120 WordPress Glossary – A WordPress Dictionary for Beginners In 2024 [Updated]
WordPress is a new world by itself, and if you are getting started, then it would be scary like What Permalinks even mean?
Correct me If I am wrong.
As if you are learning a whole new language.
When I got started, understanding those new terms was very challenging. So I am putting together a list of WordPress Glossary in alphabetic order, which will help you to get started without any difficulties.
WordPress Glossary Terms for Beginners
My primary objective is to introduce you to the world of crafting your website with WordPress, covering all you need to know.
Without further waiting, Let’s get it started.
404 Page
A 404 is a status code in the HyperText Transfer Protocol, or HTTP, which is the communication protocol used to transfer pages on the web. The definition of the 404 error code in the HTTP Status Code specification is the following:
The server has not found anything matching the Request-URI. No indication is given of whether the condition is temporary or permanent. This status code is commonly used when the server does not wish to reveal exactly why the request has been refused, or when no other response is applicable.
Administration Bar / Admin Bar
The administration bar/admin bar is the menu displayed at the very top of your screen when logged in on your WordPress site. Refer to the below image.
It contains shortcuts to different parts of your site, along with notifications for comments and for when updates are available for themes, plugins, and WordPress.
You can enable or disable that admin bar by navigating to Users → Your Profile, unchecking the “Show toolbar.” Refer to the below image.
Here is a video that explains how to enable or disable the admin bar on your WordPress website in a few and easy steps.
Administration Panel / Admin Panel
The administration or admin panel is a control panel where you can manage your website content and overall management of your website.
You can access the WordPress admin panel of your website by going to www.yourwebsite.com/wp-admin/ (replace yourwebsite.com with the domain name of your website.). Check the below screenshot.
Administrator
The administrator is one of the default user roles in WordPress, and it’s the most capable of the five. Check the below screen screenshot.
A user with an administrator role in WordPress is capable of adding, editing, and deleting users, content, plugins, themes, and settings, and many complete websites.
Akismet
Akismet is a WordPress plugin that is bundled as a default plugin while installing WordPress. To keep the WordPress ecosystem spam free, the co-creator of WordPress Matt Mullenweg created a plugin “Akismet” in 2005.
The primary purpose of the plugin is to filter and detect spam in WordPress comments, Trackbacks, pinbacks, and contact form messages.
The Akismet plugin is available in both free and commercial plans. Personal WordPress sites and blogs can use the free plan. In contrast, the commercial ones offer priority support and advanced stats for business websites.
Archive
In WordPress, an archive page is a page that displays multiple items of a type of content.
Below are some of the archive page examples in WordPress.
- Home page (If its a blog)
- Category Page
- Tag Page
- Author Archive Page
- Date Archive page
You can change the number of blog posts displayed on the archive page by visiting Settings → Reading in the admin panel.
Attachment
In WordPress, attachment is refered, when a file is uploaded within the “Add Media” while editing a page or post.
The word “attachment” is hardly used for those uploads as well. However, you can check if a file is attached to any particular post or page by selecting the file in Media → Library.
Author
“Author” is one of the default user roles in WordPress. A user can create, edit, publish, and delete their posts and pages, but cannot edit or delete other user content.
The user also has no access to change plugins, themes, or any settings on the WordPress site.
Automattic
Automattic is a San Francisco based company launched by Matt Mullenweg in August 2005 offering services like WordPress.com, Akismet, WooCommerce, and Jetpack and plugins for the most popular CMS.
At present, the company has over 721 employees across the world. The company is also one the major contributor to open source projects, including WordPress, WordPress Foundation, and WordCamp.
Avatar
Generally, an avatar referred to an image associated with a user in WordPress displayed for authors and comment authors on a website.
WordPress relies on Gravatar, a free service for website owners and users owned by Automattic.
Back-End
The administration/admin panel is also referred to as “Back-End” in WordPress.
For more information, please refer to the Administration Panel.
The back-end is also referred by the developer or under development for web applications or services.
bbPress
bbPress is an exclusive WordPress plugin that adds forum functionality to a WordPress website.
WordPress.org is the most prominent website’s powering more than 2.5 million posts.
The project started when WordPress.org support forum “miniBB forum” crashed after the upgrade of the PHP version.
The plugin works seamlessly with WordPress website allows creating forums with subforums, threads, and posts.
Block
A Block is an element of content in the WordPress Gutenberg editor, such as paragraph, image, heading, gallery, list, quote, audio, etc.,
Block makes it easy to add, remove, and reposition blocks in the post layout.
Every Block comes with its own set of settings, allowing you to modify how the content of the block should represent.
More blocks also can be added by themes and plugins. Soon blocks are expected replace widgets and menus in the WordPress interface.
Block Editor
Formerly known as Gutenberg, Block Editor is a name of new post editing experience from WordPress 5.0 version release to built engaging content.
With blocks, you can insert, rearrange, and style multimedia content with very little technical knowledge.
Instead of using custom code, you can add a block and focus on your content.
Blog
A blog is an abbreviation of the word “weblog,” a precise combination of the word “web” + “log.”
Jorn Barger was the first used to the word “weblog” on his website “Robot Wisdom Weblog.“
Later Peter Merholz used the short version of the word “blog” by splitting the word “We Blog” in the sidebar in his website.
The Word blog is nothing but a list of posts arranged in reverse chronological order from the latest to the oldest.
Breadcrumbs
In short, Breadcrumbs are nothing but secondary navigational links, which displays the current webpage hierarchy. Please check the below example for more clarification.
Breadcrumbs are one of the optimization technics in SEO to help search engines to crawler and index the linked webpages.
Breadcrumbs are not a default feature of WordPress, but it is included via a WordPress theme or by plugins to display on your website.
BuddyPress
If you have the plan to convert or add or create a social networking website like Facebook, the answer is BuddyPress.
BuddyPress is a free WordPress plugin that transforms your WordPress website into a social networking website.
It was initially started by developer Andy Peatling in 2008, later sold to Automattic. Presently BuddyPress is a trademark of WordPress Foundation.
Cache
A cache is nothing but a temporarily stored data used to speed load time of a webpage usually pronounced as CASH.
There are two types of cache, Server caching and browser caching.
The server caching, is nothing but a complete website is duplicated and stored in the server as a static website to serve the users. This results in faster load time and less strain on the server.
The cache engine refreshes when the content is updated, or when a specified set time.
While browser caching is when browsers store and reuse files when a user revisits the website in a short duration, rather than downloading them from the server every time a page is loaded.
The most commonly used files are CSS, Javascript and images.
WordPress don’t have any built-in caching system, but there numerous WordPress plugins offering the functionality.
Categories / Category
Categories in WordPress is one of the default taxonomies to group and sort your blog posts to help visitors quickly to know what topics your website is all about.
It also helps visitors to navigate your website much faster.
By default, WordPress comes with a category called “Uncategorized”. If you publish a blog without selecting a category, WordPress assigns the default category automatically.
You can create or edit categories in Posts → Categories.
This video explains how to work with WordPress categories in details.
Child Theme
In WordPress, a child theme is also a theme which inherits styling and functionality from its parent theme.
It is one of the best practice to use a child theme to customize the styling, for instance, if you make changes directly on a theme, those changes will be overwritten when a theme receives updates.
Any customization made on child theme will remain intact when the parent theme gets updated.
Classic Editor
A Classic Editor also is known as post editor used to write content in WordPress. The classic editor got replaced with Gutenberg editor with release of WordPress version 5.0.
You can still replace the current Block / Gutenberg Editor with the classic editor with a plugin from the WordPress repository.
Comment
Comments in WordPress give your users the ability to communicate with you and other visitors on your blog.
You can view and moderate and reply to any comment in your blog posts by clicking Comments option in the left sidebar in the admin panel.
You can also adjust the comment setting from the Settings → Discussion menu tab.
If you are having problems with comment spam on your blog website, you can activate or install spam protection plugin Akismet.
Content Management System (CMS)
A Content Management System also know as CMS is an application/software through which you can create, modify, manage and publish digital content on the web without any programming knowledge.
A CMS provides you with a graphical user interface where you can manage every aspect of your website.
You can create and edit content, add images and videos, and set up the overall design of the site.
WordPress, Magento, and Drupal are some of the most popular CMSs currently on the market.
Contributor
In WordPress contributor is one of the default and least capable user roles. A user with this role can create and save drafts of the post, but they cannot publish any post and only be able to see their own posts in the Posts admin page.
A user role with more capabilities are Editor and Administrator.
Cookie
A cookie also is known as web cookies, internet cookies browser cookies, or HTTP Cookie is a message given by a web server to a web browser that stores as a text file.
The message is sent back to the webserver every time the browser requests a page.
Core
In WordPress, the files are divided into two groups. The core files and content files.
The core files are the make up the appearance and functionality of the WordPress platform; on the other hand, content files are themes, plugins, images, etc., which are added by the user.
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a nonprofit organization based Mountain View, California, United States founded in 2001 by law professor Lawrence Lessig to issues copyright licenses, known as Creative Commons (CC), free of charge to the public domain.
CSS
CSS abbreviated as Cascading Stylesheet is the programming language used to define the styling of most websites on the web.
CSS used to define how elements on web pages look and can be used to identify the styling of everything on the webpage from layout to typography and colors etc.,
CSS code block consists of elements, ids, and classes with open and curly brackets with properties within them to match the HTML element. Check the below video to get a better picture of how CSS works.
In WordPress, CSS used in themes, plugins, and even WordPress Admin panel. You can also add your styling to your WordPress theme by using the Customizer feature. Check the below video for more clarity.
Custom Post Type
Custom post type in WordPress refers to a kind of post type added by the developer of the theme or the plugin.
Using custom post types is one of the best practices to prevent losing data when you switch between themes.
The default post types in WordPress are page, post, and attached.
Customizer
In WordPress, the customizer tool gives control over the appearance of different aspects of your WordPress site.
The Customizer first introduced in WordPress 3.4 version allows you to live preview changes you make on your theme.
You can play around without modifying your live site. And when you’ve made your changes, click Save and everything is applied instantly.
Dashboard
In WordPress dashboard is the first and default page in your log in your admin panel, which gives you a complete overview on your website.
It also shows a welcome message, upcoming WordPress events and news, and other informational widgets based plugins.
Above all, the dashboard widgets can who be hidden or shown based on your requirement.
Database
A database is a data structure used to store, organize, and retrieve different types of data.
WordPress uses a database management system called MySQL. To install WordPress, you need to point the WordPress installation to a MySQL database that WordPress can use to store data.
Default Themes
The default theme is the first active theme you will encounter when you set up your website for the first time or fresh installation.
By default, it comes with three free themes, and one of the most recent is Twenty twenty which is active when you first create your WordPress site.
Domain Name
A domain name is an online / internet address of your website that people type in the browser URL bar to visit your site.
In simple words, a domain name used for finding and identifying the computer on the internet.
Each computer is assigned an IP address, a series of numbers that identify a particular computer on the internet.
A typical IP address looks like this: 81.409.96.1.
Domain names are categorized into two groups gTLD & ccTLD and renewed on an annual basis.
The most common ones like .com .net, .org, .biz, .info usually cost around $20 per year.
Draft
A draft is one of the post options included in WordPress. Post options are used to set the visibility of posts on a website.
When a post saved as a draft, you can come back later, add more content, or make changes.
When you’re ready to publish it and want to make it publicly available, click the “Publish” button.
E-commerce
E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services using the internet, and the transfer of money and data to execute these transactions.
Editor
An editor is a user role in WordPress with the ability to publish and manage posts, including the posts of other users.
Editor Styles
Editor styles are CSS styles applied to content in the WordPress editor to make it match how it looks on the front end of the website.
Excerpt
An excerpt is a summary or brief description of a post, often used on archive pages, search results, and RSS feeds.
Export
Exporting in WordPress refers to the process of saving your site’s content, settings, and other data to a file that can be used to move or backup your site.
Featured Image
A featured image, also known as a post thumbnail, is the main image chosen to represent a post or page in WordPress.
Feed
A feed, or RSS feed, is a format for delivering regularly changing web content, allowing users to subscribe to updates from websites.
Footer
The footer is the bottom section of a web page, often containing copyright information, links, and other secondary content.
Front-End
The front-end refers to the part of a website that users interact with directly, as opposed to the back-end, which is the administrative area.
GDPR
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals within the European Union and the European Economic Area.
GNU General Public License (GPL)
The GNU General Public License is a widely-used free software license that guarantees end users the freedom to run, study, share, and modify the software.
Gravatar
Gravatar (Globally Recognized Avatar) is a service for providing globally unique avatars linked to email addresses.
Gutenberg
Gutenberg is the codename for the WordPress block editor project, which aims to create a new publishing experience for WordPress.
Header
The header is the top section of a web page, typically containing the site’s logo, main navigation menu, and other important elements.
Hello Dolly
Hello Dolly is a simple plugin that comes pre-installed with WordPress, displaying random lyrics from the song “Hello, Dolly” in the admin panel.
HTML
HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is the standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications.
Import
Importing in WordPress refers to the process of bringing content, settings, or data from another WordPress site or a different platform into your current WordPress installation.
Infinite Scroll
Infinite scroll is a web design technique that loads content continuously as the user scrolls down the page, eliminating the need for pagination.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a programming language that enables interactive web pages and is an essential part of web applications.
Jetpack
Jetpack is a WordPress plugin that offers various features including security, performance improvements, and marketing tools.
Matt Mullenweg
Matt Mullenweg is the co-founder of WordPress and the founder and CEO of Automattic.
Media
Media in WordPress refers to images, videos, audio, and other files that can be uploaded and inserted into your content.
Menu
A menu in WordPress is a list of links pointing to important areas of a site, typically displayed in the header, sidebar, or footer.
Multisite (MU)
WordPress Multisite is a feature that allows you to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation.
MySQL
MySQL is an open-source relational database management system used by WordPress to store and retrieve site data.
Network Installation
A network installation refers to setting up WordPress Multisite to manage multiple sites from a single WordPress installation.
oEmbed
oEmbed is a protocol that allows embedding content from one site into another site by simply pasting a URL.
Open Source
Open source refers to software whose source code is available for modification or enhancement by anyone.
Page
A page in WordPress is a static, stand-alone piece of content that is not part of the blog chronology.
Page Template
A page template is a PHP file used to change the look and feel of a specific page or group of pages on a WordPress site.
Pagination
Pagination is the process of dividing content into discrete pages, either automatically or manually.
Parent Theme
A parent theme is a complete theme that includes all the required WordPress template files and assets for the theme to work.
Permalink
A permalink is the permanent URL to an individual post, page, or other content on your WordPress site.
PHP
PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) is a popular general-purpose scripting language that is especially suited to web development and is used extensively in WordPress.
Pingback
A pingback is a type of comment that’s created when you link to another blog post, as long as the other blog has pingbacks enabled.
Plugin
A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress site to extend its functionality.
Post
A post is an article, typically displayed in reverse chronological order on the blog page of a WordPress site.
Post Editor
The post editor is the interface in WordPress where you create and edit your content.
Post Format
Post formats are theme features that allow you to change how a post looks based on the post’s format, such as standard, aside, gallery, video, etc.
Post Status
Post status refers to the current state of a post, such as published, draft, pending review, or private.
Post Type
Post types are different types of content in WordPress, with the default types being post and page.
Responsive Design
Responsive design is an approach to web design that makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes.
Revision
Revisions are saved versions of your posts or pages, allowing you to revert to a previous version if needed.
RSS
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a web feed that allows users and applications to access updates to websites in a standardized, computer-readable format.
Scheduled Post
A scheduled post is a blog post that you write in advance and schedule to be published automatically at a future date and time.
Screen Options
Screen Options is a tab in the WordPress admin area that allows you to customize what is displayed on the current admin page.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the practice of optimizing a website to increase its visibility in search engine results pages.
Settings
Settings in WordPress refer to various configuration options that control how your site behaves and is displayed.
Shortcode
A shortcode is a WordPress-specific code that lets you do nifty things with very little effort.
Sidebar
A sidebar is a widget-ready area used by many themes to display information that is not a part of the main content.
Slug
A slug is the part of a URL that identifies a particular page on a website in an easy-to-read form.
Spam
Spam refers to unwanted, unsolicited digital communication, often sent out in bulk.
Static Front Page
A static front page is a fixed, non-blog page that users see when they visit your site’s main URL.
Sticky
A sticky post is a blog post that stays at the top of the front page or blog page, even when new content is added.
Subscriber
A subscriber is a user role in WordPress with the least amount of capabilities, typically only able to read posts and make comments.
Super Admin
A super admin is a user role in WordPress Multisite installations with capabilities to manage the entire network of sites.
Tag
Tags are similar to categories but are generally used to describe your post in more detail.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is a way to group things together. In WordPress, the default taxonomies are categories and tags.
Term
A term is a classification, group or subset of a taxonomy. For example, a term of the category taxonomy could be “Uncategorized”.
Text Editor
The text editor in WordPress is a simple plain text editor for creating content without any formatting options.
Theme
A theme is a collection of files that work together to produce a graphical interface with an underlying unifying design for a website.
TinyMCE
TinyMCE is the visual editor used in WordPress’s Classic Editor for creating and editing content.
Trackback
A trackback is a way for websites to communicate that they have referenced another website’s content.
Trash
Trash in WordPress is similar to the Recycle Bin on your computer, holding deleted posts, pages, and comments for 30 days before permanent deletion.
Updates
Updates in WordPress refer to new versions of the core software, themes, or plugins that often include new features, bug fixes, or security improvements.
URL
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator and is the address of a web page.
User
A user in WordPress is someone who has registered on your WordPress site and can be assigned different roles.
User Role
User roles in WordPress define what a user can and cannot do on your website.
Visual Editor
The visual editor in WordPress is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor for creating and editing content.
Web Host
A web host is a company that provides the technologies and services needed for a website to be viewed on the internet.
Widget
Widgets are small blocks that perform specific functions and can be added to widget-ready areas of your theme (commonly the sidebar).
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a free e-commerce plugin for WordPress, allowing you to sell products online.
WordCamp
WordCamps are informal, community-organized events that are put together by WordPress users for WordPress users.
WordPress
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system based on PHP and MySQL.
WordPress Foundation
The WordPress Foundation is a charitable organization founded to ensure free access to the software projects it supports.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a hosting platform that runs on WordPress, owned and operated by Automattic.
WPML
WPML (WordPress Multilingual Plugin) is a plugin that allows you to run multilingual websites with WordPress.
WYSIWYG
WYSIWYG stands for “What You See Is What You Get” and refers to editors that allow you to see how the content will appear while you’re editing it.
This comprehensive WordPress glossary should help beginners navigate the WordPress ecosystem with greater ease. Remember, mastering these terms will come with time and practice as you work more with WordPress. Happy website building!
