AI & web terms, in plain language.
The acronyms and jargon you will meet when building software, defined clearly and without the hype. Jump to a term or browse the lot.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
The practice of structuring content so an answer engine can lift a clean, correct answer from your page. In short: writing and marking up content so a machine can quote it accurately.
AI Agent
Software that uses an AI model to carry out multi-step tasks with some autonomy, such as reading a request, looking up data, taking an action, and escalating when unsure. Unlike a simple chatbot, an agent can do work, not just talk.
API
An application programming interface: a defined way for two pieces of software to talk to each other. APIs are how an app reads your CRM, takes a payment, or calls an AI model.
Chatbot
A conversational interface that answers questions in natural language. A basic chatbot follows scripted replies; an AI chatbot generates answers from a model and your knowledge base.
Core Web Vitals
Google's set of real-world performance metrics, covering loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability. They are a confirmed ranking factor and a good proxy for how fast a site feels.
Cross-platform app
An app built from a single codebase that runs on both iOS and Android. It lowers build and maintenance cost versus building two native apps, with near-native performance for most uses.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
The practice of making your brand visible inside AI-generated answers, the summaries engines write by pulling from many sources. The AI-era companion to classic SEO.
Headless CMS
A setup where a content system manages content while a separate, custom front end displays it. It gives non-technical teams easy editing plus a fast, fully custom experience.
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
A Core Web Vital that measures how long the largest visible element takes to load. A good LCP makes a page feel fast; a slow one is a common cause of failing performance scores.
LLM (Large Language Model)
The kind of AI model that powers chatbots and agents. Trained on vast text, it predicts and generates language, which is why it can answer questions, summarise, and write.
Native app
An app built specifically for one platform in its own tools and language. It offers the best performance and fullest device access, at the cost of building separately for iOS and Android.
PWA (Progressive Web App)
A website that behaves like an app: it works in the browser, can be added to the home screen, and works offline, with no app-store install required.
RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
A technique where an AI model retrieves relevant facts from your own documents before answering, so its responses are grounded in your data rather than guessed. It is how agents answer accurately about your business.
Schema markup (Structured data)
Code added to a page, usually in JSON-LD, that describes its content to search and AI engines in a format they understand, such as Organization, Service, or FAQPage. It helps you earn rich results and accurate citations.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
The practice of improving a site so it ranks well in search engines through relevant content, clean technical structure, and authority earned from other sites.
SSL / TLS
The encryption that secures data between a browser and a website, shown by the padlock and the https prefix. It protects user data and is expected by both browsers and search engines.
Uptime
The share of time a website or service is online and available, often quoted as a percentage. High uptime depends on reliable hosting, monitoring, and quick recovery.
WCAG
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the international standard for making websites usable by people with disabilities. Meeting them covers things like colour contrast, keyboard access, and clear structure.
Workflow automation
Using software, increasingly AI, to carry out repetitive multi-step business processes automatically, freeing people from busywork and reducing errors.