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Web Development · Glossary

Web Development Terms Every Beginner Should Understand

Tutorials assume you already know words like DOM, endpoint and deployment. This glossary explains the essential web terms in plain language, grouped by where they fit.

Tracks
Web Vocabulary · Live Interactive
Group
—
Where terms belong
Key terms
—
Examples
Remember
—
Simple idea
Browser → Request → Server → Database
Click a group to see the key web terms and a simple way to remember them.

Home / Tutorials / Career Guides / Web Development Terms Every Beginner Should Know

Web Development · Glossary

Web Development Terms Every Beginner Should Know

BROWSER NETWORK SERVER LIVE Frontend HTML, CSS JS and DOM See HTTP Request Response, JSON Travel Backend API, logic Database Work Deployment Hosting Domain, HTTPS Online
Most web terms describe one stop on a request's journey: browser, network, server or hosting.

Quick summary — web development terms every beginner should understand

The web development terms every beginner should understand fall into four groups: browser and frontend terms (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, DOM, responsive design), network terms (HTTP, request, response, status code, API, endpoint, JSON), backend terms (server, framework, database, CRUD, authentication) and deployment terms (hosting, domain, DNS, HTTPS, environment variables).

In this guide you will learn:

  1. Frontend terms — what runs in the browser.
  2. HTTP and API terms — how data moves.
  3. Backend and deployment terms — where apps live and store data.
  4. Revision templates — flashcards and a mini project.
  5. Interview basics — terms interviewers expect you to explain.

SECTION 01Browser and frontend terms

These terms describe what happens inside the browser — the part of a website users see and interact with. If you can explain these four terms to a friend, you already understand how most websites are put together.

TermSimple meaningExampleRemember it as
HTMLThe structure and content of a page<h1>, <p>, <form>The skeleton
CSSThe styling and layoutcolours, spacing, FlexboxThe clothes
JavaScriptThe behaviour and interactivityShowing a menu on clickThe muscles
DOMThe browser's live tree of page elements that JavaScript can changedocument.querySelector('h1')A live map of the page
<h1 id="title">Hello</h1>
<button id="btn">Change title</button>
<script>
  document.getElementById("btn").addEventListener("click", () => {
    document.getElementById("title").textContent = "Hello, web developer!";
  });
</script>
dom-example.html
Key insight: Skeleton, clothes, muscles — HTML, CSS and JavaScript — is a simple picture that keeps the three core frontend languages clear.

SECTION 02HTTP and API terms

These terms describe how the browser and server talk. Understanding them makes debugging much easier, because most web problems show up as requests and responses. These terms come up constantly when you debug, read documentation or talk to backend developers.

TermSimple meaningExampleWhy it matters
HTTP / HTTPSThe rules for sending web requests; HTTPS is encryptedhttps://example.comEvery page load uses it
Request and responseClient asks; server answersGET /products → list of productsThe basic unit of web communication
Status codeNumber describing the result200 OK, 404 Not Found, 500 Server ErrorTells you quickly what went wrong
API and endpointA defined way for programs to talk; an endpoint is one URL in itGET /api/users/1How frontends get data
// Fetch data from an API endpoint and read JSON
fetch("https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users/1")
  .then(res => {
    console.log("Status:", res.status);    // 200
    return res.json();
  })
  .then(user => console.log(user.name, "-", user.email));
fetch-json.js
Key insight: When something breaks, open the browser's Network tab and check the status code first. It points you to the frontend or the backend in seconds.

SECTION 03Backend, data and deployment terms

These terms describe what happens on the server, where data is stored and how a site gets onto the internet. Even frontend-focused developers meet these terms regularly, especially when deploying their own projects.

TermSimple meaningExampleRemember it as
Server and backendA computer program that handles requests and logicA Flask or Express appThe kitchen
Database and CRUDOrganised storage; Create, Read, Update, DeleteSaving a new userThe pantry
AuthenticationChecking who a user isLogin with passwordThe ID check
Hosting, domain, DNSWhere the site runs; its name; the system that maps names to serversexample.com points to a serverAddress book of the internet
CREATE TABLE notes (id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY, text TEXT NOT NULL);

INSERT INTO notes (text) VALUES ('Learn HTTP');      -- Create
SELECT id, text FROM notes;                          -- Read
UPDATE notes SET text = 'Learn HTTP well' WHERE id = 1;  -- Update
DELETE FROM notes WHERE id = 1;                       -- Delete
crud.sql
Key insight: Kitchen and pantry — server and database — is a handy picture: the server prepares responses using ingredients stored in the database.

SECTION 04Web terms revision templates

Use these templates to memorise and apply the terms.

Front               | Back
DOM                 | browser's live tree of page elements
Endpoint            | one URL in an API
404                 | resource not found
401 vs 403          | not logged in vs not allowed
CRUD                | create, read, update, delete
DNS                 | maps domain names to server addresses
Environment variable| setting kept outside the code
Responsive design   | layout adapts to screen size
web-terms-flashcards.md

SECTION 05Tips for learning web vocabulary

These habits help terms stick:

  • Follow a request's journey — place each term at its stop: browser, network, server, hosting.
  • Use DevTools daily — see the DOM, requests and status codes for real.
  • Build a tiny full app — using the terms makes them memorable.
  • Explain terms aloud — teaching a friend reveals gaps.
  • Keep a personal glossary — add new terms as you meet them.
Pro tip: In interviews, explaining what happens when you type a URL and press Enter uses almost every term on this page — practise that answer.

SECTION 06Interview Q&A — web development terms

Q1What happens when you type a URL and press Enter?

The browser looks up the domain via DNS, connects to the server (usually over HTTPS), sends an HTTP request, receives a response, then parses HTML, loads CSS and JavaScript, and renders the page.

Q2What is the DOM?

The Document Object Model — a tree representation of the page that the browser builds and JavaScript can read and change.

Q3What is the difference between 401 and 403?

401 means authentication is required or failed; 403 means the user is known but not allowed to access the resource.

Q4What is an API endpoint?

A specific URL in an API that performs one action or returns one kind of data, such as GET /api/users/1.

Q5What are environment variables used for?

Storing configuration and secrets like API keys outside the code, so they can differ between environments and stay out of source control.

SECTION 07Test yourself — web development terms quiz

Five questions. No sign-up.

0 / 5

Pick an answer to see why it is right or wrong.

SECTION 08Frequently asked questions

What are the basic terms in web development?

HTML, CSS, JavaScript, DOM, HTTP, request, response, status code, API, endpoint, JSON, server, database, hosting, domain and DNS.

What is the difference between frontend and backend?

The frontend runs in the browser and handles what users see; the backend runs on the server and handles logic and data.

What does API mean in simple words?

An API is a set of rules that lets one program ask another for data or actions, like a menu of requests a server accepts.

What is the difference between HTTP and HTTPS?

HTTPS is HTTP with encryption, protecting data between the browser and server.

What is hosting?

A service that runs your website or app on servers connected to the internet so others can visit it.

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