
+		expect(cb1).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+		expect(cb2).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true)
+	})
+
+	test('multiple event types work independently', () => {
+		const readyCb = jest.fn()
+		const connCb = jest.fn()
+		LanternProxy.on('ready', readyCb)
+		LanternProxy.on('connections', connCb)
+
+		readyEmitter.update(true)
+		expect(readyCb).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true)
+		expect(connCb).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+
+		const conns = [{state: 1, workerIdx: 0, addr: '1.2.3.4'}]
+		connectionsEmitter.update(conns)
+		expect(connCb).toHaveBeenCalledWith(conns)
+	})
+})
+
+describe('LanternProxy.getState', () => {
+	test('returns current emitter state', () => {
+		readyEmitter.update(true)
+		sharingEmitter.update(true)
+		averageThroughputEmitter.update(500)
+		lifetimeConnectionsEmitter.update(42)
+
+		const state = LanternProxy.getState()
+		expect(state.ready).toBe(true)
+		expect(state.sharing).toBe(true)
+		expect(state.throughput).toBe(500)
+		expect(state.lifetimeConnections).toBe(42)
+	})
+
+	test('returns shallow copies of arrays', () => {
+		const conns = [{state: 1, workerIdx: 0, addr: '1.2.3.4'}]
+		connectionsEmitter.update(conns)
+
+		const state = LanternProxy.getState()
+		expect(state.connections).toEqual(conns)
+		expect(state.connections).not.toBe(conns) // different reference
+	})
+})
+
+describe('LanternProxy.init', () => {
+	test('concurrent calls return the same promise', () => {
+		const p1 = LanternProxy.init()
+		const p2 = LanternProxy.init()
+		expect(p1).toBe(p2)
+	})
+})
+
+describe('window.LanternProxy', () => {
+	test('is exposed globally', () => {
+		expect((window as any).LanternProxy).toBe(LanternProxy)
+	})
+
+	test('is not writable', () => {
+		expect(() => {
+			(window as any).LanternProxy = 'overwrite'
+		}).toThrow()
+	})
+})
diff --git a/ui/src/headlessApi.ts b/ui/src/headlessApi.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82c7c64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/src/headlessApi.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+/**
+ * Headless API for controlling the unbounded WASM proxy without rendering any UI.
+ *
+ * Usage (as a module or after the deferred script has loaded):
+ *   <browsers-unbounded data-headless="true"></browsers-unbounded>
+ *   <script defer src="https://embed.lantern.io/static/js/main.js"></script>
+ *   <script type="module">
+ *     const proxy = window.LanternProxy;
+ *     // Subscribe to events BEFORE calling init() to avoid missing them
+ *     proxy.on('ready', (isReady) => {
+ *       if (isReady) proxy.start();
+ *     });
+ *     proxy.on('connections', (conns) => console.log(conns));
+ *     proxy.on('throughput', (bps) => console.log(bps));
+ *     await proxy.init();
+ *   </script>
+ */
+
+import {WasmInterface, connectionsEmitter, averageThroughputEmitter, lifetimeConnectionsEmitter, lifetimeChunksEmitter, readyEmitter, sharingEmitter, type Connection, type Chunk} from './utils/wasmInterface'
+import {Targets, WASM_CLIENT_CONFIG} from './constants'
+
+export type ProxyEvent = 'ready' | 'sharing' | 'connections' | 'throughput' | 'lifetimeConnections' | 'chunks'
+
+export interface ProxyState {
+	ready: boolean
+	sharing: boolean
+	connections: Connection[]
+	throughput: number
+	lifetimeConnections: number
+	chunks: Chunk[]
+}
+
+type EventCallback<T = unknown> = (value: T) => void
+
+const listeners = new Map<string, Set<EventCallback>>()
+
+function emitToListeners(event: string, value: unknown) {
+	const set = listeners.get(event)
+	if (set) set.forEach(cb => cb(value))
+}
+
+// Wire up emitters to forward to external listeners
+function wireEmitters() {
+	readyEmitter.on((v) => emitToListeners('ready', v))
+	sharingEmitter.on((v) => emitToListeners('sharing', v))
+	connectionsEmitter.on((v) => emitToListeners('connections', v))
+	averageThroughputEmitter.on((v) => emitToListeners('throughput', v))
+	lifetimeConnectionsEmitter.on((v) => emitToListeners('lifetimeConnections', v))
+	lifetimeChunksEmitter.on((v) => emitToListeners('chunks', v))
+}
+
+let wasmInterface: WasmInterface | null = null
+let initialized = false
+let initPromise: Promise<void> | null = null
+
+export const LanternProxy = {
+	/**
+	 * Initialize the WASM proxy. Must be called before start().
+	 * Safe to call concurrently — subsequent calls return the same promise.
+	 * @param options.mock - Use mock client for testing (default: false)
+	 */
+	init(options?: { mock?: boolean }): Promise<void> {
+		if (initialized) {
+			return Promise.resolve()
+		}
+		if (initPromise) {
+			return initPromise
+		}
+		initPromise = (async () => {
+			const mock = options?.mock ?? false
+			wasmInterface = new WasmInterface()
+			const instance = await wasmInterface.initialize({mock, target: Targets.WEB})
+			if (!instance) {
+				initPromise = null
+				throw new Error('WASM proxy failed to initialize')
+			}
+			initialized = true
+		})()
+		return initPromise
+	},
+
+	/** Start proxying traffic (fire-and-forget). Must call init() first. */
+	start(): void {
+		if (!initialized || !wasmInterface) throw new Error('LanternProxy not initialized — call and await init() first')
+		wasmInterface.start()
+	},
+
+	/** Stop proxying traffic (fire-and-forget). Must call init() first. */
+	stop(): void {
+		if (!initialized || !wasmInterface) throw new Error('LanternProxy not initialized — call and await init() first')
+		wasmInterface.stop()
+	},
+
+	/** Subscribe to a proxy event. Returns an unsubscribe function. */
+	on<T = unknown>(event: ProxyEvent, callback: EventCallback<T>): () => void {
+		if (!listeners.has(event)) listeners.set(event, new Set())
+		const set = listeners.get(event)!
+		set.add(callback as EventCallback)
+		return () => set.delete(callback as EventCallback)
+	},
+
+	/** Unsubscribe from a proxy event. */
+	off(event: ProxyEvent, callback: EventCallback): void {
+		listeners.get(event)?.delete(callback)
+	},
+
+	/** Get a snapshot of the current proxy state. Arrays are shallow-copied. */
+	getState(): ProxyState {
+		return {
+			ready: readyEmitter.state,
+			sharing: sharingEmitter.state,
+			connections: [...connectionsEmitter.state],
+			throughput: averageThroughputEmitter.state,
+			lifetimeConnections: lifetimeConnectionsEmitter.state,
+			chunks: [...lifetimeChunksEmitter.state],
+		}
+	},
+
+	/** Whether init() has been called successfully. */
+	get initialized(): boolean {
+		return initialized
+	},
+
+	/** The WASM client config (discovery server, egress, etc). Read-only. */
+	get config() {
+		return {...WASM_CLIENT_CONFIG}
+	},
+}
+
+// Wire emitters immediately so subscriptions work before init()
+wireEmitters()
+
+// Expose globally — use defineProperty to prevent accidental overwrites
+if (!(window as any).LanternProxy) {
+	Object.defineProperty(window, 'LanternProxy', {
+		value: LanternProxy,
+		writable: false,
+		enumerable: false,
+		configurable: false,
+	})
+}
diff --git a/ui/src/index.tsx b/ui/src/index.tsx
index f86aad8..b7cafa5 100644
--- a/ui/src/index.tsx
+++ b/ui/src/index.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ import App from './App'
 import {StateEmitter} from './hooks/useStateEmitter'
 import {defaultSettings, Settings, Themes} from './constants'
 
+// Always register the headless API on window.LanternProxy
+import './headlessApi'
+
 export const settingsEmitter = new StateEmitter<{ [key: number]: Settings }>({})
 
 const upperSnakeToCamel = (s: string | undefined) => {
@@ -49,13 +52,20 @@ const hydrateSettings = (i: number, dataset: Settings) => {
 
 const init = (embeds: NodeListOf<HTMLElement>) => {
 	embeds.forEach((embed, i) => {
+		const dataset = embed.dataset as unknown as Settings
+		hydrateSettings(i, dataset)
+
+		// Headless mode: skip all UI rendering, just expose window.LanternProxy
+		// Usage: <browsers-unbounded data-headless="true"></browsers-unbounded>
+		if ((embed.dataset as any).headless === 'true') {
+			console.log('Unbounded: headless mode — UI rendering skipped. Call window.LanternProxy.init() to load the proxy engine.')
+			return
+		}
+
 		const root = ReactDOM.createRoot(
 			embed
 		)
 
-		const dataset = embed.dataset as unknown as Settings
-		hydrateSettings(i, dataset)
-
 		const observer = new MutationObserver((mutations) => {
 			mutations.forEach((mutation) => {
 				if (mutation.attributeName && mutation.attributeName.includes('data-')) {