Skip to content
Read more

Digital Glossary

Plain-language definitions for the terms you will encounter when working with agencies, developers, and digital marketers.

Domains & Hosting

Domain Name

A domain name is your website's street address. It's how people find you without memorising numbers.

TLD (Top-Level Domain)

The TLD is the bit at the end — like .com or .au. It signals geography or purpose.

DNS

DNS is the internet's phonebook. It turns a human-friendly name into a machine-friendly number.

Nameserver

Nameservers decide where your domain points. If they're wrong, people knock on the wrong door.

IP Address

An IP address is the actual numeric location of your server. Computers use it. Humans shouldn't have to.

Hosting

Hosting is the land your website sits on. No hosting, no website.

Shared Hosting

Shared hosting means you're renting space in an apartment block. Affordable. Sometimes noisy.

VPS

A VPS is your own virtual apartment. More control. Fewer neighbours.

Dedicated Server

A dedicated server is owning the whole building. Powerful. More responsibility.

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting spreads your website across many machines. If one fails, another takes over.

CDN

A CDN stores copies of your site around the world. It shortens the distance between you and your users.

SSL Certificate

SSL is the lock icon in the browser. It keeps data private between your site and visitors.

Registrar

A registrar sells domain names. They don't host your site — they just manage the address.

Uptime

Uptime is how often your site is actually online. 99.9% sounds small. It's not.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is how much data your site can move. More traffic means you need more capacity.

WordPress & CMS

WordPress

WordPress is a tool for building and managing websites without coding everything from scratch. It runs a large portion of the internet for a reason.

CMS

A CMS lets non-developers edit content safely. Without one, every change requires a developer.

Theme

A theme controls how your website looks. It's the design skin.

Plugin

A plugin adds new functionality. Think bolt-on features.

Gutenberg

Gutenberg is WordPress's block editor. It lets you build layouts in pieces instead of one long text box.

Custom Post Type

A custom post type lets you structure content properly — like projects, case studies, or products — instead of stuffing everything into "posts."

Taxonomy

A taxonomy groups content. Categories and tags are simple examples.

WooCommerce

WooCommerce turns WordPress into an online shop. It handles products, payments, and orders.

Multisite

Multisite lets you run multiple websites from one WordPress installation. Useful. Dangerous if mismanaged.

Core Update

A core update improves or secures WordPress itself. Ignoring them is a slow-motion risk.

Web Development

HTML

HTML is the structure of a webpage. It tells the browser what is a heading, paragraph, image, or button.

CSS

CSS controls how things look. Colours, spacing, typography — the visual layer.

JavaScript

JavaScript makes things move and respond. Without it, the web would feel static.

API

An API is a way for systems to talk to each other. It's a controlled doorway between software.

Git

Git tracks code changes. It lets you go back in time when something breaks.

Deployment

Deployment is publishing changes to the live website. It should never be casual.

Staging

Staging is a rehearsal stage. You test there before going live.

Production

Production is the live environment. Mistakes here are public.

Databases

Database

A database is where your website stores information. Think organised digital filing cabinet.

MySQL

MySQL is a common database used by WordPress. It stores posts, users, and settings.

PostgreSQL

PostgreSQL is another powerful database. Often used in more complex systems.

NoSQL

NoSQL databases don't use traditional tables. They're flexible but structured differently.

Query

A query is a request for specific information from a database. Ask clearly, get clean answers.

SQL

SQL is the language used to talk to relational databases. It's precise and unforgiving.

Table

A table stores data in rows and columns. Like a spreadsheet with rules.

Field

A field is a column in a table. It defines what type of data goes there.

Record

A record is a single row of stored information.

Digital Marketing

SEO

SEO helps your website appear in search results naturally. It's slow, compounding, and strategic.

PPC

PPC is paid traffic. You pay each time someone clicks.

Conversion

A conversion is when someone does what you want — fills a form, buys, calls.

Funnel

A funnel maps how strangers become customers. Awareness first. Trust second. Action last.

Backlink

A backlink is another site linking to yours. It's a vote of confidence.

Keyword

A keyword is what someone types into Google. It reveals intent.

CTR

CTR measures how many people click after seeing something. High CTR usually means relevance.

Analytics

Analytics tells you what people actually do on your site — not what you hope they do.

Bounce Rate

Bounce rate measures single-page visits. Sometimes bad. Sometimes fine. Context matters.

Attribution

Attribution decides which channel gets credit for a conversion. It's rarely simple.

Analytics & Data

Dashboard

A dashboard shows key metrics in one place. It should simplify, not overwhelm.

KPI

A KPI is a measurable indicator of success. If everything is a KPI, nothing is.

Event Tracking

Event tracking records specific actions like clicks or downloads.

Heatmap

A heatmap shows where users click and scroll. It reveals behaviour visually.

Session

A session is one visit to your site. It ends when someone leaves or times out.

Segmentation

Segmentation groups users by behaviour or characteristics. Patterns emerge when grouped properly.

Data Layer

The data layer stores structured information for tracking tools. It keeps analytics organised.

eCommerce

Shopping Cart

A shopping cart holds items before checkout. It's a holding area, not a sale.

Checkout

Checkout is where money changes hands. Friction here costs revenue.

Payment Gateway

A payment gateway securely processes transactions. It connects your site to banks.

SKU

A SKU is a unique product code. Useful for inventory and reporting.

Inventory

Inventory tracks how much stock you have. Overselling damages trust.

Fulfilment

Fulfilment is everything that happens after someone pays — packing, shipping, confirming.

Subscription Model

A subscription charges customers regularly. Predictable revenue, higher expectations.

Abandoned Cart

An abandoned cart is someone who almost bought. Almost doesn't count.

UX & UI

UX

UX is how it feels to use your website. Frustration is a design failure.

UI

UI is what it looks like. UX is how it works.

Wireframe

A wireframe is a structural sketch. No colours. Just layout thinking.

Accessibility

Accessibility ensures everyone can use your site — including people with disabilities. It's not optional.

Information Architecture

Information architecture is how content is organised. If users can't find things, this is usually why.

Performance & Security

Page Speed

Page speed is how quickly your site loads. Slow sites lose trust and revenue.

Caching

Caching stores a ready-made version of your site to serve faster.

Core Web Vitals

Core Web Vitals measure speed, stability, and responsiveness. Google cares about them.

Firewall

A firewall blocks suspicious traffic. It's your security guard.

2FA

Two-factor authentication adds a second proof of identity. Passwords alone aren't enough.

Systems & Architecture

Microservices

Microservices break an application into smaller services. Flexible, but more complex to manage.

Monolith

A monolith is one large application. Simpler initially. Harder to scale later.

CI/CD

CI/CD automates testing and deployment. It reduces human error.

DevOps

DevOps combines development and operations. It shortens the path from idea to live system.

Containerisation

Containerisation packages software with everything it needs to run. Consistent across environments.

Docker

Docker is a tool for running containers. It standardises environments.

Scalability

Scalability means your system handles growth without collapsing.

Infrastructure as Code

Infrastructure as Code means servers are defined in configuration files. Repeatable. Predictable.

Email & Communication

SMTP

SMTP sends email between servers. It's the delivery system.

SPF Record

SPF verifies which servers can send email for your domain.

DKIM

DKIM adds a digital signature to emails. It proves authenticity.

DMARC

DMARC tells receiving servers what to do if email authentication fails.

Transactional Email

Transactional email is triggered by actions — receipts, password resets.

Automation

Automation sends messages based on behaviour. It scales communication.

Content & Media

Media Library

The media library stores your uploaded files — images, PDFs, videos.

Alt Text

Alt text describes images for screen readers and search engines.

SVG

SVG is a scalable image format. Sharp at any size.

WebP

WebP is a modern image format. Smaller file size, same quality.

Content Strategy

Content strategy defines what you publish and why.

Evergreen Content

Evergreen content stays relevant over time. It compounds value.

APIs & Integrations

Webhook

A webhook sends data automatically when something happens.

OAuth

OAuth allows secure login via third-party services.

Endpoint

An endpoint is a specific API address.

Integration

An integration connects two systems so they share data.

CRM

A CRM manages customer relationships and sales activity.

Testing & QA

QA

QA ensures your website works properly before launch.

Unit Test

A unit test checks a single component.

Regression Testing

Regression testing ensures new changes don't break old features.

Bug

A bug is an unintended error.

UAT

User Acceptance Testing is final approval before go-live.

Project & Process

Agile

Agile delivers work in small, iterative cycles.

Sprint

A sprint is a short development cycle.

Backlog

A backlog is a prioritised task list.

PRD

A PRD defines what needs to be built and why.

Milestone

A milestone marks significant progress.

Infrastructure & Ops

Monitoring

Monitoring checks system health continuously.

Logging

Logging records system events for troubleshooting.

Rollback

Rollback reverts to a previous stable version.

Disaster Recovery

Disaster recovery restores systems after failure.

Cron Job

A cron job runs tasks on a schedule.

Content Governance

Editorial Workflow

An editorial workflow controls content approval.

User Roles

User roles define what people can and cannot do.

Access Control

Access control limits permissions to reduce risk.

Content Audit

A content audit reviews what exists and what should not.

Business & Strategy

Digital Strategy

Digital strategy defines how online assets create value.

CRO

CRO improves the percentage of visitors who convert.

A/B Testing

A/B testing compares two variations to see which performs better.

Lifetime Value

Lifetime value measures total revenue from a customer.

Churn Rate

Churn rate measures how many customers leave.

Emerging & Advanced

Headless CMS

A headless CMS separates content from presentation. Flexible, more technical.

Jamstack

Jamstack builds fast sites using static files and APIs.

Serverless

Serverless runs code without managing servers directly.

AI

AI allows systems to learn patterns and generate outputs.

Chatbot

A chatbot automates conversation. Useful only when solving real problems.

Technical Reference

301 Redirect

A 301 redirect permanently moves a page.

404 Error

A 404 means the page cannot be found.

500 Error

A 500 means the server failed internally.

Tech Stack

A tech stack is the combination of technologies used to build your system.

Still confused by something?

We speak plain language. If a term comes up in a conversation with us and you do not know what it means, we will explain it — no judgement.

Get in touch