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Every web development term you need to know, from A to Z.
Application Programming Interface — how different parts of software communicate with each other. Learn more →
Accessible Rich Internet Applications — attributes that make web content accessible to screen readers. Learn more →
The server-side of an application — databases, APIs, authentication, and business logic.
A screen width where the layout changes for responsive design (e.g., 768px for tablets). Learn more →
A tool (Vite, Webpack) that combines your code files into optimized bundles for the browser.
Content Management System — a tool to manage website content without code (WordPress, Sanity, Contentful).
A reusable piece of UI in frameworks like React, Vue, or Svelte. Learn more →
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing — browser security that controls which domains can access your API. Learn more →
Create, Read, Update, Delete — the four basic operations for data in a database. Learn more →
Cascading Style Sheets — the language that styles HTML elements (colors, layout, fonts). Learn more →
Call to Action — a button or link that prompts users to take action ('Sign Up', 'Buy Now').
An alternate color scheme with dark backgrounds and light text. Increasingly expected by users. Learn more →
Publishing your code to a server so it's accessible on the internet. Learn more →
Domain Name System — translates domain names (google.com) to IP addresses (142.250.80.46). Learn more →
Document Object Model — the browser's representation of your HTML page as a tree of objects.
Don't Repeat Yourself — a principle to avoid duplicating code.
A specific URL path that your API responds to (e.g., /api/users). Learn more →
Secret values (API keys, database URLs) stored outside your code in .env files. Learn more →
A tool that analyzes your JavaScript/TypeScript code to find and fix problems.
Floating Action Button — a circular button that floats above the UI, typically bottom-right.
The small icon shown in the browser tab next to your page title.
A CSS layout model for arranging items in a row or column with flexible sizing. Learn more →
A copy of someone else's repository that you can modify independently. Learn more →
A pre-built structure for building applications (React, Next.js, Django, Rails).
The client-side of an application — what users see and interact with in the browser. Learn more →
Version control system that tracks changes to code. The industry standard. Learn more →
A query language for APIs where clients specify exactly what data they need. Learn more →
A CSS layout model for creating two-dimensional layouts with rows and columns. Learn more →
The large, prominent area at the top of a landing page with headline and CTA.
In React, a function (useState, useEffect) that lets components use state and lifecycle features. Learn more →
HyperText Markup Language — the standard language for creating web page structure. Learn more →
HyperText Transfer Protocol — how browsers and servers communicate (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE). Learn more →
HTTP Secure — encrypted version of HTTP. The padlock icon in your browser.
Integrated Development Environment — a code editor with built-in tools (VS Code, Cursor).
The programming language of the web. Makes pages interactive. Powers all frontend frameworks. Learn more →
JavaScript Object Notation — a lightweight data format used to send data between server and client. Learn more →
JavaScript XML — HTML-like syntax used in React to describe UI components. Learn more →
JSON Web Token — a standard for securely transmitting authentication data between parties. Learn more →
Automatically checking code for errors and style issues (ESLint, Prettier).
Your own computer acting as a server during development (http://localhost:3000).
Code that runs between a request and response, often for auth checks or logging. Learn more →
A script that changes your database structure (add tables, modify columns). Learn more →
An overlay dialog that appears on top of page content and requires user interaction. Learn more →
Model-View-Controller — a design pattern separating data, UI, and logic.
Node Package Manager — installs and manages JavaScript libraries/dependencies.
An authorization framework for 'Sign in with Google/GitHub/Facebook' functionality. Learn more →
Object-Relational Mapper — interact with databases using code instead of SQL (Prisma, Drizzle). Learn more →
Splitting content into multiple pages with navigation controls.
A request to merge code changes from one branch into another on GitHub. Learn more →
In React, data passed from a parent component to a child component. Learn more →
A request for data from a database (SQL) or API (fetch/axios). Learn more →
A project's codebase stored in Git, typically hosted on GitHub. Learn more →
An API style using HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) with URL endpoints. Learn more →
A design that adapts to different screen sizes (mobile, tablet, desktop). Learn more →
A URL path that maps to a specific page or API endpoint (/about, /api/users).
The structure definition of a database, API, or data shape. Learn more →
Search Engine Optimization — making your website discoverable on Google. Learn more →
A computer that responds to requests. Hosts your website, API, or database. Learn more →
Cloud functions that run on demand without managing servers (Vercel, AWS Lambda). Learn more →
Single Page Application — loads once and updates content dynamically without full page reloads.
Structured Query Language — the language for querying relational databases. Learn more →
Static Site Generation — pre-build pages at build time for fast loading. Learn more →
Server-Side Rendering — generate HTML on each request for fresh content and SEO. Learn more →
Secure Sockets Layer — encrypts data between browser and server. Enables HTTPS.
Data that changes over time in a component or application (form values, user info, UI toggles). Learn more →
A utility-first CSS framework using small classes directly in HTML. Learn more →
JavaScript with static type checking. Catches bugs before running code. Learn more →
User Interface — everything the user sees and interacts with.
Uniform Resource Locator — a web address (https://example.com/page).
User Experience — how easy and pleasant it is to use a website or app.
An HTTP callback — a server sends data to your server when an event happens. Learn more →
A protocol for real-time, two-way communication between browser and server.
