Plain-language glossary for people building software
Clear, jargon-free definitions of the terms you meet while scoping a website, app, or brand — written so you can make confident decisions before you hire anyone. No sales talk, just plain answers.
This glossary explains 93 common product, design, and technology terms in plain English — from MVP and SaaS to accessibility — so non-technical founders can talk with a studio as equals.
Products & building
- MVP
The smallest version of a product that still solves a real problem.
- SaaS
Software delivered over the web on a subscription, not installed per machine.
- Web app
An application that runs in a browser with no install.
- PWA
A web app that can be installed and work partly offline.
- Native vs web app
Installed store apps versus apps that run in a browser — different trade-offs.
- Tech stack
The set of technologies a product is built with, front to back.
- Framework
A proven foundation of code that speeds up building software.
- Open source
Software whose code is public, free to use, and community-maintained.
- Full-stack
Covering both the visible frontend and the behind-the-scenes backend.
- Custom development
Building software tailored to your exact needs, which you own.
- No-code
Building software with visual tools instead of writing code.
- Low-code
Building mostly with visual tools, with custom code where needed.
How the web works
- Hosting
The service that keeps your website online and reachable 24/7.
- Domain name
Your web address — the name people type to reach your site.
- DNS
The system that turns your domain name into a server address.
- Subdomain
A named section of your domain, like app.yourbusiness.com.
- SSL certificate
The security certificate that turns http into the padlocked https.
- HTTP vs HTTPS
HTTPS is the encrypted, secure version of the web's basic protocol.
- CDN
A global network that serves your site from a server near each visitor.
- Redirect
A rule that sends visitors from one URL to another automatically.
- Uptime
The share of time your site or app is online and working.
Under the hood
- Frontend
The part of a product people see and interact with.
- Backend
The behind-the-scenes logic, data, and servers that power a product.
- Database
The organized store where your product keeps its data.
- API
A defined way for two software systems to talk to each other.
- Webhook
An automatic message one app sends another when something happens.
- Integration
Connecting your product to other tools so they work together.
- Third-party script
Code from an outside service added to your site, like chat or analytics.
- CMS
A tool that lets non-developers edit site content without touching code.
- Headless CMS
A content system that stores content separately from how it is displayed.
Brand & design
- Brand identity
The visual and verbal system that makes a company recognizable everywhere.
- Brand guidelines
The rulebook for how a brand looks, sounds, and is used.
- Design system
A reusable library of components and rules that keeps a product consistent.
- Design tokens
Named values for colors, spacing, and type that keep a product consistent.
- Typography
The choice and arrangement of type that makes content readable.
- Color palette
The defined set of colors a brand uses consistently.
- UI vs UX
UI is how it looks; UX is how it feels to use. Related, not the same.
- Favicon
The tiny brand icon that shows in browser tabs and bookmarks.
- OG image
The preview image shown when your link is shared on social media.
- Dark mode
A darker color scheme option that many users prefer.
Planning & structure
- Discovery phase
The early phase that turns a vague idea into a clear, scoped plan.
- Wireframe
A low-detail layout that maps structure before visual design starts.
- Prototype
A clickable mockup that behaves like the product before it is built.
- User flow
The path a person takes to complete a task in your product.
- Usability testing
Watching real people use a product to find what confuses them.
- Information architecture
How content and features are organized so people can find things.
Getting found (SEO & AEO)
- SEO
Making your site easier for search engines to find and rank.
- AEO
Optimizing content so AI and answer engines quote you directly.
- Structured data
Extra code that helps search engines understand your content.
- Schema markup
The standard vocabulary used to describe content to search engines.
- Sitemap
A list of your pages that helps search engines find everything.
- robots.txt
A file that tells search engines which pages they may crawl.
- ASO
Improving an app's listing so more people find and install it.
Speed & performance
- Page speed
How quickly your pages load — a driver of sales and rankings.
- Core Web Vitals
Google's key measures of loading speed, responsiveness, and stability.
- Caching
Storing copies of data so pages load faster on repeat visits.
- Lazy loading
Loading images and content only as they're needed, to speed pages up.
- Responsive design
One layout that adapts cleanly from phones to large desktop screens.
- Breakpoints
The screen widths where a layout rearranges to fit the device.
Growth & conversion
- Landing page
A focused page built to turn a visitor into one specific action.
- CTA
The button or prompt that tells a visitor what to do next.
- Conversion rate
The share of visitors who take the action you want.
- Bounce rate
The share of visitors who leave after seeing only one page.
- A/B testing
Comparing two versions with live traffic to see which performs better.
- Analytics
Data on how people find and use your site, to guide decisions.
- Heatmap
A visual map of where visitors click, scroll, and pay attention.
- Session
A single continuous visit by one person to your site or app.
- KPI dashboard
A screen showing the key numbers that measure your success.
- Push notifications
Messages that reach a user's device even when the app is closed.
Selling online
- E-commerce platform
The system that runs an online store — products, cart, and checkout.
- Payment gateway
The service that securely processes card and online payments.
Operations & automation
- Automation
Letting software handle repetitive tasks so people don't have to.
- CRM
A system for tracking your leads, customers, and their history.
- ERP-lite
Software that ties together operations — often overkill for small firms.
Building it right
- Agile
Building software in small steps with regular feedback.
- Sprint
A short, focused block of work ending in something reviewable.
- QA testing
Checking a product works correctly before it reaches users.
- Staging environment
A private copy of your site for testing changes before they go live.
- Version control
A system that tracks every change to code, so nothing is lost.
- Deployment
The process of pushing new code live so users can see it.
- CI/CD
Automated testing and release so updates ship safely and often.
- Rollback
Reverting to a previous working version when an update goes wrong.
- Technical debt
Shortcuts in code that cost more to fix the longer they're left.
Security & privacy
- Backup
A saved copy of your site and data you can restore if something fails.
- Security audit
A structured review to find and fix weaknesses in a product.
- Penetration testing
Safely simulating an attack to find weaknesses before real attackers do.
- 2FA
A second login step, like a code, that protects accounts.
- Encryption
Scrambling data so only authorized parties can read it.
- Cookies
Small files a site stores in a browser to remember things.
- GDPR & CCPA
Privacy laws governing how you collect and handle personal data.
Accessibility
- Accessibility
Designing so people with disabilities can use the product too.
- WCAG
The guidelines that define how accessible a website should be.
- Alt text
Text describing an image for screen readers and search engines.
Ready to put these into practice?
If you have an idea and want a fixed price and a real date before you commit, we can help. Nabee scopes your project in a single pass — no calls required — and returns one number within a business day.