Website words explained

A

Accessibility

Making a website usable by people with disabilities: people who are blind or have low vision, are deaf, use a keyboard instead of a mouse, or zoom in. Where to start.

ADA

The Americans with Disabilities Act, the US law courts have applied to websites. ADA rules for businesses; for towns and counties.

Admin area (dashboard)

The private part of your website where you log in to change pages, pictures and settings. I can't log in to my website.

Alt text

A short description of a picture, read aloud by screen readers and shown if the picture won't load. Write good alt text; examples.

B

Backup

A copy of your whole website (pages, pictures and its database) kept somewhere else, so you can put it back if something breaks. How to back up your website.

Broken link

A link that leads to an error, often "404 not found", because the page moved or was deleted. Find broken links; Link Check.

Browser

The app you use to open websites, such as Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox. Update your browser; My setup shows which one you have.

C

Cache

Saved copies of pages, kept by your browser or the website to load faster. An old copy is why a change you made may not show yet. Website still shows the old version.

CDN (content delivery network)

A network of computers around the world that keeps copies of your site's files close to visitors, so pages load faster. Many hosts and builders include one. Why is my website slow?

CMS (content management system)

The software you edit your website in without writing code, like WordPress, Drupal, Squarespace or Wix. What is this website built with?

Color contrast

How much text stands out from its background. Pale gray on white is low contrast and hard to read for many people. Color check.

Cookie

A small note a website saves in your browser, for example to keep you logged in or remember your cart. Enable cookies; Do I need a cookie banner?

D

DKIM

A hidden signature on emails from your domain, so mail servers can tell they came from you. One of three email settings, with SPF and DMARC. Stop your emails going to spam.

DMARC

A setting that tells mail servers what to do with emails that fail the SPF and DKIM checks: deliver, send to spam or refuse. Email check reads yours.

DNS (Domain Name System)

The internet's address book: it turns a name like yoursite.com into the number of the computer that holds the site. What is DNS?

DNS record

One line in your domain's DNS settings. An A record points the name at a computer's number, a CNAME points it at another name, an MX record handles email, and TXT records hold settings such as SPF. Connect your domain.

Domain name

Your website's name, like yoursite.com, rented by the year. If it lapses, your website and email stop. Domain, hosting and email; Keep your domain.

E

Error code (404, 500)

A number a website sends when something goes wrong. 404 means the page isn't there; 500 to 504 mean the website's server has a problem. 404; 500 to 504.

F

Favicon

The small logo in the browser tab and beside your site in Google results. Favicon maker; Favicon not showing in Google.

Form

Boxes people fill in and send, like a contact or sign-up form. Each box needs a label people can see. Contact form not sending.

H

Heading

A title for a page or section, set as Heading 1, 2 or 3 in your editor. Screen reader users jump between them. Headings in order.

Hosting (web host)

The company whose computers store your website and show it to visitors, usually paid monthly or yearly. Who hosts this website?

HTTPS

The secure way of loading a page, shown by https:// and a padlock. Without it, browsers say "Not secure". Why your site says "Not secure".

I

IP address

The number that identifies a computer or internet connection, like 203.0.113.7. DNS turns names into these. What's my IP address?

L

Link

Words or a picture you click to go somewhere else. Good link text says where it goes. "Click here" link text.

M

Meta description

A sentence or two you write about a page, which Google may show under its title in search results. Google and share preview.

Mixed content

A secure https page that loads a picture or file over plain http, which can break the padlock or the picture. Mixed content.

MX record

The DNS setting that says which company receives email for your domain. Point it wrong and email stops arriving. Email with your domain.

N

Nameserver

The company that holds your domain's DNS settings. Changing nameservers moves all of them at once, which is how many builders connect a domain. Connect your domain.

P

Page title

The name in the browser tab and the blue link in Google results. Each page should have its own. Google and share preview.

Phishing

A fake email or page made to look real, to get your password or money, such as a "domain renewal" invoice. Spot scam emails about your website.

Plugin (add-on)

An extra piece of software that adds a feature to a website, like a form or a calendar. Out-of-date plugins are a common cause of breakage. "There has been a critical error".

R

Redirect (301)

A rule that sends visitors from an old address to a new one. A 301 means moved for good. What is a 301 redirect?; Redirect checker.

Registrar

The company you rent your domain name from and renew it with each year. Check when your domain expires.

Responsive design

A website that rearranges itself to fit phones, tablets and computers. Is my website mobile friendly?; Screen sizes.

S

Screen reader

Software that reads the screen aloud, used by many blind people. Every computer and phone has one built in. What a screen reader hears.

SEO (search engine optimization)

Making your pages easy for Google and other search engines to find and understand: clear titles, real words, working links. Why isn't my website on Google?

Sitemap

A list of your website's pages made for search engines, usually at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml. Most builders make one for you. Website not showing on Google.

SPF

A DNS setting that lists who may send email for your domain. One of three email settings, with DKIM and DMARC. Stop your emails going to spam.

SSL certificate (TLS)

The file that lets a website use https and show the padlock. It expires and must renew, often automatically. TLS is its modern name. What is an SSL certificate?; Site health.

Subdomain

A name in front of your domain, like shop.yoursite.com or www.yoursite.com, which can point somewhere different from the main site. What is DNS?

T

Theme (template)

The design your website uses: layout, fonts, colors and menus. Problems in it show on every page. Mobile view looks bad?

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Logging in with a code from your phone as well as a password, so a stolen password isn't enough. Turn on 2FA.

U

Uptime

How much of the time your website is working. Downtime is when it isn't. Is my website down?; Site Watch.

URL

A page's full web address, like https://yoursite.com/contact/. Redirect a page when one changes.

W

WCAG

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the W3C's rules for accessible websites. Most US rules point to level AA. WCAG explained; checklist.

WHOIS

The public record of a domain: its registrar and renewal date, and sometimes its owner. Who hosts this website? looks it up.