Web Words for Writers: A Practical Glossary

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Your website and email are the backbone of your author platform: they’re how readers find you, how media contacts reach you, and how you announce new releases. When something breaks (a domain expires, email goes to spam, or a site loads slowly) basic familiarity with hosting terms helps you recognize what’s wrong and what to ask for. You don’t need to be an engineer, but knowing the language prevents confusion, reduces downtime, and protects your brand.

These terms also help you stay in control. Understanding the difference between a registrar, nameserver, and web host means you can move providers, renew domains, set up email, or add security without feeling stuck or overpaying. Clear knowledge improves email deliverability, keeps your site secure with HTTPS, and ensures your online identity isn’t lost to lapses like missed renewals or misconfigured DNS.

Use this glossary as a quick reference whenever a vendor sends instructions, you follow a tutorial, or you’re troubleshooting an issue. It will help you ask the right questions, make confident decisions, and communicate clearly with designers, developers, and support teams, so you can spend more time writing and less time wrestling with tech.

Names and addressing

  • Domain name: The human‑readable address of your site (like example.com).
  • Subdomain: A prefix added to your domain to create a separate section, like blog.example.com.
  • Top‑Level Domain (TLD): The ending of a domain, such as .com, .org, or country codes like .uk.
  • Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN): The complete domain including subdomain and TLD, like www.example.com.
  • URL (Uniform Resource Locator): The full web address, including http/https, domain, and path (e.g., https://example.com/page).
  • IP address: A numeric address computers use to find each other on the internet; IPv4 looks like 203.0.113.5, IPv6 is longer.
  • Port: A number that identifies a service on a server (e.g., 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS).

DNS fundamentals

  • DNS (Domain Name System): The internet’s phone book that turns domain names into IP addresses.
  • Nameserver: A server that holds and answers for your domain’s DNS records.
  • Resolver (Recursive DNS): The lookup service (often from your ISP or Google) your device asks to find IPs for names.
  • Authoritative DNS: The final source of truth for a domain’s DNS records.
  • Zone: The set of DNS records managed together for a domain or subdomain.
  • TTL (Time To Live): How long DNS answers are cached before checking again for updates.
  • DNS propagation: The time it takes for DNS changes to update across the internet (often minutes to 24–48 hours).

DNS record types

  • A record: Points a name to an IPv4 address.
  • AAAA record: Points a name to an IPv6 address.
  • CNAME record: Points a name to another name (an alias), which then resolves to an IP.
  • MX record: Tells the world which servers accept email for your domain.
  • TXT record: Free‑form text used for things like verification and email policies (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
  • NS record: Specifies which nameservers host your domain’s DNS zone.
  • CAA record: Limits which certificate authorities are allowed to issue SSL/TLS certificates for your domain.

Domain registration and ownership

  • Registrar: The company where you register and renew your domain name.
  • Registry: The organization that operates a TLD (like Verisign for .com).
  • ICANN: The nonprofit that coordinates the global domain name system.
  • WHOIS: A public record showing domain ownership and contact details (subject to privacy laws).
  • WHOIS privacy: A service that hides your personal contact info in public WHOIS listings.
  • Authorization code (EPP/Auth code): A unique code required to transfer a domain to another registrar.
  • Domain transfer: Moving your domain from one registrar to another (separate from moving hosting).
  • Expiration, grace, and redemption: Time windows after a domain expires when you can still renew before it’s released or auctioned.

Web hosting types and access

  • Hosting company (web host): The provider that runs the servers where your website and email can live.
  • Shared hosting: Many sites share one server; low cost but limited performance and control.
  • VPS (Virtual Private Server): A virtual slice of a server with dedicated resources and more control.
  • Cloud hosting: Flexible, on‑demand infrastructure that can scale up or down as traffic changes.
  • Managed hosting: The host handles updates, security, and backups for you.
  • Control panel (cPanel/Plesk): A web dashboard to manage sites, email, DNS, databases, and more.
  • SFTP/FTP (Secure/File Transfer Protocol: File transfer methods to upload site files; SFTP encrypts the connection, FTP does not.
  • SSH: Secure command‑line access to your server for advanced management.

Web delivery and performance

  • HTTP vs HTTPS: The protocol your site uses; HTTPS encrypts traffic to keep it private and trusted.
  • TLS/SSL certificate: A digital certificate that enables HTTPS and proves your site’s identity.
  • Let’s Encrypt: A free, automated service that issues SSL/TLS certificates.
  • CDN (Content Delivery Network): A network of global servers that cache and deliver your content closer to visitors.
  • Caching: Storing copies of pages or files to serve them faster and reduce server load.
  • Redirect (301/302): Automatic forwarding from one URL to another; 301 is permanent, 302 is temporary.

Website building and deployment

  • CMS (Content Management System): Software like WordPress that lets you create and update content without coding.
  • Static site: A site made of prebuilt files; very fast, secure, and low maintenance.
  • Staging vs production: A safe test site (staging) versus your live site (production).
  • Version control (Git): Tracks changes to your site’s code/content and helps you roll back or deploy safely.
  • Database (MySQL/PostgreSQL): Structured storage for dynamic content like posts, users, and settings.
  • Backup: A copy of your site and database you can restore if something breaks or is hacked.

Email and deliverability

  • Email hosting: A service that provides mailboxes and sends/receives mail for your domain.
  • Mailbox: An actual email account with a login and storage (e.g., [email protected]).
  • Alias/forwarder: An address that forwards to a mailbox; it has no inbox of its own.
  • SMTP: The protocol used to send outgoing email.
  • IMAP vs POP3: IMAP syncs mail across devices; POP3 downloads mail to one device.
  • Webmail: Checking your email in a browser (no app needed).
  • MX priority: Numbers that set which mail server should be tried first; lower numbers are tried first.
  • SPF: A DNS policy listing which servers may send email for your domain to reduce spoofing.
  • DKIM: A cryptographic signature added to outgoing mail so receivers can confirm it’s really from your domain.
  • DMARC: A policy telling receivers how to handle mail that fails SPF/DKIM and sending you reports.
  • Bounce: A returned message when email can’t be delivered; useful for diagnosing problems.
  • Deliverability: How reliably your emails land in inboxes instead of spam folders.

Security and protection

  • WAF (Web Application Firewall): Filters and blocks malicious traffic targeting your website.
  • DDoS protection: Defenses that absorb or block floods of traffic meant to take your site down.
  • Malware scanning: Automated checks that look for infected or altered site files.
  • Two‑factor authentication (2FA): Requires a second step (like a code) when logging in for extra security.
  • DNSSEC: Adds cryptographic signatures to DNS records to prevent tampering and spoofing.
  • HSTS: Instructs browsers to only use HTTPS for your site, boosting security.
  • Access control/roles: Limits what each user can do in your hosting, CMS, or email systems.

Monitoring and operations

  • Uptime and SLA: Uptime is the percentage of time your site is reachable; an SLA is your host’s guarantee and remedies if they miss it.
  • Logs (access and error): Records of visits and problems that help diagnose issues.
  • Analytics: Reports showing visitor counts, sources, and behavior on your site.
  • TTFB (Time to First Byte): How long it takes for your server to start responding; lower is better.
  • Bandwidth/transfer: The amount of data your site sends to visitors over time.
  • Cron job/scheduled task: An automated task your server runs at set times (e.g., backups, emails, or updates).
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