Plain-English digital terminology
Understand the term, see an example, then find the useful next step
This curated glossary explains terms that affect real website and business decisions. It favours useful context over hundreds of thin dictionary pages.
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24 terms found
- Responsive web design
- An approach in which layout, content and controls adapt to the available screen and input method instead of serving one fixed desktop canvas.
- Web Design
- Information architecture
- The deliberate organisation, naming and connection of website content so people can understand where they are and what to do next.
- Web Design
- API
- An application programming interface is a defined way for one system to request data or actions from another system.
- Development
- Server-side rendering
- A rendering method where a server prepares page HTML before it reaches the browser, sometimes followed by client-side interactivity.
- Development
- Canonical URL
- The preferred public URL a page declares when the same or very similar content may be accessible through more than one address.
- SEO
- XML sitemap
- A machine-readable list of canonical public URLs that helps search engines discover and monitor pages on a website.
- SEO
- Local citation
- A mention of a business and its identifying details on another relevant website, directory or platform.
- Local SEO
- NAP consistency
- The accuracy and consistency of a business name, address or service-area information, and phone number across public sources.
- Local SEO
- Multi-factor authentication
- An account control that requires evidence from more than one authentication factor, such as a password plus a security key or authenticator.
- Security
- Web application firewall
- A control that inspects and filters web requests according to managed or custom rules before they reach an application.
- Security
- Web hosting
- The computing, storage and network service used to make a website or application available over the internet.
- Hosting
- Content delivery network
- A distributed network that serves cached website resources from locations closer to visitors and may add traffic-management controls.
- Hosting
- Domain name
- A human-readable name registered for a period and connected through DNS to websites, email and other services.
- Domains
- DNS
- The Domain Name System is a distributed directory that maps domain names to website, email and other service destinations.
- Domains
- Lawful basis
- A legal basis relied upon for a particular personal-data processing purpose under applicable data-protection law.
- Compliance
- Cookie consent
- A freely given, specific and informed choice used before optional cookies or similar technologies operate where consent is required.
- Compliance
- Alternative text
- A text alternative that communicates the purpose or information of an image when the image cannot be seen.
- Accessibility
- Focus indicator
- A visible style showing which interactive element currently receives keyboard input.
- Accessibility
- Landing page
- The first page a visitor reaches in a particular journey, often shaped around one audience, offer or campaign intent.
- Marketing
- Conversion event
- A deliberately named measurement event representing a useful visitor action, such as a submitted quote request or checklist download.
- Analytics
- Attribution
- The process of associating a visit or action with one or more channels, campaigns or earlier touchpoints.
- Analytics
- Generative AI
- A class of systems that produces text, images, code or other output from patterns learned from data and instructions supplied at use time.
- AI
- Prompt injection
- An attack or failure mode where untrusted content attempts to override instructions or manipulate an AI-enabled system into unsafe behaviour.
- AI