Action
A WordPress hook that allows developers to execute custom functionality at specific points during WordPress processing.
Administrator
The WordPress user role with access to site administration features, including users, plugins, themes, settings, content, and other site controls.
AJAX
A technique that allows a webpage to exchange data with the server without requiring the entire page to reload. WordPress uses AJAX for many administrative and interactive features.
API
An Application Programming Interface allows different software applications or systems to communicate and exchange data.
Attachment
A WordPress content type created when a media file such as an image, PDF, video, or document is uploaded to the Media Library.
Backend
The administrative area of a WordPress website where authorized users manage content, themes, plugins, users, settings, and other site features.
Block
An individual content component used by the WordPress Block Editor, such as a paragraph, heading, image, button, gallery, column, or video.
Block Editor
The modern WordPress editing interface used to create pages and posts with individual content blocks. It is also commonly known as Gutenberg.
Block Pattern
A predefined arrangement of WordPress blocks that can be inserted into a page or post and customized.
Block Theme
A WordPress theme designed to use blocks for areas of the website such as templates, headers, footers, and other layout components.
Cache
Temporarily stored website data that can be reused to reduce processing and improve page loading speed.
Category
A hierarchical WordPress taxonomy used to organize posts into broad topics or subject areas.
Child Theme
A WordPress theme that inherits functionality and styling from a parent theme while allowing customizations to be maintained separately.
Classic Editor
The traditional WordPress content editor used before the Block Editor became the default editing experience.
CMS
Content Management System. Software that allows users to create, manage, organize, and publish digital content. WordPress is a CMS.
Comment
A visitor response that can be submitted on WordPress posts or other content where comments are enabled.
Custom Fields
Additional metadata associated with WordPress content that can store information beyond the standard title and content fields.
Custom Post Type
A content type created for information that does not fit the standard WordPress Post or Page structure. Examples can include portfolios, products, testimonials, or team members.
Customizer
A WordPress interface traditionally used by many classic themes to configure site appearance and preview changes. Modern block themes increasingly use the Site Editor instead.
Dashboard
The main WordPress administration screen that provides access to content, plugins, themes, users, settings, and other website management tools.
Database
The structured collection of data used by WordPress to store content, settings, users, comments, metadata, and other site information.
Database Prefix
The prefix applied to WordPress database table names. The default is commonly wp_, although it can be changed during configuration.
Draft
A WordPress content status for a post or page that has been saved but not published publicly.
Editor
A WordPress user role that can create, publish, edit, and manage posts and pages, including content created by other users.
Excerpt
A short summary of a WordPress post that may appear in archives, search results, blog listings, or other areas depending on the theme and configuration.
Featured Image
The primary image assigned to a WordPress post, page, or custom post type and commonly displayed in listings, cards, headers, or social previews.
Filter
A WordPress hook that allows developers to modify data before it is processed, stored, or displayed.
Footer
The lower section of a website that commonly contains navigation, contact information, copyright information, social links, and other site-wide content.
Frontend
The public-facing portion of a WordPress website that visitors see and interact with.
Full Site Editing
A WordPress approach that allows block-based themes to edit site-wide elements and templates using blocks. Many of these capabilities are now presented through the Site Editor.
Gutenberg
The WordPress project that introduced block-based editing and continues to develop the block editing experience and related site-building capabilities.
Header
The upper section of a website that commonly contains the logo, navigation, search, contact information, and other site-wide elements.
Hook
A predefined point in WordPress where developers can add functionality or modify existing behavior using actions or filters.
Import
The process of bringing content or data into a WordPress website from another WordPress installation, platform, file, or system.
JavaScript
A programming language used to create interactive website functionality. WordPress, themes, plugins, and the Block Editor use JavaScript extensively.
JSON
JavaScript Object Notation. A lightweight data format commonly used to exchange structured information between applications and APIs.
Keyword
A word or phrase associated with the subject of a webpage or search query. Keywords can help inform content strategy and search engine optimization.
Local Development
A WordPress development environment running on a developer's computer rather than on a publicly accessible web server.
Media Library
The WordPress interface used to upload, organize, edit, and manage images, PDFs, videos, documents, and other media files.
Menu
A collection of navigation links that helps visitors move between pages, posts, categories, and other destinations on a website.
Metadata
Information associated with WordPress content, users, comments, or other objects that provides additional data beyond the primary content.
Multisite
A WordPress feature that allows multiple websites to be managed within a single WordPress installation and network.
Navigation
The system of menus and links that helps users move through a website and locate content.
Open Source
Software whose source code is available for people to inspect, use, modify, and distribute under the terms of its license. WordPress is open-source software.
Page
A WordPress content type generally used for relatively permanent website content such as About, Services, Contact, or Privacy Policy pages.
Page Builder
A visual website-building tool that provides layout and design controls beyond the standard content editor. Examples include Avada Builder, Elementor, Beaver Builder, and WPBakery.
Parent Theme
The primary theme from which a child theme inherits its templates, functionality, and styling.
Permalink
The permanent URL assigned to a WordPress post, page, category, or other piece of content.
PHP
The server-side programming language used extensively by WordPress core, themes, and plugins.
Plugin
Software installed in WordPress to add or extend functionality without modifying WordPress core files.
Post
A WordPress content type commonly used for blog articles, news, updates, and other date-oriented content.
Post Status
A designation describing the publishing state of WordPress content, such as Draft, Pending Review, Published, Private, or Scheduled.
Post Type
A WordPress system for organizing different types of content. Built-in examples include posts, pages, and attachments.
Plugin Repository
A directory containing WordPress plugins that can be discovered and installed. The official WordPress Plugin Directory provides thousands of plugins for extending WordPress functionality.
Query
A request for specific information from the WordPress database, such as retrieving posts from a particular category or custom post type.
Query Loop
A WordPress block that dynamically displays collections of content based on selected criteria, such as recent posts or posts from a category.
REST API
A WordPress interface that allows applications to access and interact with WordPress data through HTTP requests.
Revision
A saved version of a WordPress post or page that can allow previous content changes to be reviewed or restored.
Responsive Design
A web design approach that adapts layouts and content to different screen sizes, including desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
Role
A collection of permissions assigned to a WordPress user. Standard roles include Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber.
Scheduled Post
A post configured to publish automatically at a specified future date and time.
Shortcode
A compact WordPress code notation used to insert predefined functionality or dynamic content into a page or post.
Site Editor
The WordPress interface used with compatible block themes to edit templates, navigation, styles, headers, footers, and other site-wide design elements.
Slug
The URL-friendly portion of a WordPress permalink used to identify a page, post, category, tag, or other content item.
Staging Site
A separate copy of a website used to safely test updates, design changes, plugins, code, or other modifications before applying them to the live production website.
Subscriber
A WordPress user role with limited permissions, typically allowing the user to manage their profile and access functionality available to registered users.
Tag
A non-hierarchical WordPress taxonomy used to associate posts with specific topics or characteristics.
Taxonomy
A system used by WordPress to classify and organize content. Categories and tags are built-in taxonomies, and custom taxonomies can also be created.
Template
A layout that determines how specific types of WordPress content or site areas are displayed.
Template Part
A reusable section of a WordPress template, such as a header or footer, that can be used across multiple layouts.
Theme
A collection of files and settings that controls the design, layout, presentation, and certain functionality of a WordPress website.
Theme Repository
A directory containing WordPress themes available for installation. The official WordPress Theme Directory provides themes reviewed for distribution through WordPress.org.
Update
A newer release of WordPress core, a theme, or a plugin that may include security fixes, bug fixes, compatibility improvements, or new functionality.
User
An account registered within WordPress and assigned a role that determines what actions the account is permitted to perform.
User Role
The permission level assigned to a WordPress user account, controlling access to administrative and content-management capabilities.
Version
A numbered release of WordPress core, a plugin, or a theme used to identify a particular software release.
Widget
A modular content or functionality component traditionally placed in theme-defined areas such as sidebars and footers. Modern block-based WordPress configurations increasingly use blocks for these areas.
WooCommerce
An ecommerce platform for WordPress that adds functionality for products, shopping carts, checkout, orders, payments, and online store management.
WordPress
An open-source content management system used to create and manage websites, blogs, ecommerce stores, and other digital experiences.
WordPress Core
The primary files and functionality that make up the WordPress software itself, separate from themes, plugins, and custom website code.
WordPress.org
The website associated with the open-source WordPress project and its software, documentation, community resources, plugins, and themes.
WordPress.com
A hosted website-building service based on WordPress software. It is distinct from the self-hosted open-source WordPress software available through WordPress.org.
WP-CLI
A command-line interface for managing WordPress installations. It can perform tasks such as managing plugins, users, databases, configuration, and updates without using the standard browser-based dashboard.
wp-config.php
A key WordPress configuration file containing settings such as database connection information and other installation-level configuration values.
wp-content
The WordPress directory that typically contains themes, plugins, uploads, and other site-specific files.
XML
Extensible Markup Language. A structured data format used in various web technologies and WordPress-related import, export, feed, and integration workflows.
XML-RPC
A protocol supported by WordPress that enables certain applications and services to communicate remotely with a WordPress website. Many modern integrations use the REST API instead.
Yoast SEO
A WordPress SEO plugin that provides tools for managing search appearance, metadata, XML sitemaps, schema-related information, and content optimization.
ZIP File
A compressed archive format commonly used to package WordPress themes and plugins for installation or distribution.
