An application programming interface: an agreed way for software systems to request data or trigger actions in another system.
The digital glossary
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A practical glossary of web design, SEO, business technology and automation. Understand the language, then find the service or guide that helps you act.
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A
A connection that uses software interfaces to exchange information or coordinate actions between systems, with authentication, validation and error handling.
Designing content and controls so people with different abilities can use them, including through a keyboard, screen reader, enlarged text or reduced motion.
A text alternative that describes an image’s relevant content or purpose. Decorative images can use an empty alternative. It should describe the image naturally rather than repeat keywords.
The visible, clickable wording of a hyperlink. Descriptive anchor text helps readers understand where a link leads.
The process of checking an identity, such as verifying a signed-in user, application or service before granting access.
A repeatable sequence of actions triggered by a rule, event or schedule. Reliable automation includes validation, error handling and a clear human owner.
B
A link from another website to yours. The context and purpose of a link matter; buying manipulative links is not a sound substitute for useful content and real reputation.
A recoverable copy of data or system state. A backup plan should specify retention, access protection and how restoration is tested.
The visual and verbal elements that make a business recognisable, including its name, logo, colours, typography and communication style.
A short navigation trail showing where a page belongs within a website’s hierarchy, with links to its parent sections.
C
A content delivery network that serves assets through distributed infrastructure. Caching suitable files nearer to visitors can reduce delivery delays.
A content management system used to create and maintain website content. It can separate day-to-day editing from the underlying templates and application code.
Customer relationship management software that organises contacts, enquiries and customer activity so a team can follow up consistently.
Cascading Style Sheets: rules that control the presentation of a web page, including its typography, spacing, colours and responsive layout.
Storing a reusable copy of a response or asset so it can be delivered more efficiently. Cache rules must account for changes and private information.
The preferred URL for a page when identical or substantially similar content is accessible through multiple addresses. A canonical link communicates a preference rather than forcing a redirect.
The proportion of impressions that lead to clicks, usually expressed as a percentage. It needs to be interpreted alongside the query, position, audience and resulting enquiries.
Computing resources such as storage, applications or servers provided through a network. Access, data location, ongoing costs and recovery requirements still need deliberate management.
A valuable action defined for measurement, such as a qualified enquiry, booked appointment or completed purchase. A page view is not automatically a business outcome.
The proportion of relevant visits or interactions that produce a defined conversion. The definition and denominator should stay consistent when comparing performance.
A measurement setup that records meaningful customer actions and their source where permitted, helping connect marketing activity to enquiries or sales.
A set of user experience measures covering loading, responsiveness and visual stability. The current metrics are Largest Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint and Cumulative Layout Shift.
Whether a search engine can discover and request pages and resources. It depends on factors including links, server responses, access restrictions and crawler directives.
A measure of unexpected layout movement while a page is being used. Reserving dimensions for images and other content helps reduce disruptive shifts.
D
The Domain Name System connects a domain with the records required to reach websites, email and other services. Changes need careful coordination because several systems may depend on them.
A focused interface that brings relevant measures, statuses or actions together for a particular audience and decision.
A documented approach to restoring important business systems after a major disruption, including responsibilities, recovery priorities and tested restoration steps.
A registered, human-readable internet name used to address services such as a website or business email. Ownership, renewal and account access should remain clear.
E
Buying and selling products or services online, including product discovery, checkout, payment, fulfilment and the customer’s post-purchase experience.
The ability of legitimate email to reach recipients successfully. Authentication, sender reputation, list quality and message practices all affect delivery.
F
Filters that let users narrow a large collection, such as products by size and colour. The resulting URL combinations need a deliberate crawling and indexing strategy.
A collaborative design and prototyping platform used to review screen layouts, interface components and user journeys before development.
A control that permits or blocks network traffic according to rules. It is one part of a broader security approach, alongside secure configuration, updates and monitoring.
G
Google’s advertising platform for placing paid campaigns across supported properties and networks. Campaign planning should connect targeting, ad copy, landing pages and measurement.
A business listing used to manage eligible business information on Google, including contact details, categories, location or service area, opening hours and customer reviews.
Google’s tool for monitoring a website’s presence in Search, including performance, indexing reports and URL inspection.
H
The primary page heading that introduces the content’s main subject. This site uses one clear H1 and a logical hierarchy of supporting headings.
HyperText Markup Language: the document structure used to describe web content, including headings, paragraphs, links, lists, images and forms.
A response code communicating the result of a request. Examples include 200 for a successful response, 301 for a permanent redirect and 404 for a resource not found.
HTTP delivered over an encrypted TLS connection. It protects information in transit and authenticates the connection to the server; it does not by itself make an application secure.
The infrastructure and services that make a website accessible online. Capacity, reliability, security, backups and support should match the site’s role in the business.
I
Whether a page is eligible to enter a search engine’s index. A crawlable page may still be excluded, for example because of a noindex directive or the engine’s own selection.
A responsiveness measure based on the delay between user interactions and the next visual update. Long tasks and excessive JavaScript can make interactions feel slow.
A hyperlink between pages on the same website. Useful internal links connect related subjects, explain the site structure and give readers a relevant next step.
J
A programming language used for interactive website behaviour and application logic. Essential content should remain accessible if an optional visual feature fails.
K
Assigning distinct search themes and user intentions to the most suitable pages so that content has clear roles and unnecessary overlap can be avoided.
L
A page designed around a particular audience, campaign or action. Effective landing pages connect the visitor’s expectation with clear information and a relevant next step.
A loading measure that reports when the largest visible content element is rendered. Large hero images, slow delivery and render-blocking resources can delay it.
Deferring an asset until it is approaching the area the visitor is viewing. Main above-the-fold imagery should be prioritised rather than delayed unnecessarily.
Creating and converting demand into prospective customer enquiries. Success depends on lead quality and follow-up as well as the number of enquiries.
Improving a business’s search presence for relevant local demand through accurate business information, useful local content, a sound website and a credible reputation.
M
A short summary included in page metadata. A search engine may use it as a result snippet, but can choose different text based on the query.
Microsoft’s suite of productivity and collaboration services. A business setup needs deliberate licensing, identity protection, permissions, email configuration and support.
An identity check that uses more than one type of evidence, reducing dependence on a password alone.
N
Consistency of a business’s name, address and phone number across relevant listings and its website. Accurate details help customers identify and contact the right business.
A directive asking supporting search engines not to include a page in search results. The crawler generally needs access to the page to discover the directive.
O
Work on a page’s content and structure, including its topic, headings, metadata, relevant links and images, to help people and search engines understand it.
A page without discoverable internal links from the rest of the site. Important pages should be connected through appropriate navigation and contextual links.
P
The title element in a web page’s head. It should identify the page clearly and distinguish it from other pages; search engines may rewrite the displayed title.
A controlled online space where customers, members or suppliers can access relevant information, submit requests or complete tasks.
An early representation of a product or website used to test layout, interaction and user journeys before committing to the full build.
R
A server or browser instruction that sends a request to another URL. Permanent URL migrations should avoid unnecessary chains and link directly to the intended destination.
A layout approach that adapts content and controls to different screen sizes, input methods and viewing conditions.
A file containing rules for supporting web crawlers. It manages crawling and is not a reliable way to keep confidential information private.
S
Search engine optimisation: making a website’s content and technical foundations easier for search engines to understand and more useful for people finding it through search.
A commonly used term for the certificate supporting an authenticated encrypted website connection. Modern secure connections use TLS.
Structured data describing entities and relationships in a recognised vocabulary. Markup should match the visible page and does not guarantee enhanced search results.
The task or question behind a search, such as learning a concept, comparing options or finding a provider. Content should answer the intended need.
A structured list of relevant site URLs. XML sitemaps support discovery by search engines; an HTML sitemap helps people navigate the site.
Machine-readable information describing a page’s content in a supported format, such as JSON-LD. It should use accurate, relevant properties.
T
Transport Layer Security, the protocol used to encrypt and authenticate modern secure web connections.
Improving the technical foundations of search access and understanding, such as crawlability, indexing signals, URL handling, rendering and performance.
U
User interface design: the visual and interactive controls through which someone uses a digital product, including components, states and responsive behaviour.
Campaign labels added to a URL to help analytics identify where a visit came from. Use consistent naming and avoid putting personal information in them.
User experience design: understanding people’s tasks and shaping the structure, content and interactions that help them complete those tasks.
V
Voice over Internet Protocol: telephone communication delivered over internet-based networks, with routing and device choices matched to the business.
W
An event-triggered HTTP message sent from one system to another. Receivers should verify the sender, validate the data and handle retries safely.
A simplified screen layout used to plan content hierarchy, navigation and controls before final visual design.
A content management system that can be extended through themes and plugins. A reliable implementation needs supported components, controlled access, updates and backups.
The sequence of steps, decisions and responsibilities that moves a piece of work from its starting event to a completed outcome.
For search fundamentals, see Google’s SEO Starter Guide.