diff --git a/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.spec.ts b/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.spec.ts
index 3b83fb0d..0d8a2b07 100644
--- a/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.spec.ts
+++ b/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.spec.ts
@@ -9,33 +9,33 @@ afterAll(enableConsoleLog);
 
 describe("universal adapter via createBknd", () => {
    adapterTestSuite(bunTestRunner, {
-      makeApp: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "api", options }, args).getApp(),
-      makeHandler: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "api", options: options ?? {} }, args).serve(),
+      makeApp: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "headless", options }, args).getApp(),
+      makeHandler: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "headless", options: options ?? {} }, args).serve(),
    });
 
-   // ------------------------ MODE API ------------------------
+   // ------------------------ MODE HEADLESS ------------------------
    test("caches app instance", async () => {
-      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "api", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
+      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "headless", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
       const app1 = await bknd.getApp();
       const app2 = await bknd.getApp();
       expect(app1).toBe(app2);
    });
 
    test("getApi returns api", async () => {
-      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "api", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
+      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "headless", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
       const api = await bknd.getApi();
       expect(api).toBeDefined();
    });
 
-   test("uses createFrameworkApp ", async () => {
-      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "api", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
+   test("uses createFrameworkApp in headless mode", async () => {
+      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "headless", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
       const app = await bknd.getApp();
       expect(app).toBeDefined();
       expect(app.isBuilt()).toBe(true);
    });
 
    test("serve returns a fetch handler", async () => {
-      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "api", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
+      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "headless", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
       const handler = bknd.serve();
       const res = await handler(new Request("http://localhost:3000/api/system/config"));
       expect(res.status).toBe(200);
@@ -43,29 +43,29 @@ describe("universal adapter via createBknd", () => {
 });
 
 
-// ------------------------ MODE STANDALONE ------------------------
-describe("universal adapter via createBknd in standalone mode", () => {
+// ------------------------ MODE ADMIN ------------------------
+describe("universal adapter via createBknd in admin mode", () => {
    adapterTestSuite(bunTestRunner, {
-      makeApp: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "standalone", options }, args).getApp(),
-      makeHandler: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "standalone", options: options ?? {} }, args).serve(),
+      makeApp: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "admin", options }, args).getApp(),
+      makeHandler: (options, args) => createBknd({ mode: "admin", options: options ?? {} }, args).serve(),
    });
 
    test("caches app instance", async () => {
-      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "standalone", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
+      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "admin", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
       const app1 = await bknd.getApp();
       const app2 = await bknd.getApp();
       expect(app1).toBe(app2);
    });
 
    test("getApi returns api", async () => {
-      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "standalone", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
+      const bknd = createBknd({ mode: "admin", options: { connection: { url: ":memory:" } } });
       const api = await bknd.getApi();
       expect(api).toBeDefined();
    });
 
-   test("uses createRuntimeApp", async () => {
+   test("uses createRuntimeApp in admin mode", async () => {
       const bknd = createBknd({
-         mode: "standalone",
+         mode: "admin",
          options: {
             connection: { url: ":memory:" },
             adminOptions: { adminBasepath: "/admin" },
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ describe("universal adapter via createBknd in standalone mode", () => {
 
    test("serve returns a fetch handler", async () => {
       const bknd = createBknd({
-         mode: "standalone",
+         mode: "admin",
          options: {
             connection: { url: ":memory:" },
             adminOptions: { adminBasepath: "/admin" },
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ describe("universal adapter via createBknd in standalone mode", () => {
 
    test("check admin route", async () => {
       const bknd = createBknd({
-         mode: "standalone",
+         mode: "admin",
          options: {
             connection: { url: ":memory:" },
             adminOptions: { adminBasepath: "/admin" },
diff --git a/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.ts b/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.ts
index 8e1327c0..c8434349 100644
--- a/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.ts
+++ b/app/src/adapter/universal/universal.adapter.ts
@@ -9,11 +9,13 @@ import type { App } from "App";
 
 export type AdapterModeWithOptions<Env = Record<string, string | undefined>> =
    | {
-        mode: "standalone";
+        /** Serves the API along with the admin UI and static assets */
+        mode: "admin";
         options: RuntimeBkndConfig<Env>;
      }
    | {
-        mode: "api";
+        /** Serves the API only, without the admin UI — use when your framework handles rendering */
+        mode: "headless";
         options: FrameworkBkndConfig<Env>;
      };
 
@@ -24,7 +26,7 @@ export function createBknd<Env>(config: AdapterModeWithOptions<Env>, env?: Env)
 
    async function getApp(): Promise<App> {
       if (!appPromise) {
-         if (mode === "standalone") {
+         if (mode === "admin") {
             if (options.adminOptions && !options.serveStatic) {
                $console.warn(
                   "adminOptions provided without serveStatic — admin UI assets may not be served. " +
@@ -59,10 +61,11 @@ export function createBknd<Env>(config: AdapterModeWithOptions<Env>, env?: Env)
    return { getApp, getApi, serve };
 }
 
-/** Utility type to determine the config type based on mode,
- *  Usage `Config<"standalone">` or `Config<"api">`
- */
+/**
+  * Utility type to determine the config type based on mode,
+  * Usage `Config<"standalone">` or `Config<"api">`
+  */
 export type Config<T extends AdapterModeWithOptions["mode"]> = Extract<
    Parameters<typeof createBknd>[0],
    { mode: T }
->['options'];
\ No newline at end of file
+>['options'];
diff --git a/examples/qwik/bknd.config.ts b/examples/qwik/bknd.config.ts
index 2ab500f6..c059d9c9 100644
--- a/examples/qwik/bknd.config.ts
+++ b/examples/qwik/bknd.config.ts
@@ -57,4 +57,4 @@ export default {
       assetsPath: "/admin/",
       logoReturnPath: "../..",
    },
-} satisfies Config<"standalone">;
+} satisfies Config<"admin">;
diff --git a/examples/qwik/src/lib/bknd.ts b/examples/qwik/src/lib/bknd.ts
index 86b49614..f20fa56e 100644
--- a/examples/qwik/src/lib/bknd.ts
+++ b/examples/qwik/src/lib/bknd.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { createBknd } from "bknd/adapter/universal";
 import bkndConfig from "../../bknd.config";
 import type { EnvGetter } from "@builder.io/qwik-city/middleware/request-handler";
 
-export const getApp = async (env?: EnvGetter) => createBknd({ mode: "standalone", options: bkndConfig }, env);
+export const getApp = async (env?: EnvGetter) => createBknd({ mode: "admin", options: bkndConfig }, env);
 
 export const handler = async (req: Request, env?: EnvGetter) => {
    return (await getApp(env)).serve()(req);