Glossary

A guide to all of the terms we use internally.

General

Term	Definition
Handbook	This website 😎
WOW	Impressing and exceeding the expectations of a client (or a teammate)
Sprint	A period of time in which we work on a project. Usually 2 weeks
SU	Standup, a meeting in which we discuss what we are working on
Lessons Learned (Retro)	A meeting in which we discuss what went well (WWW) and what would be even better if (EBI)
SPOC	Single Point of Contact, a person who is responsible for a project or a task
PO	Product Owner, someone who manages the product
UX	User Experience, the process of designing the user journey of the app
UI	User Interface, the process of designing the look and feel of the app
i18n	Internationalisation, the process of making the app available in multiple languages
a11y	Accessibility, the process of making the app available to people with disabilities

Software Development

Term	Definition
Version Control	A system (like Git) that tracks changes to code over time, allowing teams to collaborate safely. Like Google Docs’ version history, but for developers.
Monorepo	Multiple projects (e.g. app, docs and API) all in one GitHub repository
Commit	Addition of code, pushed into a branch on the versioning system (GitHub, etc)
PR	Pull request, the way in which code is reviewed and then added to the codebase. A PR is made of commits
Merge	If a PR is good, it is merged, which accepts the changes and ‘merges’ them into the codebase
CI	Continuous Integration, the process of automatically testing code
CD	Continuous Deployment, the process of automatically deploying code
DevOps	A way of working where developers and operations (infrastructure) collaborate closely, usually using automation, to build and run applications quickly and reliably.
Frontend	What users see and interact with—buttons, menus, forms.
Backend	Where the data and logic live—what happens behind the scenes when you click something.
Linting	A tool that checks code for errors and formatting
Metadata	Data that is in a computer readable format, like JSON, which looks like {"team": Liverpool", "ucl": "6"}
API	Application Programming Interface, a way for different systems to talk to each other securely and efficiently with predefined endpoints and data formats (like a menu in a restaurant).
OAuth	A secure way to add a login to an application using another service. For example, “Login with Google.” You don’t give your password to the new site; Google verifies you.
ETL	Extract, Transform, Load, a way to move data from one place to another, clean it up along the way, and store it in a new system.
Middleware	A layer of software that sits between the application and the database, handling requests and responses. This can be used to add authentication, logging, or other functionality.
Load Balancer	Acts as a traffic cop for your servers. If too many users hit your website at once, the load balancer spreads them out so no single server crashes.
Deployment	Making a website or application live and accessible on the internet. Like taking a car from the factory and delivering it to a showroom.
SaaS (Software as a Service)	Software you access over the internet without installing anything—like Google Docs, Zoom, or Netflix. You just subscribe and use.
Containerization	Packaging up code and everything it needs to run in a determined environment so it works the same on any computer.
Webhooks	A way for one system to instantly notify another when something happens. Like the alerts we get on Slack when a site is down.
Latency	The time it takes for data to travel from one point to another.
CMS	Content Management System, a system that lets you manage a website’s content—text, images, videos—without needing to know how to code. Eg. WordPress, Sanity, etc.
CRM	Customer Relationship Management, a system that lets you manage your relationship with your customers—emails, calls, sales, notes, etc. Eg. Hubspot, Salesforce, etc.

Web Hosting

Term	Definition
Domain Registrar	The company from where you buy your domain name. Eg. GoDaddy, Namecheap, etc.
DNS	Domain Name System, the internet’s phonebook. This is managed by a DNS provider - which can be your domain registrar or a separate provider (like Cloudflare).
DNS Record	A record that is used to translate a domain name into an IP address. A record, CNAME record (cname.vercel-dns.com), etc.
CDN	Content Delivery Network, a network of servers around the world that store copies of your website’s static files (images, videos, etc.) and deliver them to users from the nearest server.
DNS Records	A record that is used to translate a domain name into an IP address. A record, CNAME record, etc.
A Record	A record that is used to translate a domain name into an IP address.
CNAME Record	A record that is used to translate a domain name into another domain name (like cname.vercel-dns.com).
MX Record	A record that is used to translate a domain name into an email server.
TXT Record	A record that is used to translate a domain name into a text string. They are commonly used for SPF, DMARC, DKIM, as well as verifications for other services.
DKIM	DomainKeys Identified Mail, this adds a digital signature to your outgoing emails. It’s like sealing a letter with your unique stamp so the recipient knows it’s really from you and hasn’t been tampered with.
SPF	Sender Policy Framework, a list you publish online that tells email providers which servers are allowed to send email from your domain. It’s like telling the post office: “Only these people can send mail in my name.”
DMARC	Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance, a rule that works with SPF and DKIM. It tells email systems what to do if someone tries to spoof your domain and also gives you reports so you can monitor attempts.
Cache	Storing frequently used data so it loads faster the next time.

MarTech

Term	Definition
Analytics	Tools that track what users do on your website—where they click, how long they stay, etc. It’s like observing customers in a store to understand their behavior. Like Google Analytics, Clarity, etc.
SEO	Search Engine Optimization, making your website easy to find when people search for your business on search engines like Google.

Testing

Term	Definition
E2E	End to end testing. Essentially a robot that checks if our application is working each time we push code
Regression Testing	After fixing a bug or adding a new feature, this ensures old parts of the software still work. Like checking that a car’s brakes still work after installing a new radio.
Web Accessibility (a11y)	Ensuring your website works for people with disabilities—screen readers, color contrast, keyboard navigation. It’s like installing ramps and braille in a public building.