WordPress Glossary

The full location of a file on a server or computer, starting at the filesystem root. WordPress may need this path to locate an upload directory or load a configuration file.

A complete resource identifier that includes its scheme and location. Unlike a relative address, it can identify the resource without relying on the current page’s address.

A hook that lets code run when a particular WordPress event happens. A plugin might use an action to send a notification after a post is published.

The shortcut bar shown to signed-in users above the dashboard or website. Now usually called the Toolbar, it offers quick access to editing and site administration.

Tools that generate or revise text from instructions. They can help draft WordPress content, but a person still needs to check facts, usefulness and voice before publishing.

A technique for exchanging data with a server without loading a whole new page. It can let a WordPress screen update a comment’s status while you stay on that screen.

Web server software that receives browser requests and serves website files. On Apache hosting, WordPress can use .htaccess rules for features such as readable permalinks.

An application programming interface: a defined way for software to communicate. The WordPress REST API, for example, lets authorised applications read or change site data over HTTP.

A programming structure that holds several values under numbered or named keys. WordPress developers use arrays for settings, query arguments and collections of results.

A character standard covering basic Latin letters, digits and symbols. WordPress can also store a much wider range of writing systems through Unicode.

A structured feed format for distributing new content. A reader application can use an Atom feed to show updates from a blog without visiting each article individually.

Rules that tell the block editor where to read a block attribute from saved markup. An image block might extract a value from an HTML attribute rather than a block comment.

The values describing a block’s content or settings, such as an image identifier or alignment. Changing an editor control can update the block’s attributes.

An automatic working copy created while you edit content. It can help recover recent changes after an interruption, but it does not replace a full site backup.

A small image representing a person, often displayed beside a comment or author name. Its appearance depends on the site’s avatar settings and integrations.

The administration side of a website, where authorised users manage content, settings and extensions. In WordPress, this usually means the dashboard and its related screens.

Programs already compiled into a form a computer can run. This term often appears in server setup instructions; WordPress itself is mainly distributed as PHP source files.

An individual unit of content or layout in the WordPress editor. Paragraphs, images, headings and columns are all examples of blocks.

The panel used to find and add blocks, patterns and other available items. Open it with a plus button in the editor.

Groups that organise block types in the inserter, such as Text or Media. These groups are separate from the categories used to organise blog posts.

The unique technical identifier of a block type. It combines a namespace and name, such as core/paragraph, so WordPress can recognise the block.

Presentation choices for a block, such as a bordered image or an outline button. A style changes appearance without changing the block’s underlying purpose.

Features a block declares it can use, such as spacing, colour or typography controls. WordPress can provide matching editor controls and output based on those declarations.

Reusable structural sections made from blocks, such as a site header or footer. Editing a shared template part can update every template that uses it.

Block-based layouts that determine how a page, post or archive is displayed. They describe the surrounding page structure rather than just the content of one post.

Themes whose templates are built with blocks and can be customised in the Site Editor. Their design settings can also be defined through a theme.json file.

The registered blueprint for a kind of block, including its settings and behaviour. Several paragraph blocks in a post are separate instances of the same block type.

A website or section that publishes posts over time, typically with the newest entries first. A WordPress site can have a blog alongside pages, a shop or other content.

Planning, writing, publishing and maintaining blog posts. It also includes updating older articles and responding to readers.

A collective name for blogs and the people who publish and discuss them. It describes a community rather than a WordPress feature.

A curated list of links to other blogs. Older WordPress installations included a Links manager; newer sites usually create such lists with ordinary blocks or menus.

A browser bookmark containing a small JavaScript command instead of a normal destination. Activating it performs a task on the page you are viewing.

A value with two possible states: true or false. WordPress code uses booleans for decisions such as whether comments are enabled.

Individual permissions that determine what a user can do. A role collects capabilities, such as publishing posts or managing plugins, into a set assigned to an account.

A built-in taxonomy for grouping related posts into broad subjects. Categories can have parent and child relationships, making them useful for a site’s main topic structure.

Common Gateway Interface, a mechanism for a web server to run a program and return its response. It describes server infrastructure rather than a content-editing feature.

An HTML representation of a character, such as & for an ampersand. Entities let markup display reserved symbols or characters that are awkward to type directly.

A collection of characters available for representing text. WordPress databases commonly use a Unicode encoding such as utf8mb4 to support many languages and emoji.

A Unix-style command for changing file and directory permissions. Incorrect permissions can stop WordPress writing uploads or expose files more widely than intended.

In CSS, a reusable label used to target elements for styling. In PHP, a class defines a type of object with its own properties and methods; the context tells you which meaning applies.

A block that provides the older rich-text editing experience inside the block editor. Older posts may appear in a Classic block before their content is converted into separate blocks.

The older community-written WordPress documentation wiki. You may encounter it in legacy tutorials, although many current guides live in newer documentation handbooks.

The rules a database uses to compare and sort text, including how it treats case and accents. Collation and character encoding are related settings but serve different purposes.

Reader responses attached to a post or another supported content type. Site owners can moderate, disable or filter comments according to their publishing policy.

The information a website publishes: text, images, audio, video and other material. In WordPress, content can be stored in posts, pages and custom post types.

Software for creating, organising and publishing website content. WordPress is a CMS that combines an administration interface, a database and a system of themes and plugins.

A hosting control panel for tasks such as managing files, databases and email. It belongs to the hosting account and is separate from the WordPress dashboard.

Cascading Style Sheets, the language used to control a page’s visual presentation. Themes use CSS for layout, colours, typography and responsive behaviour.

Concurrent Versions System, an older tool for tracking source-code changes. It appears in historical development material; it is not a WordPress publishing feature.

The main administration landing screen after signing in to WordPress. It provides an overview and access to areas such as Posts, Pages, Appearance and Settings.

The organised store of a site’s posts, settings, users and other structured data. A complete WordPress backup normally needs both the database and the website’s files.

An internal identifier for the database structure WordPress expects. A software update may require a database upgrade when that structure changes.

An official theme supplied with a WordPress release. It gives a new installation a working design and can help isolate problems caused by another theme.

A feature or function that is no longer recommended for new code. It may still work for compatibility, but developers should move to the supported replacement.

Someone who builds or changes software. A WordPress developer might create themes, write plugins or connect a site to another service.

An HTML div element, used to group content for layout or scripting. It has no specific meaning on its own, unlike elements such as an article or navigation landmark.

The Domain Name System, which translates domain names into records used to locate services. DNS records help direct your domain to its web host and email provider.

The Document Object Model: a browser’s structured representation of a page. JavaScript can use it to read content, respond to clicks and update what visitors see.

The readable name people use to reach a website, such as wpism.com. Registering a domain and buying hosting are separate tasks, even when sold together.

A saved post or page that has not been published. Drafts let you work privately until the content is ready for review or release.

A block whose displayed output is generated on the server when content is rendered. A latest-posts list can therefore change without resaving the page containing it.

The interface used to create and change content. Editor is also a WordPress user role with permission to manage other people’s posts, so check the context.

A short summary of a post used in places such as archives or search results. A theme may display a manually written excerpt or generate one from the article.

A machine-readable stream of published updates. WordPress feeds let subscribers follow new content in compatible reader applications.

An application that collects updates from feeds and presents them in one place. It lets readers follow several publications without checking every homepage.

A hook that receives a value and returns a modified value. A plugin might use a filter to change an excerpt’s length before WordPress displays it.

The lower region of a website’s layout, often containing navigation, contact details or legal information. Its editing controls depend on the theme.

The visitor-facing side of a website. It is what readers use to view posts, browse pages or shop, as opposed to the administration screens.

File Transfer Protocol, a method of moving files between a computer and server. Plain FTP does not encrypt the connection; hosts may offer SFTP or FTPS instead.

An umbrella term for block-based site customisation beyond individual posts. With a block theme, the Site Editor brings templates, template parts and styles into a visual editing workflow.

A collection of images presented together. The Gallery block lets you arrange multiple images inside a post or page.

A translation system used by WordPress to make interface text available in different languages. Developers mark text for translation rather than hard-coding every displayed phrase.

Greenwich Mean Time, a time reference seen in older settings and documentation. WordPress distinguishes a site’s local time from stored UTC-based timestamps in several contexts.

An avatar service that associates a profile image with an email address. WordPress can request these images when displaying comments, depending on site settings.

A graphical user interface: controls such as windows, buttons and menus. The WordPress dashboard is a GUI for tasks that would otherwise require code or commands.

The project behind WordPress’s block-based editing tools. The Gutenberg plugin also provides a way to try development features before some reach WordPress core.

An informal term for a quick code modification or workaround. It can also refer to an unauthorised intrusion, so a tutorial’s use of the word needs context.

Experimenting with or modifying software; in security discussions, breaking into a system. Editing WordPress core directly makes maintenance harder because updates can overwrite those changes.

An image placed near the top of a site’s design. Classic themes may provide a dedicated header-image setting, while block themes can build the header from blocks.

An extension point where WordPress lets other code intervene. Actions run a task; filters alter a value. Both let plugins and themes extend behaviour without editing core files.

The company that supplies server resources for a website. Hosting plans differ in their management tools, performance, support and responsibility for backups or updates.

A configuration file used by Apache-compatible servers for directory-level rules. WordPress may use it for permalink rewrites, but other server types handle those rules differently.

HyperText Markup Language, which describes a web page’s structure. Headings, paragraphs and links are HTML elements that browsers turn into a readable page.

An integrated development environment combining code editing with tools such as debugging and project navigation. It helps developers work on themes, plugins and other software.

A browser developer tool for examining a page’s HTML, styles and layout. Changes made in the inspector are usually temporary and do not edit the WordPress site itself.

Promoting a business or publication through online channels. For a WordPress publisher, this may include search optimisation, email newsletters and social media.

A numerical address used to identify a device or service on a network. A domain’s DNS records can point to the IP address serving the website.

Internet Server Application Programming Interface, an extension interface associated with Microsoft IIS. You are most likely to encounter it in older Windows hosting instructions.

A programming language used for interactive behaviour in browsers and elsewhere. WordPress relies on it heavily in the block editor and many plugin interfaces.

A JavaScript library that simplifies common tasks such as responding to events and updating page elements. Many older WordPress themes and plugins depend on it.

An open-source operating-system family widely used on web servers. A WordPress site hosted on Linux can still be managed from a Windows or Mac computer.

Styling applied to a particular block or limited part of a design. This contrasts with global styles intended to establish defaults across the site.

An older name for Apple’s Mac operating system, now called macOS. WordPress can run in a local development environment on a Mac before deployment to a web host.

An open-source relational database server that can store WordPress data. It is an alternative to MySQL supported by WordPress.

A set of navigation links helping visitors find content. Classic themes often manage menus through dedicated screens, while block themes commonly use the Navigation block.

Information describing other data. WordPress metadata can store extra fields about posts, users or terms; HTML meta tags describe a page to browsers and other services.

Conventions for adding structured meaning to HTML using agreed class names and attributes. They can help software recognise information such as people, events or articles.

A system for identifying the type of a file or response, such as image/jpeg. WordPress checks file types when handling uploads, alongside other validation.

An older term for publishing blog updates from a mobile device. Today this usually means using a mobile browser or an app to create and manage posts.

An Apache module that rewrites incoming URL requests. WordPress can use it to serve readable permalinks while internally directing requests to the correct application file.

A WordPress configuration that runs several sites from one installation. The sites have separate content but share core software and network-level management.

A relational database system used to store WordPress content and settings. Posts are retrieved from database tables rather than saved as a separate HTML file for every page.

The routes and controls that help people move around a website. Menus, breadcrumbs, pagination and contextual links all contribute to navigation.

The block used to build and edit navigation menus in a block-based design. It can contain page links, submenus and other supported navigation elements.

In Multisite, the collection of sites managed by the same WordPress installation. A network administrator handles shared themes, plugins and network settings.

Another name for a feed reader or aggregator. It collects articles from subscribed feeds and shows new items as publishers release them.

A time-limited WordPress token used to help verify the intent of a request. It helps protect against cross-site request forgery, but is not a substitute for checking permissions.

Software whose licence allows people to inspect, use, modify and redistribute its source under specified conditions. WordPress is released under the GNU General Public License.

Site-wide settings stored and retrieved through the WordPress Options API. Plugins and themes can use options for configuration that is not tied to one post or user.

Reducing the size of data before sending it to a browser. Compression methods such as gzip or Brotli can reduce transfer size for text-based website resources.

A built-in WordPress content type for material such as About or Contact information. Pages can have a hierarchy and usually sit outside the date-ordered blog feed.

A ready-made arrangement of blocks you can insert and customise. Patterns help you build sections such as calls to action without assembling every block from scratch.

Collections of predefined block layouts. Synced patterns share changes across their uses; ordinary unsynced patterns become independently editable blocks after insertion.

A general-purpose programming language often found in older server scripts. WordPress core is written mainly in PHP, rather than Perl.

The lasting web address of a post, page or other resource. A clear permalink structure makes links easier to understand; changing existing addresses can require redirects.

Rules controlling access to an action or resource. File permissions govern server files, while WordPress capabilities govern what signed-in users can do inside the application.

The server-side programming language that runs much of WordPress. The server executes PHP to process requests and generate a response for the browser.

A browser-based interface for managing MySQL-compatible databases. Direct changes can affect the whole website, so database work requires care and a recoverable backup.

A notification sent to another service to signal an update. In a different networking context, ping is a diagnostic tool for checking whether a host responds.

An automated notification that another site has linked to a post. WordPress can display accepted pingbacks alongside comments when the relevant settings allow them.

An extension that adds or changes WordPress functionality. Plugins can provide forms, shops, backups and many other features without replacing the active theme.

A numbered endpoint used to direct network traffic to a service. Web browsing commonly uses port 443 for HTTPS, while other services may use different ports.

A WordPress content item commonly used for articles or updates. Posts can have categories and tags and usually appear in date-ordered archives and feeds.

Controls for information such as a post’s status, date, author, taxonomy terms and featured image. They apply to the whole post rather than an individual block.

The URL-friendly part of a post’s address that identifies it. A readable slug usually contains a few descriptive words separated by hyphens.

The stage or visibility state assigned to a content item, such as draft, pending review, scheduled or published. Status affects when and to whom content is available.

A classification defining a kind of WordPress content. Posts and pages are built-in post types; plugins can register custom types for items such as products or events.

A request to retrieve data matching specified conditions. A WordPress query might ask for the latest ten published posts in a particular category.

Often called the Query Loop block, it displays a collection of posts according to chosen criteria. Its inner blocks define how each result appears.

The part of a URL after a question mark, containing parameters. A search request might pass a search phrase this way.

A named value WordPress uses to interpret a request and choose content. Some query variables come from URL parameters; others are set internally by code.

A button in a code-oriented editor that inserts markup such as an opening and closing HTML tag. QuickTags are associated with older text-editing workflows.

Resource Description Framework, a model for expressing relationships between resources. It appears in older web metadata and syndication technologies.

A collection of rows returned by a database query. In WordPress development, you are more likely to encounter arrays or objects containing query results.

A file location expressed in relation to a current directory. Moving the starting directory can change which file the same relative path identifies.

A resource reference resolved against a base address. A site-relative link beginning with a slash keeps the current domain while specifying a path from its root.

A block-editor component for editable formatted text. Developers can use it to support inline formatting inside a custom block.

A file giving cooperating crawlers instructions about which paths to crawl. It is not an access-control system and does not reliably keep a page out of search results by itself.

A named set of capabilities assigned to a WordPress account. Roles such as Administrator, Editor and Author help divide responsibility for maintaining and publishing a site.

A family of feed formats for distributing website updates. Readers can subscribe to a WordPress RSS feed to follow new posts in a compatible application.

Right-to-left text direction, used by languages such as Arabic and Hebrew. Themes need to handle layout and alignment as well as the direction of the text itself.

A particular view in the WordPress administration interface, such as the Posts list or Settings screen. Available controls depend on the user’s permissions and installed extensions.

Converting structured data into a form that can be stored or transmitted. WordPress uses serialised data in several contexts, so careless database replacements can corrupt stored values.

The editor panel containing controls for the document or selected block. It is distinct from a visitor-facing sidebar in a website’s layout.

A command interface for interacting with an operating system. On a server, it can be used to manage files or run WordPress commands with WP-CLI.

A bracketed instruction inserted into content, such as a plugin’s form shortcode. WordPress replaces it with output when the associated shortcode handler runs.

A secondary content area beside or around the main content. Classic themes often populate it with widgets; the editor’s settings sidebar is a separate interface feature.

An individual website with its own content and configuration. In a Multisite network, each site belongs to a shared WordPress installation.

The visual interface for customising block-theme templates, template parts and styles. It handles the site’s broader design alongside the separate editing of individual posts and pages.

A simplified identifier used in URLs for content or taxonomy terms. A category slug, for example, can form part of that category’s archive address.

Text-based expressions such as a smiling face made with punctuation. Depending on settings and software, they may be rendered as graphical icons; emoji are encoded characters.

Unwanted or deceptive submissions, often posted automatically through comments or forms. Moderation tools and anti-spam services help reduce it.

Secure Shell, an encrypted connection for remote command-line access. Hosts may provide SSH for maintenance tasks and running tools such as WP-CLI.

An older name still commonly used for website certificates and encrypted connections. Modern HTTPS uses TLS to protect data travelling between the browser and server.

A block whose saved HTML supplies its main front-end output. This differs from a dynamic block that generates its output through server-side rendering.

Measurements of website activity, such as visits, page views or referral sources. WordPress sites usually obtain these through analytics tools or hosting integrations.

A programming value containing text. A post title, an email subject and a translated interface label can all be represented as strings.

Placeholders used to build a WordPress permalink structure. For example, a post-name placeholder tells WordPress where to place the content’s slug in the address.

A version-control system also known as SVN. It tracks file revisions and is used in parts of the WordPress development and extension-distribution ecosystem.

An abbreviation used in some older material for source or software version control. Version-control tools record code changes so teams can compare revisions and recover earlier work.

Making content or updates available for reuse by other applications or publications. Feeds are a common way for a WordPress blog to distribute updates.

A non-hierarchical taxonomy term used to describe a specific subject in a post. Tags complement broader categories when they help readers find related articles.

A short description of a website, stored with its general settings. Whether visitors see it depends on the theme and the chosen site layout.

Guidance organised around a specific goal, such as creating a menu or restoring a backup. It helps readers complete a task instead of only describing individual controls.

A system for grouping content through named terms. Categories and tags are built-in taxonomies; plugins can add their own for specialised content.

An older remote terminal protocol that does not encrypt its connection. SSH is normally the appropriate choice for remote server administration.

The layout used to display a particular kind of content or request. WordPress selects templates according to its template hierarchy and the active theme.

The workflow for changing the template surrounding content rather than just the content itself. The exact entry point depends on the theme and available editor controls.

A WordPress PHP function used by a theme to display or retrieve information. A template tag might output a post title, author name or navigation link.

An individual item within a taxonomy. In a food blog’s categories, Recipes could be one term and Reviews another.

A reminder that hooks, callback functions, actions and filters describe different parts of an extension. A callback is the function attached to a hook; the hook is the point at which it runs.

An interface for editing plain text or source markup. In older WordPress guides, this often means the HTML-oriented tab of the classic editor.

The collection of templates, styles and related files that controls a WordPress site’s presentation. Changing themes changes the design while the site’s stored content remains.

Blocks that display site or post information, such as the site title, post date or featured image. They let block themes build templates from dynamic content elements.

The rich-text editor underlying WordPress’s classic editing interface. It provides familiar formatting controls for text, links and other content.

A row of shortcuts or commands. In WordPress, this can mean the top administration bar or a contextual set of controls within an editor.

The editing controls available while working on a site’s blocks and templates. A selected block’s toolbar provides actions relevant to that block, such as alignment or movement.

An older method for notifying a site that another article refers to it. Unlike pingbacks, trackbacks traditionally involve an explicitly supplied notification and excerpt.

A temporarily cached value stored through the WordPress Transients API. An expiration is a maximum lifetime; code must cope with a transient disappearing earlier.

A character standard covering many writing systems and symbols. Encodings such as UTF-8 let a WordPress site store and display multilingual text.

An operating-system family and a foundation for many server concepts. File permissions, shell commands and paths in hosting guides often follow Unix conventions.

A timestamp expressed as seconds since the beginning of 1 January 1970 UTC. Applications convert it into a human-readable date and timezone when displaying it.

A Uniform Resource Locator: the address used to find a resource online. A page URL can include a scheme, domain, path, query parameters and a fragment.

Coordinated Universal Time, a reference time standard. Choosing a city-based site timezone helps WordPress account for local daylight-saving changes when scheduling content.

Software, and sometimes the machine running it, that responds to website requests. A WordPress hosting stack also needs PHP execution and a supported database.

A content or feature unit placed in a theme’s widget areas. Modern WordPress can use blocks in these areas, while block themes usually build layouts through the Site Editor.

A theme-defined region that accepts widgets or blocks, such as a sidebar or footer column. Its availability and placement depend on the theme.

XHTML Friends Network, a convention for describing relationships through a link’s rel attribute. It appears in older blogging and blogroll tools.

An HTML formulation following XML syntax rules. You may see it in older themes and tutorials, while current web development usually uses modern HTML.

Extensible Markup Language, a text format for structured data. WordPress export files use an XML-based format to carry content between installations.

A remote procedure protocol that WordPress supports for certain integrations and publishing clients. Whether an integration needs it should guide how the endpoint is managed.