Glossary
Tech Glossary for Small Business
Plain meanings for 49 words you will see in our news, guides and tools. No jargon needed to read them.
A
A record
A DNS record that points a name to an IPv4 address, like 192.0.2.10. It is how browsers find the server that holds your site.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
AAAA record
The same job as an A record, but for the newer and longer IPv6 addresses. Many sites have both.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
Auth code
A password for moving a domain from one registrar to another. Your current registrar gives it to you when you ask. Keep it private.
See also How to Move off GoDaddy Domains
B
Backup
A saved copy of your site and its data that you can bring back after a bad update or a hack. A good backup is stored away from the site itself.
Business email
Email on your own domain, like office@yourshop.com, instead of a free address. It looks more trusted and stays yours if staff change.
See also How to Get Business Email Business Email
C
CAA record
A DNS record that lists which companies may issue SSL certificates for your domain. It is optional, but it blocks certificates from anyone else.
CDN
A content delivery network. It keeps copies of your site's files on servers around the world, so pages load fast wherever a visitor is.
Certificate authority
A company that browsers trust to issue SSL certificates. Let's Encrypt is a well known one that issues them for free.
See also SSL Certificates Explained SSL
CMS
A content management system. It lets you edit your site's pages without writing code. WordPress is the best known one.
See also Websites
CNAME record
A DNS record that says one name is another name, like www pointing to yourshop.com. Most DNS hosts do not allow a CNAME on the bare domain.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
Core Web Vitals
Three Google measures of how a page feels to use: how fast the main content shows, how fast it reacts to a tap, and whether things jump around.
Cross site scripting (XSS)
An attack that plants a script on a page so it runs in other visitors' browsers. It can steal logins or change what the page shows.
See also Security News
CVE
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures. A public ID for one known security bug, like CVE-2026-87902. It lets everyone talk about the same flaw.
See also Security News
D
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail. Your mail server signs each message with a secret key. Receivers check the signature against a public key in your DNS.
See also SPF, DKIM and DMARC Explained Email Security Checker
DMARC
A TXT record at _dmarc on your domain. It tells receivers what to do with mail that fails SPF and DKIM: nothing, spam folder, or reject. It can also send you reports.
See also SPF, DKIM and DMARC Explained Email Security Checker
DNS
The Domain Name System. It is the phone book of the internet. It turns a name like yourshop.com into the address of the server that holds your site and email.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
DNS propagation
The wait after a DNS change while old saved answers run out. It is often minutes. It can take up to a day or two if the old TTL was long.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
Domain name
The name people type to reach your site, like yourshop.com. You rent it by the year from a registrar. It also gives you email addresses on that name.
See also How to Pick a Domain Name Domain Name Ideas Tool Domains
Domain privacy
A setting that hides your home address and phone from public domain lookups. Many registrars now hide these details by default.
See also Domains
G
Google Business Profile
Your free listing on Google Search and Maps, with hours, photos and reviews. For a local business it often gets more views than the website.
Google spam update
A change to how Google finds and demotes pages that break its spam rules. Sites that follow the rules usually see little change.
See also Small Business Tech News
H
HTTPS
The secure version of the web address you see in a browser. It needs a working SSL certificate. Browsers warn visitors about pages without it.
See also SSL Certificates Explained SSL
I
ICANN
A nonprofit that sets the rules for domain names around the world. It approves new endings and the registrars that sell them.
See also Domains News
IMAP
The standard way mail apps read email that stays on the server. Read a message on your phone and it shows as read on your laptop too.
See also How to Get Business Email Business Email
K
Known exploited vulnerability
A bug that is being used in real attacks. The US agency CISA keeps a public list of them. A bug on that list should be patched first.
See also Security News
M
Malware
Harmful software. On a website it can steal data, send spam, or send your visitors to scam pages.
See also Security News
Managed WordPress hosting
Hosting where the host also updates WordPress, runs backups and watches for trouble. You pay a bit more to do less upkeep.
MX record
A DNS record that says which servers take email for your domain. Each one has a number. Senders try the lowest number first.
See also How to Get Business Email DNS Lookup Tool Email Security Checker
N
Nameserver (NS record)
The servers that answer DNS questions for your domain. Whoever runs your nameservers controls where your site and email point.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
P
Patch
An update that fixes a bug or a security hole. Most attacks on small business sites use holes that already have a patch.
See also Hosting
Phishing
Fake email, texts or pages made to trick people into giving up passwords or money. They often pretend to be a bank, a vendor or your own boss.
See also SPF, DKIM and DMARC Explained Email Security Checker
Plugin
An add on that gives a site builder like WordPress a new feature. Each one is more code to keep updated, so fewer is safer.
R
Registrar
The company you buy and renew a domain through. The registrar sends your details to the registry that runs the ending.
See also How to Move off GoDaddy Domains
Registry
The group that runs one domain ending and keeps its master list of names. For example, Verisign runs .com. You do not buy from a registry directly.
See also Domains
Remote code execution
A bug that lets an attacker run their own code on your server from afar. It is one of the worst kinds, because it can lead to a full takeover.
See also Security News
S
SPF
Sender Policy Framework. A TXT record that lists the servers allowed to send email for your domain. A domain should have just one, and it may use at most 10 DNS lookups.
See also SPF, DKIM and DMARC Explained Email Security Checker
SQL injection
An attack that sneaks database commands into a form or web address. A site that does not clean its input may run them.
See also Security News
SSL certificate
A small file on your server that proves your site is really yours and turns on encryption. Browsers show a padlock when it works. The modern name is TLS.
See also SSL Certificates Explained SSL
T
Top level domain (TLD)
The part of a domain after the last dot, like .com, .net or .plumbing. Some are open to anyone. Some have rules about who can register.
See also How to Pick a Domain Name Domains
TTL
Time to live. The number of seconds other computers may keep a copy of a DNS answer before they ask again. A lower TTL makes changes show up sooner.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
Two factor authentication
A second check at login, like a code from an app, on top of your password. It stops most attacks that use a stolen password.
See also The Small Business Website Checklist
TXT record
A DNS record that holds a short line of text. Email checks like SPF and DMARC live in TXT records. So do the codes that prove you own a domain.
See also DNS Records Explained DNS Lookup Tool
U
Uptime
The share of time a site is up and reachable. The math is simple. 99.9 percent uptime still allows close to nine hours of downtime a year.
V
VPS
A virtual private server. You get a set slice of a server that no other site can use. It costs more than shared hosting and needs more care.
W
Web hosting
Renting space on a server that is always on and online, so your site loads for anyone at any time.
Webhook
A message one app sends to another the moment something happens. For example, a form tool can send each new lead straight to your CRM.
See also Small Business Tech News
WHOIS and RDAP
Public lookups that show who a domain is registered through, when it was created and when it expires. RDAP is the newer version of WHOIS.
See also Domain Name Ideas Tool Domains
WordPress
Free, open source software that runs a large share of the world's websites. It is easy to extend, which is also why it needs regular updates.
See also Security News Hosting
Keep Exploring
Free tools
- Email Security CheckerCheck SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MX in one go.
- DNS LookupSee the A, MX, TXT, NS and other records for any domain.
- Domain Name IdeasGet name ideas and see if the .com and .net are free.
Guides
- DNS Records Explained in Plain EnglishDNS records are the settings that tell the internet where your website and email live, and a few simple types handle almost everything.
- Email Deliverability: SPF, DKIM and DMARC ExplainedSPF, DKIM and DMARC are three DNS records that prove your email is really from you, and big inbox providers now require them from bulk senders.
- SSL Certificates Explained for Business OwnersAn SSL certificate locks the connection between your site and each visitor, and most local businesses only need a free one that renews on its own.
News
- Tech News for Small BusinessThe latest stories from our news desk.