DevdwellIn short
A website is a set of files, published by a host, reached through a domain. Most of the words below describe one of those three parts, or the steps between changing a file and seeing it live.
Addresses and domains
Domain name
The address people type to reach a site, like example.com. You rent it yearly from a domain registrar; if it expires, the site stops loading at that address.
Subdomain
A name in front of your domain, like shop.example.com or www.example.com. Each can point somewhere different.
DNS
The Domain Name System: the internet’s address book. DNS records tell browsers which server answers for your domain. Changes to them can take from minutes to a day to reach everyone.
DNS record
One entry in that address book. An A record points a name to a server’s address; a CNAME points one name to another name; MX records say where email for the domain goes.
Domain registrar
The company you rent your domain from. It’s often, but not always, the same company that hosts the site.
Hosting and publishing
Hosting
Keeping a site’s files on a server that’s always on, so anyone can load them. Your host is the company that does it.
Publishing (deploying)
Copying the latest version of a site to the host so it’s live. In Devdwell it’s one button; see publish a website.
Production
The live site: the version real visitors see at the real address.
Staging
A private copy of the site at a separate link, used to check changes before they reach production. See staging vs production.
Static site
A site made of ready-made files (pages, styles, pictures) that are sent as they are. Fast, cheap to host and hard to break. See static vs dynamic websites.
Dynamic site
A site whose pages are put together by a server for each visit, usually from a database. Needed for things like logins and shops; more to maintain.
Uptime
The share of time a site is reachable. Downtime is when it isn’t; see is my website down?.
Building and changing
HTML, CSS and JavaScript
The three languages of a web page: HTML for the content and structure, CSS for how it looks, JavaScript for how it behaves.
Responsive design
A layout that adapts to the screen, so the same page works on a phone and a wide monitor. See how to make a website mobile friendly.
CMS
A content management system: an admin area for editing a site’s text and posts without touching files.
Version history
A record of every saved change to a site’s files, so you can see what changed and go back. Devdwell keeps one for every site it syncs.
Live preview
A view of the site that updates as you change it, before anything is published.
Security and reliability
SSL certificate (HTTPS)
What makes the padlock appear. It encrypts the connection between visitors and your site; browsers warn people away from sites without a valid one.
Backup
A copy of a site’s files, and its database if it has one, kept somewhere else so you can restore it. See how to back up a website.
Access roles
What each person may do on a site. In Devdwell they’re “Can edit” and “Can edit and publish”, given one site at a time.
Speed and search
Cache
A saved copy of a page or file kept closer to the visitor (in their browser or on a network) so it loads faster. It’s why a change can take a moment to show for everyone.
Redirect (301)
An instruction that sends an old address to a new one. A 301 says the move is permanent, which keeps search rankings attached to the new page.
Sitemap
A file listing a site’s pages, so search engines can find them all.
Meta description
The short summary under a page’s title in search results. It doesn’t change rankings directly, but a clear one earns more clicks.
Canonical URL
The one address a page should be known by, when the same content can be reached at more than one.
Questions
What’s the difference between a domain and hosting?
The domain is the address; hosting is where the files live. DNS connects the two by telling browsers which host answers for the domain.
What’s the difference between staging and production?
Production is the live site visitors see. Staging is a private copy at a separate link for checking changes before they go live.
Why does a change take time to appear?
Usually caching: browsers and networks keep saved copies of pages for speed. A refresh, or a few minutes, normally shows the new version. DNS changes can take longer, up to a day.