WordPress Glossary: Reference Guide
| Term | Definition | Category |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | An open-source content management system (CMS) built on PHP and MySQL that powers approximately 40% of all websites on the internet. Originally created in 2003 as a blogging platform by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little, it has evolved into a versatile system for building websites of all types, from simple blogs to complex e-commerce platforms. | Core |
| WordPress.org | The official website for the self-hosted WordPress software. This is where users can download the WordPress core files, access documentation, browse the plugin and theme directories, and participate in the WordPress community forums. Self-hosted WordPress offers complete control but requires separate hosting services. | Core |
| WordPress.com | A commercial service run by Automattic that offers hosted WordPress sites with various subscription tiers. WordPress.com handles hosting, security, and backups but offers less flexibility for customization at lower tiers compared to self-hosted WordPress.org installations. | Core |
| Automattic | The company founded by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg in 2005 that operates WordPress.com, Jetpack, WooCommerce, Akismet, and other WordPress-related services. Automattic employs many core WordPress contributors but is separate from the WordPress Foundation. | Organization |
| WordPress Foundation | A charitable organization founded by Matt Mullenweg to ensure WordPress remains an open-source project and freely available software. The Foundation owns and protects WordPress trademarks and oversees WordCamp events. | Organization |
| wp-admin | The administrative backend of a WordPress website (accessed via yourdomain.com/wp-admin/ or yourdomain.com/login/) where site owners and administrators manage content, settings, plugins, themes, and other aspects of their website. | Interface |
| Dashboard | The main control panel in the WordPress admin area that provides an overview of the site with widgets displaying information such as at-a-glance stats, quick draft, WordPress news, and activity. It’s the landing page after logging into wp-admin. | Interface |
| WordPress Core | The base set of files and functionalities that make up the WordPress software. This includes the admin interface, content management functionality, and basic publishing features, before any themes or plugins are added. | Core |
| GPL | GNU General Public License, the open-source license under which WordPress is released. This license ensures that WordPress and works derived from it remain free to use, modify, and redistribute. All themes and plugins in the official repositories must be GPL-compatible. | Legal |
| Admin Bar | A toolbar that appears at the top of the screen when logged into WordPress. It provides quick access to common administration tasks and is visible on both the frontend and backend of the site for logged-in users with sufficient permissions. | Interface |
| Screen Options | A dropdown panel located in the top-right corner of most WordPress admin pages that allows users to customize what elements and information are displayed on the current admin screen. | Interface |
| Admin Columns | The columns of information displayed in list views within the WordPress admin area, such as the posts, pages, or users list. These can often be customized or extended with plugins. | Interface |
| List Table | The tabular interface used throughout WordPress admin to display lists of content (posts, pages, comments, etc.) with sortable columns and bulk action capabilities. | Interface |
| Post | A type of content in WordPress primarily intended for blog entries or news updates. Posts are usually displayed in reverse chronological order, categorized by topics, and can include tags for more granular organization. Each post has a unique URL and publication date, and appears in the site’s RSS feed. | Content |
| Page | A static type of content in WordPress used for timeless content like “About Us,” “Contact,” or “Services” information. Unlike posts, pages are not date-specific, don’t appear in the main blog feed, don’t use categories or tags by default, and can be organized hierarchically with parent-child relationships. | Content |
| Custom Post Type | A user-defined content type that extends beyond the default post and page types, each with its own set of customizable features and admin UI. Examples include products, testimonials, events, portfolio items, or team members. CPTs can be created with plugins or by adding code to the theme’s functions.php file. | Content |
| Block | The fundamental content element in the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg). Blocks encapsulate specific types of content with their own settings and styles. They range from simple text paragraphs to complex interactive elements like galleries, embeds, tables, and more. | Content |
| Block Pattern | Predefined arrangements of blocks that can be inserted into content as a group, providing users with ready-made design templates for common content structures like testimonial sections, pricing tables, or call-to-action areas. | Content |
| Block Editor | Also known as Gutenberg, it’s the default content editor in WordPress since version 5.0 (released in 2018). It uses a block-based approach to creating and editing content, replacing the previous TinyMCE-based editor. The Block Editor offers a more visual, drag-and-drop approach to content creation. | Interface |
| Classic Editor | The previous WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor used in WordPress before version 5.0. Based on TinyMCE, it provided a single content area with toolbar buttons similar to word processors. It’s still available as a plugin for those who prefer it over the Block Editor or need it for compatibility reasons. | Interface |
| Gutenberg | The project name for WordPress’s block editor, named after Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press. Introduced in WordPress 5.0, Gutenberg represented a major shift in WordPress’s editing paradigm from a single content field to a block-based system. The term is often used interchangeably with “Block Editor.” | Interface |
| Featured Image | A representative image for a post, page, or custom post type that is given special treatment by the theme. Also known as a “Post Thumbnail,” it typically appears at the top of the content, in archives, search results, and when the content is shared on social media. | Content |
| Excerpt | A summary or snippet of a post that can be manually created or automatically generated from the beginning of the post content. Excerpts are typically used in archive pages, search results, and RSS feeds to give readers a preview of the content. | Content |
| Draft | A saved version of content that has not yet been published. Drafts are only visible to users with appropriate permissions and allow content to be worked on over time before making it public. | Content |
| Pending Review | A status assigned to content that has been submitted by a Contributor (or sometimes an Author) and is awaiting approval from an Editor or Administrator before publication. | Content |
| Sticky Post | A post that remains “stuck” at the top of blog archive pages regardless of publication date, ensuring it receives prominent placement. Useful for important announcements or featured content. | Content |
| Scheduled Post | Content that has been set to automatically publish at a specified future date and time. This allows for planning content calendars and maintaining regular publishing schedules. | Content |
| Password Protected | A visibility option for posts and pages that requires visitors to enter a password before they can view the content, providing a simple way to restrict access to specific information. | Content |
| Category | A hierarchical taxonomy used to organize posts into groups based on topics or themes. Categories can have parent-child relationships (e.g., “Recipes” with sub-categories like “Desserts” and “Main Courses”), and each post can belong to multiple categories. They are typically broader classifications than tags and are essential for site structure and navigation. | Taxonomy |
| Tag | A non-hierarchical taxonomy used for micro-categorization of posts. Tags offer more specific and detailed classification compared to categories (e.g., “gluten-free,” “summer,” “quick-meal”). Tags create connections between otherwise unrelated posts that share specific characteristics and help with internal cross-linking and SEO. | Taxonomy |
| Taxonomy | A system for classifying and organizing content in WordPress. Default taxonomies include categories and tags, but custom taxonomies can be created. Taxonomies consist of individual terms (e.g., “News” is a term in the “Category” taxonomy) and provide a structured way to organize and filter content. | Structure |
| Custom Taxonomy | A user-defined classification system, similar to categories or tags, but customized for specific content organization needs. Examples include “Locations” for a travel site, “Ingredients” for a recipe site, or “Faculty Departments” for a university site. Custom taxonomies can be hierarchical (like categories) or non-hierarchical (like tags). | Structure |
| Term | An individual item within a taxonomy. For example, “Technology” would be a term within the Category taxonomy, or “JavaScript” would be a term within the Tags taxonomy. Terms have their own archive pages that display all content associated with that term. | Taxonomy |
| Term Meta | Custom data associated with taxonomy terms, similar to post meta. Term meta allows for storing additional information about a category, tag, or custom taxonomy term, such as a description, icon, or color code. | Taxonomy |
| Media Library | The centralized repository in WordPress where all uploaded media files (images, documents, audio, video, etc.) are stored and managed. The Media Library provides tools for organizing, editing, and inserting media into content. | Media |
| Attachment | Any file uploaded to the WordPress Media Library. Each attachment is actually a specialized post type that can have its own permalink, title, caption, description, and metadata. Attachments include images, documents, audio files, and videos. | Media |
| Featured Image | A representative image for a post or page that is given special treatment by the theme. Also known as a “Post Thumbnail,” it typically appears prominently with the content and in archive listings. | Media |
| Image Size | Predefined dimensions for images in WordPress. By default, WordPress generates multiple sizes of each uploaded image: thumbnail, medium, large, and full-size. Themes and plugins can register additional custom image sizes for specific design needs. | Media |
| Gallery | A collection of images displayed together in a grid or slideshow format. WordPress provides a built-in Gallery block (or shortcode in Classic Editor) for creating image galleries within content. | Media |
| Caption | Text displayed below an image in WordPress, typically used to provide context, attribution, or additional information about the visual content. Captions are stored as part of the attachment metadata. | Media |
| Alt Text | Alternative text assigned to images that describes the content and function of the image. Alt text is essential for accessibility (for users with screen readers), SEO, and appears when images fail to load. | Media |
| Theme | A collection of files (templates, stylesheets, JavaScript, images) that determine the visual presentation and layout of a WordPress website. Themes control how content is displayed to visitors, including typography, colors, layout structures, and responsiveness. Themes can be simple or complex, ranging from basic blog layouts to advanced frameworks with extensive customization options. | Design |
| Child Theme | A theme that inherits functionalities and styling from another theme (the parent theme). Child themes allow for customizations without modifying the parent theme directly, ensuring customizations are preserved during parent theme updates. A child theme typically contains at minimum a style.css file with proper header information and a functions.php file. | Design |
| Parent Theme | The original theme that a child theme is based upon. The child theme inherits all functionality, features, and styling from the parent theme, but can selectively override specific aspects. When a template file isn’t found in the child theme, WordPress automatically uses the corresponding file from the parent theme. | Design |
| Theme Framework | A sophisticated parent theme designed specifically to serve as a robust foundation for child theme development. Theme frameworks typically provide extensive hooks, filters, and customization options to facilitate efficient child theme development. Examples include Genesis, Divi, and Kadence. | Design |
| Block Theme | A new type of WordPress theme built for the Full Site Editing experience. Block themes use block templates and template parts instead of traditional PHP template files. They define the layout and styling using HTML and theme.json rather than PHP, enabling visual editing of all site elements through the Site Editor. | Design |
| Classic Theme | The traditional WordPress theme type that uses PHP template files to define the structure and appearance of different parts of a website. Classic themes rely on the Customizer and/or theme options for modifications and don’t fully support Full Site Editing features. | Design |
| Full Site Editing (FSE) | A feature introduced in WordPress 5.9 that extends the block editor beyond post and page content to enable editing of all parts of a website, including headers, footers, sidebars, and template layouts. FSE requires block themes and includes the Site Editor, template editing, and global styles. | Design |
| Site Editor | A visual interface introduced with Full Site Editing that allows users to edit templates, template parts, and styles of block themes without writing code. It provides a WYSIWYG experience for customizing the entire site structure and design. | Design |
| Responsive Design | An approach to web design that ensures websites adapt and render well on various devices and screen sizes, from desktop computers to tablets and mobile phones. Responsive design uses flexible grids, layouts, images, and CSS media queries to provide optimal viewing experience across devices. | Design |
| Template | A file in a WordPress theme that controls how specific types of content or parts of a website are displayed. In classic themes, templates are PHP files (e.g., single.php for individual posts, page.php for pages, or archive.php for archives). In block themes, templates are HTML files with block markup stored in the templates directory. | Design |
| Template Part | Reusable sections of a WordPress theme that can be included in multiple templates. Common template parts include headers, footers, sidebars, and content sections. In classic themes, these are PHP files (like header.php) included via functions like get_header(). In block themes, they are HTML files in the parts directory that can be edited in the Site Editor. | Design |
| Template Hierarchy | The logic WordPress uses to decide which template file to use when displaying different types of content or pages. When a page is requested, WordPress follows a specific order of template file checks based on the content type and other conditions. Understanding the template hierarchy is crucial for theme development. | Design |
| Customizer | A WordPress framework that provides a user interface for customizing theme settings with real-time previews. The Customizer allows users to modify various aspects of their site’s appearance (like colors, layouts, widgets, and menus) and see the changes before publishing them live. | Design |
| Theme Options | Settings specific to a theme that allow users to customize various aspects of its appearance and functionality without editing code. These may be implemented through the Customizer, a custom settings page in the admin, or a combination of both. | Design |
| Global Styles | Part of Full Site Editing that allows users to set site-wide styling preferences like colors, typography, spacing, and other design elements. Changes to global styles affect all parts of the site that inherit these styles. Configured through the Site Editor in block themes. | Design |
| theme.json | A configuration file in block themes that defines theme settings, supported features, default styles, and customization options. It provides a structured way to control the editor experience, define color palettes, font sizes, and other theme supports without PHP code. | Design |
| Plugin | Software that extends or adds functionality to a WordPress website without modifying the core WordPress files. Plugins can range from simple widgets to complex applications and are essential to WordPress’s extensibility. They can add features like contact forms, SEO optimization, security enhancements, e-commerce capabilities, or performance improvements. Plugins are installed from the WordPress.org repository, third-party marketplaces, or as custom developments. | Functionality |
| Must-Use Plugin | Special plugins that are automatically activated and cannot be disabled through the WordPress admin interface. Must-use plugins (also called “mu-plugins”) are placed in the wp-content/mu-plugins/ directory and loaded before normal plugins. They’re useful for critical site functionality that should not be deactivated. | Functionality |
| Drop-in Plugin | Specialized plugin files that replace core WordPress functionality by using specific filenames that WordPress recognizes. Examples include advanced-cache.php for caching or db.php for custom database handling. Unlike regular plugins, drop-ins aren’t installed through the plugin interface. | Functionality |
| Widget | A self-contained block of functionality that can be placed in designated areas of a theme (widget areas), such as sidebars, footers, or headers. Widgets provide a way to add and arrange content and features without coding. Common widgets include recent posts, categories, search boxes, and custom HTML. | Functionality |
| Widget Area | A designated region in a WordPress theme where widgets can be placed. Also known as a “sidebar” (though they can appear anywhere), widget areas are registered by themes using register_sidebar() and are managed through the Widgets screen in the admin or the Customizer. Common widget areas include sidebars, footers, headers, and before/after content areas. | Design |
| Legacy Widget | Traditional WordPress widgets created before the block system that can still be used in both classic themes (in widget areas) and block themes (via the Legacy Widget block). WordPress 5.8 and newer provides a compatibility layer for using these older widgets within the block editor. | Functionality |
| Shortcode | Small pieces of code enclosed in square brackets that add specific functionality or content to posts and pages. For example, displays an image gallery or [contact-form] might embed a contact form. Shortcodes act as shortcuts for complex functionality and are commonly used in the Classic Editor, though they also work in Block Editor via the Shortcode block. | Functionality |
| Menu | A customizable list of links used for site navigation. WordPress allows creating multiple menus that can be assigned to various theme locations (like primary navigation, footer links, etc.). Menus can contain links to pages, posts, categories, tags, custom URLs, and other content types. | Navigation |
| Navigation Block | A block in the WordPress Block Editor that displays and manages site navigation menus. Part of Full Site Editing, it replaces the traditional menu system in block themes, allowing visual editing of menus directly in the site editor. | Navigation |
| Menu Location | A designated area in a theme where navigation menus can be displayed. Themes can register multiple menu locations (primary, secondary, footer, etc.) using register_nav_menus(), and users can assign different menus to each location. | Navigation |
| User | An individual who has registered on a WordPress site and has been assigned a specific role with associated capabilities. Each user has a profile with information like username, email, display name, and biographical info. Users can be authors of content, administrators, or simply registered visitors depending on their role. | User Management |
| Role | A set of permissions assigned to users that determines what actions they can perform on a WordPress site. Default roles include Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber, each with progressively fewer capabilities. Plugins can add custom roles with specific permission sets for specialized workflows. | User Management |
| Administrator | A user role with complete control over the WordPress site, including all administrative functions. Administrators can manage all aspects of the site: install/delete plugins and themes, create/delete users, modify site settings, and access all content. On multisite networks, this role is limited, with some capabilities restricted to the Super Admin role. | User Management |
| Super Admin | In a WordPress Multisite network, the Super Admin role has capabilities beyond regular administrators. Super Admins can manage network settings, create and delete sites, install plugins and themes network-wide, and manage users across all sites in the network. | User Management |
| Editor | A user role that can create, edit, publish, and delete any posts and pages, as well as moderate comments, but cannot modify site settings or install plugins/themes. Editors typically manage the content strategy and oversee the work of Authors and Contributors. | User Management |
| Author | A user role that can create, edit, publish, and delete their own posts, but cannot modify pages or content created by other users. Authors can upload media files but have limited access to site management features. This role is suitable for regular content creators who don’t need administrative access. | User Management |
| Contributor | A user role that can create and edit their own posts but cannot publish them or upload media files. Their content requires review and approval by an Editor or Administrator before publication. This role is useful for guest writers or users in training. | User Management |
| Subscriber | A user role with minimal permissions, typically only able to manage their profile, read content, and leave comments. Subscribers cannot create content or access the WordPress admin beyond their profile. This role is useful for membership sites or where user registration is required for specific features. | User Management |
| Capabilities | Specific permissions assigned to user roles that determine what actions users can perform within WordPress. Examples include publish_posts, edit_pages, install_plugins, or manage_options. The capabilities system allows for fine-grained access control and can be extended by plugins for custom functionality. | User Management |
| User Meta | Additional data associated with a user account beyond the standard profile fields. User meta can store preferences, custom profile information, access permissions, or any other user-specific data. Plugins often use user meta to store settings on a per-user basis. | User Management |
| Gravatar | The default avatar system used in WordPress, provided by Automattic. Gravatar (Globally Recognized Avatar) associates an image with an email address, allowing users to maintain a consistent profile image across WordPress sites and other platforms that support the service. | User Management |
| Hook | Points in the WordPress code where developers can add or modify functionality without editing core files. The two main types of hooks are actions (which trigger at specific points during execution) and filters (which modify data). Hooks form the foundation of WordPress plugin development and theme customization, enabling extensibility without core modifications. | Development |
| Action | A type of hook that is triggered at specific points during the execution of WordPress, allowing developers to add custom functionality. Actions are used with add_action() to register callback functions that run when the action is triggered. Examples include wp_head (fired when rendering the head section) or save_post (fired when a post is saved). | Development |
| Filter | A type of hook that allows developers to modify data before it’s used by WordPress. Filters intercept data, allow modifications, and must return a value. They’re used with add_filter() to register callback functions that process the data. Examples include the_content (filters post content before display) or the_title (filters post titles). | Development |
| Callback Function | A function passed as an argument to another function, to be executed at a specific time or when a certain event occurs. In WordPress, callback functions are frequently used with hooks, shortcodes, and AJAX calls to define custom behavior. | Development |
| API | Application Programming Interface. WordPress has several APIs that allow developers to interact with its functionality in standardized ways. Key WordPress APIs include the Plugin API (hooks), REST API, Settings API, Shortcode API, Widget API, and others that provide structured methods for extending or integrating with WordPress. | Development |
| REST API | An interface that allows developers to interact with WordPress data (posts, users, etc.) using HTTP requests with JSON formatting. The REST API enables decoupled architecture, mobile app integration, and external application access to WordPress data. It’s core to headless WordPress implementations and modern WordPress development. | Development |
| Settings API | A set of functions for creating and managing settings pages, sections, and fields in the WordPress admin interface. It provides standardized methods for validating, sanitizing, and storing options, helping developers create secure and consistent settings interfaces. | Development |
| Shortcode API | A set of functions that enable creating custom shortcodes to embed special content or functionality in posts and pages. The API handles parsing, attributes, and executing shortcode callback functions, simplifying the process of adding complex features to content. | Development |
| Widgets API | A set of functions for registering, managing, and displaying widgets in WordPress. It provides the framework for creating widget classes that can be added to widget areas through the admin interface. | Development |
| PHP | The primary server-side programming language used in WordPress core and for developing themes and plugins. WordPress currently requires at least PHP 7.4, though newer versions are recommended for performance and security. PHP handles processing, database interactions, and generating HTML output in WordPress. | Development |
| MySQL | The relational database management system traditionally used by WordPress to store website data, including posts, pages, comments, users, and settings. WordPress organizes its data across multiple tables with relationships between them (e.g., wp_posts, wp_users, wp_options). | Development |
| MariaDB | An open-source fork of MySQL that is fully compatible with WordPress and often used as an alternative database system. Many hosting providers now use MariaDB in place of MySQL due to its performance improvements and open-source nature. | Development |
| JavaScript | A programming language used for client-side functionality in WordPress themes and plugins, and increasingly for admin interfaces. With the Block Editor, JavaScript (particularly React) has become more prominent in WordPress development. WordPress bundles jQuery and several other JavaScript libraries. | Development |
| jQuery | A JavaScript library bundled with WordPress that simplifies client-side scripting and DOM manipulation. While modern WordPress development is moving toward vanilla JavaScript or React, jQuery remains widely used in existing themes and plugins. | Development |
| React | A JavaScript library for building user interfaces, used extensively in the WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg) and increasingly in modern WordPress plugin development. React’s component-based architecture is central to the Block Editor’s design. | Development |
| CSS | Cascading Style Sheets, the language used for styling the visual presentation of WordPress sites. CSS controls layout, colors, typography, and responsive behavior. WordPress themes typically include style.css as their main stylesheet. | Development |
| WP_Query | A WordPress PHP class used to query the database for specific content based on various parameters and conditions. It allows for complex custom queries to retrieve posts, pages, or custom post types based on criteria like status, date, category, author, and custom fields, with results that can be sorted, limited, and paginated. | Development |
| Query Vars | Variables that control how WordPress retrieves content from the database. Query vars can be passed via URL parameters or set programmatically, and they determine what content is displayed on a page (posts per page, category filtering, search terms, etc.). | Development |
| The Loop | The fundamental programming structure used in WordPress themes to display content. The Loop processes each post to be displayed on the current page and formats it according to theme specifications. It’s implemented using a while statement that cycles through available posts. | Development |
| Meta Box | A user interface element in the WordPress editor that contains related options or functionality. Meta boxes can be added by themes and plugins to provide custom fields, taxonomies, or other functionality in the content editing interface. | Development |
| AJAX | Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, a technique for creating interactive web applications that can update content without reloading the entire page. WordPress includes AJAX functionality through wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, allowing plugins and themes to perform background operations like saving drafts, lazy loading content, or live filtering. | Development |
| Nonce | “Number used once,” a security token in WordPress used to verify that requests come from authorized sources. Nonces help prevent CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) attacks by ensuring actions are intentional and authorized, particularly important for AJAX requests and form submissions. | Development |
| Transient | A caching feature in WordPress that stores temporary data in the database with an expiration time. Transients improve performance by caching the results of complex or resource-intensive operations, like external API calls or complex database queries. | Development |
| Object Cache | A caching system that stores data objects in memory to reduce database queries. WordPress has a built-in object cache for the duration of a page load, but persistent object caching (using Redis, Memcached, etc.) requires additional configuration or plugins. | Development |
| wp-config.php | A core WordPress configuration file that contains essential site settings including database connection information, authentication keys and salts, debugging options, content directory path, and language preferences. It’s located in the WordPress root directory and is one of the few core files meant to be customized directly. | Technical |
| wp-content | The directory in a WordPress installation that contains user-uploaded files, themes, plugins, and other customizations. This is the primary directory for site-specific files that are separate from the WordPress core. During WordPress updates, wp-content remains untouched, preserving customizations. | Technical |
| wp-includes | A core WordPress directory containing essential PHP files, JavaScript, CSS, and other resources that provide WordPress functionality. This directory contains core functions, classes, and assets used throughout WordPress and should never be modified directly. | Technical |
| wp-admin | The directory containing PHP files that generate the WordPress administration interface. This directory handles all backend functionality and should never be modified directly. | Technical |
| .htaccess | A configuration file used on Apache web servers that controls URL rewrites, redirects, and other server behavior affecting WordPress sites. WordPress uses .htaccess for permalink structure, file access restrictions, and other server-level configurations. On Nginx servers, similar functionality is implemented in the server configuration. | Technical |
| functions.php | A theme file that acts as a plugin specific to the active theme. It’s used to add features, custom functionality, register menus, enqueue scripts and styles, create custom post types, and extend WordPress in other ways. Each theme has its own functions.php file, and child themes can have one that runs in addition to the parent theme’s file. | Technical |
| Debug Mode | A WordPress configuration setting that displays error messages, warnings, and notices during development. Enabled by setting WP_DEBUG to true in wp-config.php, it’s invaluable for troubleshooting but should be disabled on production sites for security and performance reasons. | Technical |
| Cron Job | A scheduled task in WordPress (implemented as WP-Cron) that runs at predefined intervals to perform routine operations. WordPress cron handles scheduled posts, plugin background tasks, site health checks, and update checks. Unlike true system cron jobs, WP-Cron is triggered by page visits, though it can be configured to use system cron for better reliability. | Technical |
| Multisite | A WordPress feature that allows multiple websites to be created and managed from a single WordPress installation. Each site in the network shares the same WordPress core files and database (though with separate tables), and can have its own content, themes, users, and plugins. Multisite is ideal for managing multiple related websites, like university departments or franchise locations. | Technical |
| Database | The storage system for WordPress that contains all the website’s content, user information, settings, and other data. WordPress typically uses MySQL or MariaDB and creates multiple tables with a prefix (default: wp_) to organize different types of data. Key tables include wp_posts, wp_users, wp_comments, wp_options, and wp_postmeta. | Technical |
| Database Prefix | A string of characters (default: wp_) added to the beginning of each WordPress database table name. Customizing this prefix during installation enhances security by making table names less predictable. The prefix is defined in wp-config.php with the $table_prefix variable. | Technical |
| FTP | File Transfer Protocol, a method used to transfer files between a local computer and a web server when managing a WordPress site. FTP (or more secure variants like SFTP and FTPS) is commonly used for uploading themes, plugins, and other files when direct installation methods are not available or for troubleshooting certain issues. | Technical |
| PHPMyAdmin | A web-based interface for managing MySQL/MariaDB databases, commonly provided by hosting companies. It allows for direct interaction with the WordPress database for viewing, editing, and querying data, as well as database maintenance operations like optimization and repair. | Technical |
| Serialized Data | A method WordPress uses to store complex data structures (arrays, objects) in the database as strings. Some WordPress options and settings are stored as serialized data, which requires special handling when making direct database changes to avoid corruption. | Technical |
| Options Table | A core WordPress database table (wp_options) that stores site configuration settings, plugin settings, and other site-wide options as name-value pairs. It contains both core WordPress settings and settings added by themes and plugins. | Technical |
| Postmeta Table | A WordPress database table (wp_postmeta) that stores additional data associated with posts, pages, and other content types. Custom fields, featured image IDs, and other post-specific data are stored in this table as key-value pairs. | Technical |
| SEO | Search Engine Optimization. The practice of optimizing a WordPress site to improve its visibility and ranking in search engine results. WordPress SEO involves content quality, site structure, performance optimization, URL structure, keyword usage, meta titles and descriptions, schema markup, and technical elements like XML sitemaps and robots.txt configuration. | SEO |
| Permalink | The permanent URL structure for posts, pages, and other content in WordPress. Well-structured permalinks are important for SEO and user experience. WordPress allows choosing from several permalink structures in Settings → Permalinks, with “Post name” (%postname%) being the most SEO-friendly option. Custom permalink structures can be created using structure tags. | SEO |
| Slug | The URL-friendly version of a post title, page name, category, or tag. Slugs form part of the permalink structure and should be concise, relevant, and contain keywords when possible. They typically contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens (e.g., “my-post-title”). | SEO |
| Meta Description | A brief summary of a page’s content that appears in search engine results below the title. While not a direct ranking factor, it influences click-through rates by providing users with context about the page content. Meta descriptions can be set manually with SEO plugins or generated automatically from content. | SEO |
| Meta Title | The HTML title tag that appears in search engine results, browser tabs, and when content is shared on social media. It’s a critical SEO element that should include relevant keywords while being compelling for users. SEO plugins allow customizing meta titles independently from the visible page heading. | SEO |
| XML Sitemap | A file that lists all important URLs on a website to help search engines discover and index content more efficiently. WordPress SEO plugins typically generate XML sitemaps automatically, including posts, pages, categories, tags, and custom post types, with options to control what content types are included. | SEO |
| Robots.txt | A text file at the root of a website that provides instructions to search engine crawlers about which pages or sections of the site should or should not be indexed. WordPress allows editing robots.txt through some SEO plugins or by creating the file manually on the server. | SEO |
| Schema Markup | Structured data added to WordPress content that helps search engines understand context and display rich snippets in search results. Schema markup can highlight reviews, recipes, events, products, FAQs, and other specific content types. WordPress SEO plugins often include tools for adding schema markup to content. | SEO |
| Canonical URL | A HTML element that indicates the preferred version of a webpage when similar or duplicate content exists on multiple URLs. It helps prevent SEO issues related to duplicate content by telling search engines which URL should be considered primary. | SEO |
| Caching | The process of storing frequently accessed data temporarily to improve site performance and load times. WordPress caching can be implemented at various levels: browser caching, page caching, object caching, and database query caching. Specialized caching plugins automate the creation and management of cache files to deliver content faster with less server processing. | Performance |
| CDN | Content Delivery Network. A system of distributed servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location. CDNs improve WordPress performance by serving static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript) from servers closer to the user’s location, reducing latency and distributing the load away from the origin server. | Performance |
| Lazy Loading | A technique that delays loading off-screen images and other resources until they’re needed (when the user scrolls near them). WordPress includes native lazy loading for images since version 5.5, improving initial page load times and reducing bandwidth usage. Additional lazy loading for other elements can be added with plugins. | Performance |
| Minification | The process of removing unnecessary characters (whitespace, comments, etc.) from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files without changing functionality, resulting in smaller file sizes and faster load times. WordPress performance optimization plugins typically include minification features. | Performance |
| GZIP Compression | A method of compressing web files before sending them to the browser, reducing transfer time and bandwidth usage. When a browser requests GZIP-compressed content, the server compresses the files, the browser downloads the smaller compressed versions, and then decompresses them for display. | Performance |
| Core Web Vitals | A set of specific user experience metrics defined by Google that measure page loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability. These include Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). WordPress performance optimization increasingly focuses on improving these metrics as they impact SEO rankings. | Performance |
| Theme Repository | The official WordPress directory where users can find free, vetted themes for their websites. Located at wordpress.org/themes/, it contains thousands of themes that meet WordPress coding standards and guidelines. Themes in the repository undergo review for security, code quality, licensing, and functionality before approval. | Ecosystem |
| Plugin Repository | The official WordPress directory where users can find free, vetted plugins to extend their websites. Located at wordpress.org/plugins/, it contains over 59,000 plugins that meet WordPress coding standards and security requirements. The repository allows plugin search, browsing by category, and provides details like compatibility, ratings, and update history. | Ecosystem |
| Core Update | An update to the WordPress software that may include new features, security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements. WordPress provides both major versions (e.g., 5.0, 6.0) that introduce significant new features, and minor versions (e.g., 5.9.1) that typically address security issues and bugs. WordPress can be configured to update automatically for security releases. | Ecosystem |
| Core Contributors | Individuals who contribute code, testing, documentation, design, translation, or other work to the WordPress project. The WordPress core is developed by a community of volunteers with various levels of involvement, from occasional contributions to regular development. | Community |
| WordCamp | Community-organized conferences focused on WordPress. These events happen worldwide and cover various aspects of using and developing for WordPress, from beginner topics to advanced development. WordCamps feature sessions, workshops, contributor days, and networking opportunities, and are run by local volunteers with support from the WordPress Foundation. | Community |
| WordPress Meetup | Local community gatherings for WordPress users and developers to network, share knowledge, and collaborate. Meetups typically occur monthly in cities around the world, offering presentations, discussions, and hands-on learning opportunities for WordPress enthusiasts at all skill levels. | Community |
| Five for the Future | An initiative encouraging organizations that benefit from WordPress to contribute 5% of their resources back to WordPress development and community support. Contributions can include code, documentation, support, translation, or other forms of involvement in the open-source project. | Community |
| Make WordPress | The collaborative platform (make.wordpress.org) where WordPress contributors work together on various aspects of the project. It’s organized into teams like Core, Design, Documentation, Polyglots (translation), Community, and more. Each team has its own blog, meetings, and ways to get involved. | Community |
| Trac | The issue tracking system used for WordPress core development. WordPress Trac (core.trac.wordpress.org) manages bug reports, feature requests, and patches for the WordPress project, allowing contributors to collaborate on code improvements and fixes. | Development |
| WordPress Release Cycle | The structured process for developing and releasing new WordPress versions. Each major release follows a cycle of planning, development, beta testing, release candidates, and final release, typically named after jazz musicians (e.g., “Benny,” “Duotone”). The WordPress project generally aims for 3-4 major releases per year. | Ecosystem |
| WordPress VIP | An enterprise WordPress hosting and support service provided by Automattic. WordPress VIP offers high-end managed hosting, security, performance optimization, and development support for large-scale WordPress implementations used by major publications, corporations, and high-traffic websites. | Ecosystem |
| Custom Fields | Additional pieces of metadata that can be added to posts, pages, and custom post types to store extra information not captured in the main content. Custom fields store data as key-value pairs and can be used for specialized content like product specifications, event details, or any structured data. While WordPress has a basic interface for custom fields, plugins like Advanced Custom Fields or CMB2 provide more powerful implementations. | Functionality |
| Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) | A popular plugin that enhances WordPress’s custom fields system with more field types, better organization, and a user-friendly interface. ACF allows creating complex content structures with field types like date pickers, Google Maps, file uploads, repeaters, and flexible content layouts. | Functionality |
| Meta Box | A user interface element in the WordPress editor that contains related options or functionality. Meta boxes appear on the post editing screen and can contain custom fields, taxonomies, featured image selector, excerpt field, or custom functionality added by plugins. In the Block Editor, some traditional meta boxes appear in the Document sidebar or as panel sections. | Interface |
| Post Meta | Data stored in the database that is associated with specific posts, pages, or custom post types. Post meta includes custom fields data, featured image IDs, template selections, and other content-specific information. It’s stored in the wp_postmeta table as key-value pairs and accessed programmatically with functions like get_post_meta(). | Development |
| Revision | A previously saved version of a post or page. WordPress automatically creates revisions when content is updated, allowing users to compare changes and revert to earlier versions if needed. Revisions are stored as separate entries in the database and can be limited or disabled to conserve database space. | Content |
| Autosave | A feature in WordPress that automatically saves temporary drafts of content being edited at regular intervals (typically every 60 seconds). Autosaves help prevent data loss due to browser crashes, connectivity issues, or accidental navigation away from the editing page. | Content |
| Headless WordPress | An implementation where WordPress serves as a backend content management system only, with the frontend built using a separate technology stack (like React, Vue, or Angular), typically accessing WordPress data via the REST API. Headless WordPress separates content creation from presentation, allowing for more flexible frontend implementations, improved performance, and multichannel content distribution. | Architecture |
| Post Formats | A theme feature that allows users to choose from predefined formats for their posts, such as standard, aside, gallery, video, quote, link, status, or audio. Post formats change how the content is displayed without affecting the underlying structure. Support for post formats must be declared by the theme using add_theme_support(‘post-formats’). | Content |
| Custom Template | A specialized template file that can be assigned to individual posts or pages to create unique layouts or functionality for specific content. Custom templates can be created by adding PHP files to a theme with special template headers, or in block themes, by creating template files in the templates directory. | Design |
| Features API | A WordPress API that allows themes to register support for specific WordPress features like post thumbnails, custom backgrounds, post formats, or HTML5 support. Theme features are registered in functions.php using add_theme_support() function. | Development |
| WooCommerce | A popular open-source e-commerce plugin for WordPress, owned by Automattic. WooCommerce transforms a WordPress site into a full-featured online store with product management, shopping cart functionality, payment processing, shipping options, tax calculations, and inventory management. It powers approximately 30% of all online stores and offers extensive customization through themes and extensions. | E-commerce |
| Product (WooCommerce) | In WooCommerce, a custom post type used to create items for sale in an online store. Products have specific attributes and settings beyond standard posts, including price, inventory levels, shipping information, variations, attributes, and tax status. WooCommerce supports several product types: simple, variable, grouped, external/affiliate, and virtual/downloadable. | E-commerce |
| Simple Product | The most basic product type in WooCommerce, representing a single item with one price and no options. Simple products are straightforward to create and manage, suitable for physical goods with consistent pricing. | E-commerce |
| Variable Product | A WooCommerce product type that offers multiple variations of a single product, each with its own price, SKU, and inventory level. Variable products allow customers to choose options (like size, color, material) through dropdown menus or other selection methods. | E-commerce |
| Product Attribute | Characteristics or properties of products in WooCommerce, such as size, color, or material. Attributes can be used for organizing products, creating variations, or as filterable product features in shop pages. Global attributes apply across multiple products, while custom attributes are specific to individual products. | E-commerce |
| Product Category | A hierarchical taxonomy in WooCommerce (equivalent to post categories) used to organize products into logical groups. Product categories typically form the primary navigation structure in an online store and can have parent-child relationships. | E-commerce |
| Product Tag | A non-hierarchical taxonomy in WooCommerce (equivalent to post tags) used for additional product classification. Product tags create connections between otherwise unrelated products that share specific characteristics. | E-commerce |
| Payment Gateway | A service that processes credit card payments for e-commerce websites. WooCommerce includes several built-in payment gateways (like PayPal, Stripe, bank transfers, and cash on delivery) and supports many more through extensions. Payment gateways handle the secure transfer of payment information between customers, the store, and financial institutions. | E-commerce |
| Shipping Zone | A geographical region defined in WooCommerce settings to which specific shipping methods and rates apply. Shipping zones allow store owners to set different shipping options and costs based on customer location, supporting complex shipping logic like free shipping thresholds or carrier-specific rates. | E-commerce |
| Tax Rate | In WooCommerce, a percentage or fixed amount added to product prices based on various factors like customer location, product type, or tax class. WooCommerce allows creating complex tax rules to comply with local tax regulations worldwide. | E-commerce |
| Order | In WooCommerce, a record of a customer’s purchase that contains product details, customer information, shipping address, payment method, and status. Orders have their own management interface and can move through various statuses like pending, processing, completed, and refunded. | E-commerce |
| Cart | A temporary storage area in an e-commerce site where customers collect products before proceeding to checkout. WooCommerce maintains cart contents during a user’s session and can optionally save cart data for returning users. | E-commerce |
| Checkout | The process in WooCommerce where customers enter shipping information, select payment methods, and complete their purchases. The checkout can be customized with different layouts, fields, and steps to optimize conversion rates. | E-commerce |
| Coupon | In WooCommerce, a code that customers can enter during checkout to receive discounts. Coupons can provide percentage or fixed amount discounts, free shipping, or buy-one-get-one offers, with options to restrict usage by products, categories, minimum spend, or usage limits. | E-commerce |
| Two-Factor Authentication | An extra layer of security requiring users to provide two verification methods before accessing a WordPress site: typically a password and a temporary code delivered via app, SMS, or email. 2FA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access even if passwords are compromised. It can be implemented through security plugins or services like Google Authenticator. | Security |
| SSL Certificate | A security protocol that encrypts data transferred between a WordPress site and its visitors, indicated by HTTPS in the URL and a padlock icon in browsers. SSL/TLS certificates prevent data interception, increase visitor trust, and are a requirement for e-commerce sites. Most hosting providers offer free Let’s Encrypt certificates or premium certificates with extended validation. | Security |
| Firewall | A security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. For WordPress, firewalls can operate at the server level or as software (via security plugins) to block malicious traffic, brute force attacks, and known exploitation attempts before they reach the WordPress application. | Security |
| Web Application Firewall (WAF) | A specialized firewall that focuses on protecting web applications like WordPress by filtering and monitoring HTTP/HTTPS traffic between the application and the Internet. WAFs can identify and block common attack patterns like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and file inclusion exploits. | Security |
| Brute Force Protection | Security measures that prevent attackers from gaining access to WordPress by repeatedly guessing login credentials. These protections typically limit login attempts, implement progressive delays between attempts, temporarily block IP addresses after failed attempts, and can require CAPTCHA verification. | Security |
| File Integrity Monitoring | Security feature that checks WordPress core, plugin, and theme files for unexpected changes that might indicate a compromise. By comparing current files against known good versions or checksums, file integrity monitoring can alert administrators to unauthorized modifications. | Security |
| Security Keys and Salts | Random cryptographic strings defined in wp-config.php that enhance cookie security in WordPress. These keys provide an additional layer of encryption for authentication cookies, making them harder to compromise. WordPress recommends using the API at https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/ to generate unique keys and salts. | Security |
| Malware Scanning | The process of examining WordPress files, database, and content for known patterns of malicious code. Security plugins regularly scan the WordPress installation for backdoors, malicious redirects, SEO spam, and other compromises, alerting site owners to infections and often providing removal tools. | Security |
| Security Hardening | Implementing best practices and configurations that reduce WordPress vulnerability to attacks. Common hardening measures include removing unnecessary plugins, using strong passwords, keeping software updated, limiting login attempts, changing database prefix, restricting file permissions, and disabling file editing within the admin. | Security |
Additional WordPress Glossary Topics
| Category | Term | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting & Infrastructure | Managed WordPress Hosting | Specialized hosting optimized for WordPress with features like automatic updates, enhanced security, staging environments, and expert support. |
| Shared Hosting | Entry-level hosting where multiple websites share resources on a single server. | |
| VPS (Virtual Private Server) | Mid-level hosting option with dedicated resources in a virtualized environment. | |
| Dedicated Hosting | High-end hosting with an entire physical server dedicated to a single website. | |
| Cloud Hosting | Scalable hosting that distributes resources across multiple virtual servers. | |
| Staging Environment | A duplicate of a live site used for testing changes before implementing them on the production site. | |
| Local Development Environment | Software that allows WordPress development on a developer’s local computer without an internet connection. | |
| Localhost | A development environment running on a local computer rather than a remote server. | |
| Domain Name | The web address visitors use to access a WordPress site (e.g., example.com). | |
| DNS (Domain Name System) | The system that connects domain names to the IP addresses of the servers where websites are hosted. | |
| Backup & Restoration | Backup | A copy of a WordPress site’s files and database that can be used to restore the site in case of data loss or corruption. |
| Full Backup | A complete copy of all WordPress files and the database. | |
| Incremental Backup | A backup that only includes changes made since the last backup. | |
| Scheduled Backup | Automated backup process that runs at predetermined intervals. | |
| Backup Repository | Location where backup files are stored, such as cloud storage or local servers. | |
| Restore Point | A specific backup instance that can be used to return a site to a previous state. | |
| One-Click Restore | Feature that allows restoring a WordPress site from a backup with minimal user intervention. | |
| Multilingual & Internationalization | Internationalization (i18n) | The process of designing WordPress themes and plugins to support multiple languages and locales. |
| Localization (l10n) | The actual adaptation of WordPress to a specific language and region after internationalization. | |
| Translation-Ready | A theme or plugin designed with internationalization in mind, with all text strings properly prepared for translation. | |
| Language File | A file containing translations of text strings from one language to another, typically in .po and .mo formats. | |
| Text Domain | A unique identifier used in WordPress to group translatable strings belonging to a particular theme or plugin. | |
| RTL (Right-to-Left) | Support for languages that are written from right to left, like Arabic and Hebrew. | |
| Language Switcher | A user interface element that allows website visitors to select their preferred language. | |
| Development Tools | WP-CLI | Command Line Interface for WordPress that provides commands for common administrative tasks. |
| Composer | A dependency management tool for PHP that facilitates managing WordPress plugin and theme dependencies. | |
| Git | A version control system commonly used for WordPress development to track code changes over time. | |
| GitHub/GitLab | Platforms for hosting and collaborating on Git repositories. | |
| Sass/SCSS | CSS preprocessors that add features like variables and nesting to make styling more efficient. | |
| Webpack | A module bundler for JavaScript and other assets, increasingly used in modern WordPress development. | |
| Gulp/Grunt | Task runners that automate repetitive development tasks like minification and compilation. | |
| Node.js | JavaScript runtime environment often used for build processes in WordPress theme and plugin development. | |
| npm/yarn | Package managers for JavaScript that help manage front-end dependencies. | |
| Linting | Process of checking code for programmatic and stylistic errors using tools like ESLint or PHP_CodeSniffer. |
Resources for Ongoing Learning
For the most up-to-date information on WordPress terminology and best practices, consider these authoritative resources:
- Official WordPress Developer Resources
- WordPress Codex
- WordPress Developer Documentation
- WordPress Block Editor Handbook
- WordPress Theme Developer Handbook
- WordPress Plugin Developer Handbook
- WordPress REST API Handbook
- WP Beginner Glossary
- WordPress.tv (video tutorials and WordCamp sessions)
- WordPress Support Forums
This glossary provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding WordPress terminology, but WordPress is constantly evolving with new features, best practices, and technologies being introduced regularly. Staying connected with the community through blogs, forums, and events is the best way to keep your WordPress knowledge current.
Other Articles
Previous
