WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that is used to create and manage websites. It is written in PHP and paired with a MySQL or MariaDB database. Originally designed as a blogging platform, WordPress has evolved into a versatile tool for creating various types of websites, including e-commerce sites, portfolios, and business websites.
- WordPress: An open-source content management system (CMS) used for building and managing websites.
- Theme: A collection of files that control the overall appearance and layout of a WordPress website.
- Plugin: Additional software that adds specific features and functionality to a WordPress site.
- CMS (Content Management System): A software application that allows users to create, edit, and manage digital content.
- Dashboard: The main control panel in WordPress, providing access to various administrative tools.
- Widget: Small blocks that perform specific functions, often added to sidebars or other widget-ready areas.
- Shortcode: A small piece of code used within the content to perform specific functions or display dynamic content.
- Gutenberg: The block-based content editor introduced in WordPress 5.0, allowing users to create rich content layouts.
- Permalink: The permanent URL structure of a post, page, or category in WordPress.
- Categories: A way to organize content in WordPress, providing a hierarchical structure.
- Tags: Keywords assigned to content for organizing and grouping related posts.
- Post: Content entries listed in reverse chronological order on the blog page. (ref.: blog post glossary)
- Page: Static content in WordPress, often used for timeless information like an “About” or “Contact” page.
- Custom Post Type: A content type defined by a user, beyond the default posts and pages.
- Taxonomy: A way to group related items together, such as categories and tags.
- Featured Image: The main image associated with a post or page, displayed prominently.
- Responsive Design: Ensuring a website adapts to different screen sizes and devices.
- Child Theme: A theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, allowing customization without affecting the original theme.
- Backend: The administrative area of a WordPress site that is not visible to visitors.
- Frontend: The visible part of a WordPress site that visitors interact with.
- Menu: A navigational structure that helps users navigate a website, often displayed as a horizontal bar.
- Domain: The web address of a WordPress site, e.g., www.yoursite . com. (ref.: domain glossary)
- Hosting: A service that provides the storage and resources needed to make a website accessible on the internet. (ref.: hosting glossary)
- Database: A structured set of data stored electronically, containing information used by WordPress.
- FTP (File Transfer Protocol): A standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another over a TCP-based network.
- SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): A security protocol that ensures encrypted communication between a user’s browser and the website.
- Caching: Storing static versions of a website to reduce page load times.
- Comment Moderation: The process of approving or disapproving comments on a WordPress site.
- Gravatar: Globally Recognized Avatar, an image that represents a user online.
- User Role: A defined set of capabilities and permissions assigned to a user in WordPress.
- Multisite: A feature in WordPress that allows the creation of a network of sites from a single WordPress installation.
- Child Theme: A theme that inherits the functionality and styling of another theme, allowing customization without affecting the original theme.
- Plugin Repository: A centralized directory of plugins that users can access and install directly from their WordPress dashboard.
- 404 Error: A standard HTTP response code indicating that the server could not find the requested page.
- Featured Content: A feature that allows users to showcase specific posts or pages more prominently on their site.
- .htaccess: A configuration file for web servers, often used to enable or disable additional functionality on a WordPress site.
- Canonical URL: The preferred URL for a specific piece of content, used to avoid duplicate content issues.
- Excerpt: A brief summary or description of a post or page, often displayed in archive pages.
- Customizer: A WordPress tool that allows users to customize various aspects of their site in real-time.
- Sticky Post: A post that remains at the top of the blog page, regardless of the date it was published.
- Trackback: A method used to notify another site that a page on their site has been linked to.
- Pingback: A type of comment created when a link to another blog post is entered, alerting the linked blog.
- XML Sitemap: A file that provides information to search engines about the structure of a website.
- Canonical Tag: HTML tag used to define the preferred version of a page when duplicate content exists.
- Brute Force Attack: A hacking method involving attempting to gain access by trying various combinations of usernames and passwords.
- Featured Snippet: A summary of an answer to a user’s query displayed at the top of the search results.
- Content Delivery Network (CDN): A network of distributed servers that deliver web content based on the user’s geographical location.
- Slug: The part of a URL that identifies a specific page, post, or piece of content.
- Nofollow: An attribute added to a link instructing search engines not to pass authority to the linked page.
- DoFollow: A link that allows search engines to follow and pass authority to the linked page.
- White Label: A product or service produced by one company that another company rebrands as its own.
- JSON (JavaScript Object Notation): A lightweight data-interchange format often used to transmit data between a server and a web application.
- Robots.txt: A file that instructs web crawlers which pages or sections of a site should not be crawled or indexed.
- Meta Description: A concise summary of a webpage’s content displayed in search engine results.
- Schema Markup: Code that helps search engines provide more informative results for users.
- Open Source: Software with a license that allows its source code to be freely available for anyone to inspect, modify, or enhance.
- 404 Page: The page displayed when a user tries to access a non-existent page on a website.
- 301 Redirect: A permanent redirect from one URL to another, often used for SEO purposes.
- 404 Redirect: Redirecting users from a 404 error page to a relevant page on the site.
- Grayscale: A design or image presented in shades of gray, often used for a muted or monochromatic effect.
WordPress is known for its user-friendly interface and its ability to create a variety of websites, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites. It offers a wide range of customizable themes and plugins, making it easy for users to create a unique and professional-looking website without needing advanced coding skills. WordPress also has a large community of developers and users who contribute to its ongoing development and provide support and resources for users. It is currently one of the most widely used CMS platforms, powering over 35% of all websites on the internet.