Web Design Glossary of Terms
Welcome to our comprehensive web design glossary, where we demystify essential terms and concepts to help you navigate the intricate world of web design with ease and confidence.
HTTP and Web Protocols
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301 Redirect
Permanent redirection from one URL to another, important for SEO.
404 Error
HTTP status code indicating a requested page was not found.
D
DNS (Domain Name System)
Translates domain names to IP addresses, directing web traffic.
H
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
Protocol for transferring web pages over the internet.
HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure)
Secure version of HTTP, encrypting data transfer.
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Robot.txt
File instructing search engines on how to crawl web pages.
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Sitemap URL
Location where a site's sitemap is stored for search engine indexing.
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URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
The web address used to access a specific resource online.
Programming and Scripting Languages
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API (Application Programming Interface)
Set of rules for software applications to communicate.
C
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)
Stylesheet language for designing web pages.
H
HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
Standard language for creating web pages.
J
JavaScript
Programming language for interactive web content.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
Lightweight data-interchange format.
P
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor)
Server-side scripting language for web development.
X
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
Markup language for data sharing across systems.
Web Design and Layout
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Back-end
Server-side operations and database interactions of a website.
Bootstrap
Framework for creating responsive web designs.
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Elastic Layout
Layout using relative units for flexible design.
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Fixed Width Layout
Layout with fixed dimensions regardless of screen size.
Fluid Layout
Layout adapting to the browser window size using percentages.
Front-End
User interface and experience components of a website.
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Responsive Design
Design that ensures optimal display on various devices.
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Wireframe
Blueprint outlining a webpage’s structure and layout.
Web Development Tools
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Cache
Temporary storage for frequently accessed web data.
CDN (Content Delivery Network)
Distributed servers delivering content based on user location.
CMS (Content Management System)
Software for managing website content.
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DHTML (Dynamic HTML)
Combination of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for dynamic web content.
Doctype
Declaration specifying the HTML version of a document.
DTD (Document Type Definition)
Defines the structure and rules of XML documents.
E
External Style Sheet
Separate CSS file linked to HTML for consistent styling.
Embedded Style
CSS written directly into the HTML document.
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Inline Style
CSS that’s applied directly to HTML elements via the style attribute.
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LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP)
Software stack for web server environments.
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Node.js
JavaScript runtime for server-side applications.
User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX)
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Breadcrumb
Navigation aid showing the user's path through a site.
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Dropdown Menu
List of options appearing when a user interacts with a menu item.
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Focal Point
The area of a webpage designed to draw attention.
Fold
The part of a webpage visible without scrolling.
Font Family
Group of fonts defined in CSS.
Font Style
Defines the style of text, such as italic or normal.
Font Weight
Thickness of text characters, such as bold or light.
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Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Visual interface allowing user interaction with a web application.
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Header
Top section of a webpage containing logo and navigation links.
Hover State
Visual change when a user hovers over an element.
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IFrame
HTML element for embedding another document within the current page.
Image Map
Image with clickable areas linking to different destinations.
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Navigation
Interface elements guiding users through a website.
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Prefetch
Technique for loading resources in advance for faster access.
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User Interface (UI)
Visual elements enabling interaction with a website.
User Experience (UX)
Overall experience and satisfaction of users interacting with a website.
Web Hosting and Servers
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Bandwidth
Amount of data transferred over a network in a given time.
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MySQL
Relational database management system for storing data.
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Server
Computer system providing data to other computers over a network.
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Web Hosting
Service providing server space for websites.
Web Security
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Ciphertext
Encrypted data that is unreadable without decryption.
Certified
Verification that a website is secure and trustworthy.
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Decryption
Process of converting encrypted data back to its original form.
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SSL/TLS Certificate
Digital certificates ensuring secure data transmission.
Web Content and SEO
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eCommerce
Online buying and selling of goods and services.
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Favicon
Small icon representing a website in a browser.
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Keyword
Specific word or phrase used for SEO and content optimization.
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Link Building
Strategy of acquiring backlinks to improve SEO.
M
Meta Tag
Provides metadata about a webpage in the header.
Meta Data
Information about data, used for SEO and content management.
Markup
Code used to structure and present content on the web.
S
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Techniques to improve website ranking on search engines.
Sitemap
List of pages on a website for search engine indexing.
Slug
List of pages on a website for search engine indexing.
CSS and Styling
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EM
Unit of measurement relative to the parent element’s font size.
EX
Unit of measurement relative to the height of the lowercase "x".
F
Font Family
Group designation for typefaces in CSS.
Font Style
Defines the style of text, such as italics.
Font Weight
Specifies the thickness of text characters.
H
Hexadecimal
Base-16 numbering system used to define colours.
Z
Z-index
CSS property controlling the stacking order of elements.
Web Design Elements
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Element
The basic building block of a web document, defined by tags.
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Plugin
Software component adding specific features to a website.
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Widget
Interactive elements added to a website for functionality.
Deprecated and Legacy Terms
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Deprecated
Software component adding specific features to a website.
Dither
Technique for approximating colours in limited palettes.
Miscellaneous
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Base Tag
Specifies the base URL for relative links.
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Certified
Verification of security and trustworthiness.
Client-side
User-facing part of a web application.
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Footer
Bottom section of a webpage containing additional information.
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HIT
Request for a single file from a web server.
.HTACCESS
Configuration file for managing server settings.
Homepage
Main page of a website.
Hyperlink
Link from one web page to another.
Hypertext
Text with embedded links to other documents.
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Inline Frame
HTML element for embedding another document.
Inheritance
CSS property values passed from parent to child elements.
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Liquid Layout
Layout adapting to browser window size using percentages.
Link
Navigational element taking users to different pages.
Link Farm
Website designed to increase link popularity.
Landing Page
Page where visitors enter a website.
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Mega Menu
Large dropdown menu showing multiple options.
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Optimizely
Tool for testing and measuring website performance.
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Page Speed
Measure of how quickly web pages load.
X
X-Ray Mode
Visual display of element borders, margins, and padding.
Z
Zapier
Tool for connecting multiple web applications.
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