Glossary

Navigating web hosting and domains can feel overwhelming when you’re faced with a sea of unfamiliar terms. That’s why we’ve created this easy-to-follow glossary – a clear and concise guide to the most commonly used terms in hosting, domains, websites, and security. Whether you’re just starting out or brushing up, this is your go-to resource.

A

Auto Installer
A tool that lets you install popular platforms like WordPress or Joomla with a single click.

Addon Domain
An additional domain name that points to a different website hosted under the same account.

B

Bandwidth
The amount of data transferred between your site and its visitors. More traffic means more bandwidth usage.

Backup
A saved copy of your website’s files and data, used to restore your site if something goes wrong.

C

cPanel
A user-friendly control panel used to manage your website, email, files, and domains.

Cache
Temporary storage used to speed up page loading by saving commonly accessed content.

CMS (Content Management System)
Software that lets you create and manage website content, such as WordPress or Joomla.

D

Domain Name
Your website’s address (e.g. www.example.co.uk) used by visitors to access your site.

DNS (Domain Name System)
Translates domain names into IP addresses so browsers can find your website.

E

Email Hosting
A service that allows you to create and manage email accounts using your domain name.

F

FTP (File Transfer Protocol)
A method of uploading and managing your website’s files on the server.

H

Hosting
A service that stores your website files and makes them accessible on the internet.

HTTP / HTTPS
Protocols for transferring data between your browser and a website. HTTPS is secure and uses SSL encryption.

L

LiteSpeed
A high-performance web server technology used to make websites load faster and handle more traffic.

M

Malware
Malicious software that can harm websites or steal data. Security tools help detect and block malware.

MySQL
A popular database system used to store website content and settings.

N

Nameserver
Part of the DNS system that directs a domain to the correct web hosting provider.

NVMe SSD
Next-gen, high-speed storage technology used by Hostible for faster performance.

P

PHP
A widely-used programming language that powers many websites and CMS platforms like WordPress.

Parked Domain
A domain name not currently in use but reserved for future use or redirection.

S

SSL Certificate
Secures the connection between a visitor’s browser and your website, showing the padlock symbol in the address bar.

Shared Hosting
A type of hosting where multiple websites share one server – great for small businesses and startups.

T

TTL (Time to Live)
A setting in DNS records that determines how long information is cached before being refreshed.

U

Uptime
The amount of time your website is accessible online. Hostible guarantees 99.99% uptime.

W

Web Server
The hardware or software that delivers your website content to visitors.

WordPress
The world’s most popular CMS, ideal for creating blogs, business websites, and online stores.

Still Have Questions?

If there’s a term you didn’t see listed or want more help understanding a feature, contact our support team — we’re happy to help you make sense of the tech so you can focus on what matters.