Plain language

Plain-language glossary for online tools

Short definitions for terms people meet when buying domains, hosting, website builders, SEO tools and online business software.

The public address of a website, such as example.com.

The company where a domain is registered and renewed.

The routing layer that connects a domain to website and email services.

The service that stores and delivers website content.

A hosted tool for building pages with templates and visual editing.

A system for creating and managing website content.

A popular CMS with flexibility and maintenance responsibility.

Email using the site owner domain.

The secure connection between visitor and website.

The preferred version of a page when similar addresses exist.

A file listing important public pages.

A tracked provider link that may produce commission.

A visible explanation of possible commercial relationships.

A controlled click path from a guidance page to a provider.

A practical use-case match score, not a universal quality score.

How hard it is to leave, export or migrate from a tool.