Above the fold
"Above the fold" refers to the portion of a webpage that is visible to users without scrolling. It originates from the traditional print newspaper term where the most important headlines and content were positioned on the top half of the front page, visible when the paper was folded.Accessibility
The practice of making a digital product or service available to the widest audience possible.
In digital production, this usually means designing for accessibility and inclusion, applying principles of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and an ongoing committment to accessibility when information or user needs change.Alt text
Alternative text is used to describe an image. When an image cannot load for technical reasons, or the visitor is experiencing a barrier to accessing the image, "alt text" is a valuable way to convey the intended information of the image.API
Application Programming Interface. A method to allow two or more applications to talk to each other.Backend
A reference to the data, business logic, and other functionality that is required to present what a user sees in a web application. Consider it like the relationship between the front-of-house at a restaurant and its kitchen, or in theatre the front and backstages.Breadcrumbs
A navigation aid that shows the user's path from the homepage to the current page, usually displayed as a series of clickable links. They provide a way for users to easily navigate back to higher-level pages within the website's hierarchy.Carousel
A slideshow or a rotating set of images or content elements displayed in a sequential manner. It's a user interface component that allows multiple pieces of content to occupy the same space on a webpage, with users often having the ability to manually or automatically navigate through the items.
Carousels are commonly used for showcasing images, products, or featured content, especially when there is limited space on a webpage. They provide a dynamic way to present information without overwhelming the user with too much content at once. However, it's important to use carousels judiciously, considering factors like user experience, accessibility, and the potential impact on page performance.CDN
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of distributed servers strategically placed worldwide to deliver web content more efficiently. CDNs improve website loading times and reduce latency, enhancing overall performance.CMS
A Content Management System (CMS) is an application that allows users to create, manage, and modify digital content on a website without needing advanced technical skills. It simplifies tasks like adding or updating text, images, and other elements, enabling efficient content creation and website maintenance.Core Web Vitals
Google Core Web Vitals are a set of specific factors that Google considers important in evaluating the user experience provided by a webpage. These metrics focus on aspects of page loading, interactivity, and visual stability. The three main Core Web Vitals are: largest contentful paint (LCP), first input delay (FID) and cumulative layout shift (CLS).CSS
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a styling language used in web development to control the presentation and layout of webpages. It defines how elements on should look, including aspects like colours, fonts, spacing, and positioning, helping to achieve a consistent and visually appealing design.CTA
Call to Action is a strategically placed element on a webpage, typically a button or a link, designed to prompt users to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting more information.Cumulative layout shift (CLS)
A Google Core Web Vitals metrics. Measures the visual stability of a page. It quantifies how much the elements on a page shift around during loading. A good CLS score is 0.1 or less.Deployment
Deployment in web development generally refers to the process of releasing and making a web application or website available for public use.Domain
A domain, in the context of the web, is a human-readable address that people use to access websites, often referred to as a web address or URL.Dynamic
In web development, "dynamic" refers to content or elements on a website that can change in real-time or in response to user interactions.Favicon
A favicon is a small icon associated with a website, typically displayed in the browser's address bar or next to the site's name in bookmarks. It serves as a visual representation of the website and helps users identify it easily among open tabs or bookmarks.Google Business Profile
A Google Business Profile is a free online listing provided by Google that displays essential information about a business, such as its name, address, phone number, hours of operation, and customer reviews. It appears in Google Search and Maps, helping businesses establish an online presence and connect with local customers.Google Search Console
A portal provided by Google that allows website owners to monitor, analyse, and optimise their site's performance in Google Search results. It provides various tools and reports that offer insights into how Google's search engine views and interacts with a website and its pages.Hamburger
A "hamburger" refers to a three-horizontal-line icon or similar used as a menu button on websites and mobile applications. Clicking or tapping the hamburger icon often reveals a navigation menu, providing access to various sections or pages of the site.Headless
In a website or CMS context, "headless" is a means a site uses a content management system that stores and delivers content but is decoupled from the frontend presentation layer. This allows for greater flexibility in delivering content to various platforms and devices.Hosting
Hosting, in the context of websites, refers to the service of storing and making web content accessible on the internet.Indexed
In the context of search engines, "indexed" refers to the process of adding web pages into a search engine's database. When a page is indexed, it becomes part of the search engine's collection of pages that can be retrieved and displayed in response to user queries. Having a page indexed is crucial for it to appear in search engine results when users are looking for relevant information.Jamstack
Jamstack stands for JavaScript, APIs, and Markup. It is a modern web development architecture that emphasises decoupling the frontend presentation layer from the backend, relying on client-side JavaScript, reusable APIs, and pre-built Markup. This approach can lead to faster and more secure websites with improved performance and scalability.Lorem Ipsum
Lorem Ipsum is placeholder text originally used in the printing and typesetting industry. It's used to fill a space on a page and give an impression of how the final text will look without the distraction of meaningful content. It's often used in the design and development stages of a project before the actual content is available.Meta
In HTML, meta tags are elements that provide metadata about a web page. Commonly used meta tags contribute to proper rendering and search engine optimisation for web pages.Modal
In user-interface (UI) design, a modal is a design pattern that presents content or options on top of the main application window, typically in a floating or overlay fashion. It requires users to interact with the modal before returning to the main application, often used for tasks like displaying additional information, gathering user input, or confirming actions. Modals help focus user attention on a specific task or piece of information without navigating away from the current context.Mozilla Developer Network (MDN)
The Mozilla Developer Network (MDN) is a comprehensive online resource for web developers, maintained by Mozilla, the organisation behind the Firefox web browser. MDN provides extensive documentation, guides, and references on web technologies. It serves as a valuable knowledge hub for designers seeking information and best practices for building web applications.Plugin
A plugin is a piece of software that adds specific features or functionality to a larger application. Plugins are commonly used to extend the capabilities of web browsers, content management systems, and other software platforms, allowing users to customise and enhance their experience.Responsive
Responsive web design is an approach to designing and building websites that ensures a seamless and optimal user experience across various devices and screen sizes. It involves using flexible grids and layouts to adapt the presentation of content and elements, ensuring readability and usability on desktops, tablets, and phones.Robots.txt
The robots.txt file is a standard used by websites to communicate with web crawlers and other search engine bots. It provides instructions on how they should interact with a site's content.SaaS
SaaS stands for Software as a Service. It refers to a software distribution model where applications are hosted by a third-party provider and made available to customers over the internet. Users can access the software through a web browser without the need for installation or maintenance, paying for the service typically on a subscription basis.Semantic
Semantic HTML tags carry inherent meaning, making the structure of a webpage more understandable to both browsers and developers.SEO
SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is the practice of optimising a website to improve its visibility and ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs). The goal is to increase organic (non-paid) traffic by optimising various elements on the website, including content, meta tags, images, and other factors, to align with search engine algorithms and user intent.Sitemap
An XML sitemap is a file that provides information to search engines about the structure and content of a website. It lists the URLs of the site's pages along with additional metadata such as the last modified date and the frequency of updates. XML sitemaps help search engines crawl and index a website more efficiently, improving its visibility in search engine results.Slug
A "slug" typically refers to a human-readable part of a URL that identifies a particular page or resource on a website. It is usually derived from the title of the content and is used to create clean and user-friendly URLs.Splash page
A splash page is an introductory web page that often appears before the main homepage or content of a website. It usually includes a brief message, image, or animation and may provide links or options for users to proceed to the main site or choose different sections. Splash pages are sometimes used for promotional or branding purposes but can be seen as an extra step before accessing the actual content.Sprint
A "sprint" in the context of agile project management, is a time-boxed iteration of work within a larger project. At the end of each sprint, a potentially shippable product increment is delivered, allowing for regular assessment and adaptation of the project's direction.Squarespace
Squarespace is a popular website building and hosting platform that allows users to create and manage websites without extensive coding knowledge. It provides a user-friendly interface, templates, and integrated tools for designing, publishing, and maintaining websites for various purposes, such as personal portfolios, blogs, or business sites.SSL
SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a cryptographic protocol that ensures secure communication over a computer network. In web development, SSL is commonly used to establish a secure and encrypted connection between a user's web browser and a website's server, indicated by "https://" in the URL. This encryption helps protect sensitive information, such as login credentials or financial transactions, from unauthorized access or interception by malicious entities.Static
In web development, "static" typically refers to static web pages or static websites. A static web page is one that is fixed and does not change in response to user interactions or data from a database. Static websites are made up of HTML and may include CSS and JavaScript, but the content remains the same until the page is manually updated. Unlike dynamic websites, which can change content based on user input or database interactions, static websites are simpler and often faster to load.Subdomain
A subdomain is a part of a larger domain in the Domain Name System (DNS) hierarchy. It allows for the organisation of website content into distinct sections or categories. For example, in the domain "blog.example.com," "blog" is a subdomain that could be dedicated to blog-related content, separate from the main content on "example.com." Subdomains are commonly used for differentiating areas of a website or hosting specific services under the same domain.Theme
In website design, a "theme" refers to a consistent and predefined style or visual appearance applied to the user interface (UI) of a website. It includes elements such as colours, fonts, layout, and other design components that contribute to the overall look and feel of the site. Themes are often used to provide a cohesive and branded experience for users, and they can be customised or changed to alter the website's aesthetics without modifying its underlying structure or functionality.TLD
TLD, or Top-Level Domain, is the highest level in the hierarchical Domain Name System (DNS) of the internet. It is the last segment of a domain name, appearing after the final dot. Common TLDs include familiar ones like .com, .org, and .net.Tooltip
A contextual text bubble that displays a description for an element that appears on mouse hover or keyboard focus.UI
UI, or User Interface, refers to the visual elements and interactive components of a software application or a website that users interact with. It encompasses everything users can see, touch, or click, including buttons, icons, menus, and other design elements. A well-designed UI aims to provide a user-friendly and intuitive experience, facilitating effective communication between the user and the digital system.WCAG
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. It is a set of guidelines and standards developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG provides recommendations for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities, ensuring a better user experience for all. The guidelines cover aspects such as text alternatives for non-text content, keyboard accessibility, contrast ratios, and more, helping web developers create websites that are usable by a diverse audience.Wireframe
A wireframe is a visual representation or blueprint of the layout and structure of a web page or application. It is a skeletal outline that defines the placement of elements, content, and functionality without including detailed design elements.WordPress
WordPress is a popular and widely used content management system (CMS) for building websites and blogs. It provides a user-friendly interface, a variety of themes, and a plugin architecture that allows users to easily extend the functionality of their websites.