Glossary
While we try to avoid jargon, sometimes it's the clearest way to explain technical concepts. Here's a brief glossary of terms used on this page.
Web Basics
- CMS
- Content Management System – manage website content without coding.
- CRM
- Customer Relationship Management – helps you track contacts, leads, and client interactions.
- API
- Application Programming Interface – enables systems to exchange data.
- DNS
- Domain Name System – maps domain names to servers.
- CDN
- Content Delivery Network – speeds up site load by caching globally.
- HTTPS (SSL)
- Secure protocol that encrypts browser-server traffic.
- SEO
- Search Engine Optimization – boosts visibility in Google and others.
- Plugin
- Modular add-on that extends your site’s functionality (e.g. shipping calculator, social login).
- FAQ
- Frequently Asked Questions – common answers for site visitors.
Business & Payments
- Stripe
- A platform to accept online payments securely.
- PayPal
- Online payment system supporting secure transactions and buyer protection.
- nopCommerce
- Open-source e-commerce platform based on .NET. Flexible, scalable, and widely used.
- IR35
- UK tax rule determining employment status for contractors.
Security & Compliance
- GDPR
- General Data Protection Regulation – EU/UK law on personal data.
- reCAPTCHA
- Google service that protects websites from bots and abuse.
- OAuth
- Open Authorization – a secure way for apps to access user data without sharing passwords.
- API Key
- Unique identifier used to authenticate a request to an API, often used for basic access control.
- JWT
- JSON Web Token – a compact, secure way to transmit identity and claims between systems.
- 2FA
- Two-Factor Authentication – adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification.
- RBAC
- Role-Based Access Control – restricts system access based on a user's role (e.g. admin, editor, viewer).
- Key Vault
- Azure service for securely storing secrets, certificates, and encryption keys, often used in secure infrastructure deployments.
- B2C
- Azure Active Directory B2C – a Microsoft identity service for customer-facing apps, supporting social and enterprise logins.
- PBKDF2
- Password-Based Key Derivation Function 2 – a secure hashing algorithm commonly used to store user passwords.
- MFA
- Multi-Factor Authentication – requires two or more verification methods to enhance login security.
- OpenID
- OpenID Connect – an identity layer on top of OAuth 2.0 used for federated authentication.
- SSO
- Single Sign-On – allows users to log in once and gain access to multiple systems without re-authenticating.
- DNSSEC
- Domain Name System Security Extensions – protects DNS from spoofing by digitally signing DNS data to verify its authenticity.
- Security Headers
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Common HTTP headers used to harden apps:
- CORS
- (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) – restricts cross-origin access to APIs.
- HSTS
- (Strict Transport Security) – enforces HTTPS connections.
- CSP
- (Content Security Policy) – limits executable scripts and resources.
- X-Frame Options
- – prevents clickjacking by disallowing iframes.
Email Authentication
- SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
- Standard protocol used to send email messages between mail servers. It's how your email gets delivered.
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
- Allows domain owners to specify which mail servers are permitted to send email on their behalf, helping prevent spoofing.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
- Uses cryptographic signatures to verify that the message was not altered and was sent by an authorized domain.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
- Builds on SPF and DKIM to let domain owners publish policies and receive reports about message authentication failures.
3rd Party API Integrations
Connect your systems to platforms like Stripe, Mailchimp, or CapsuleCRM with secure and reliable APIs.