Web Development · Glossary
Web Development Terms Every Beginner Should Know
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:
- Frontend terms — what runs in the browser.
- HTTP and API terms — how data moves.
- Backend and deployment terms — where apps live and store data.
- Revision templates — flashcards and a mini project.
- 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.
| Term | Simple meaning | Example | Remember it as |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTML | The structure and content of a page | <h1>, <p>, <form> | The skeleton |
| CSS | The styling and layout | colours, spacing, Flexbox | The clothes |
| JavaScript | The behaviour and interactivity | Showing a menu on click | The muscles |
| DOM | The browser's live tree of page elements that JavaScript can change | document.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>
Responsive design → layout adapts to screen size (media queries)
Framework/library → ready-made tools like React for building UIs
Component → reusable piece of UI (a button, a card)
Event → something that happens (click, submit, keypress)
Viewport → the visible area of the page on a device
Accessibility → making sites usable by everyone, including screen-reader users
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.
| Term | Simple meaning | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP / HTTPS | The rules for sending web requests; HTTPS is encrypted | https://example.com | Every page load uses it |
| Request and response | Client asks; server answers | GET /products → list of products | The basic unit of web communication |
| Status code | Number describing the result | 200 OK, 404 Not Found, 500 Server Error | Tells you quickly what went wrong |
| API and endpoint | A defined way for programs to talk; an endpoint is one URL in it | GET /api/users/1 | How 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));
2xx success
200 OK request worked
201 Created new item saved
3xx redirect
301 Moved page has a new URL
4xx client error
400 Bad Request invalid input
401 Unauthorized login needed
403 Forbidden logged in but not allowed
404 Not Found wrong URL or missing item
5xx server error
500 Internal Server Error bug on the server
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.
| Term | Simple meaning | Example | Remember it as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Server and backend | A computer program that handles requests and logic | A Flask or Express app | The kitchen |
| Database and CRUD | Organised storage; Create, Read, Update, Delete | Saving a new user | The pantry |
| Authentication | Checking who a user is | Login with password | The ID check |
| Hosting, domain, DNS | Where the site runs; its name; the system that maps names to servers | example.com points to a server | Address 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
Deployment → putting your app on a server so others can use it
Environment → where code runs: development, staging, production
Environment variable → setting stored outside code (e.g. API keys)
HTTPS certificate → enables encrypted connections
CDN → network of servers that deliver files faster
Version control → tracking code changes (Git)
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
Mini project to use every term
Build: a notes app
- HTML/CSS page with a form (frontend)
- JavaScript uses fetch to call your API (request/response, JSON)
- Backend endpoint saves notes (server, CRUD, database)
- Deploy it (hosting, domain, HTTPS, environment variables)
Write a README that uses each term correctly.
Explain a term in your own words
Term: ______
One-sentence meaning: ______________
Where it appears in a request's journey: browser / network / server / hosting
Tiny example: ______________
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.
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 / 5Pick 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.
SECTION 09Related reads
Classroom & online · Noida
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