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Glossary of Terms

This Glossary of Terms will help you get up to speed on hosting terminology. Everything you need to know is here, as well as some stuff you probably won’t need! Just to be thorough, we’ve put it all in so you’re sure to find what you’re looking for below.

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301 Redirect
A type of HTTP status code. 301 signifies that a webpage has been moved elsewhere permanently and you will be redirected to it.
403 Error
A 403 Forbidden error is a type of HTTP status code indicating that your access to that page has been forbidden for some reason. A 403 Forbidden error can be caused by many things and a solution varies depending on the circumstances.
408 Error
The request times out when trying to load a page. This can happen for several reasons but most commonly is either a slow connection or a missing page.
500 Error
Server cannot process request. This means that the connection is simply not going to happen and can be caused by an incorrectly configured server or .htaccess file.
.htaccess
This is short for Hypertext Access, and is a configuration file used by Apache-based web servers. It is most commonly used for rewriting URL’s, making them cleaner and easier to read by both humans and search engines.
.htaccess also helps to create Custom Error Pages to improve SEO. WordPress uses this .htaccess file to manipulate how Apache serves files from its root directory, and subdirectories thereof. Most notably, WordPress modifies this file to be able to handle custom permalinks. Got it?
A
A-Record
This is used to find the IP address of a computer connected to the internet using a name. The ‘A’ stands for Address, because it is literally the address record for a given domain.
Admin
Short for ‘administrator’, this is the user who maintains (or oversees) a computer system or network. Admin also often refers to the user with authoritative access to a website, like how you are the Admin to your own website.
Affiliate
A person who is associated with a larger organisation for mutual benefit. Regarding web hosting, an affiliate is somebody who links with a hosting provider, promotes them, and receives commission for successful referrals. WPX Hosting has its own Affiliate program, find out more here.
Alias
A fasle or secondary name used in computing. Aliasing describes a situation in which a data location in memory can be accessed through different symbolic names in the program. A common example of this is used for domains; creating a Domain Alias allows that domain to point to another of your choice. See more about Domain Aliasing here.
B
Backup Manager
A special tool found in the WPX Hosting Panel. This allows you to create and restore backups manually, as well as view automatic (‘System’) Backups. Use our Backup Manager before important updates, installing new plugins, or when testing out new themes and design overhauls!
Bandwidth
In practical terms, bandwidth is the internet resource consumed by your website. In technical terms, bandwidth is a synonym for data transfer rate, the amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given period of time.
Billing Cycle
At the end of this set time period, payment is required in exchange for your hosting service. Billing Cycles will vary depending on whether your hosting is set up for monthly or annual renewal.
C
Caching
Caching is the fast, temporary storage of recently or frequently used information. Storing this information in the cache allows for faster data retrieval.
Emptying the cache of a website will allow it to run faster by dumping its old data.
CDN
Stands for Content Delivery Network. A CDN is essentially a server that is located in a more geographically convenient location to benefit your website. Using a CDN is like having a mini-server nearby to help run your website faster and more efficiently.
Cloud
The ‘cloud’ is a virtual space, used for storage or data processing. A cloud is a metaphorical ‘shared’ space which multiple different systems or computers may inhabit for shared resources, processing, and information.
CMS
Stands for a Content Management System. A CMS is basically a computer application for creating digital content, like WordPress! There are other types of CMS, such as Joomla and Drupal, but WordPress is the most popular and widely used. A CMS allows for the creation (and management) of online content, like writing articles, or creating video blogs, as well as hosting forums.
CNAME
Stands for Canonical Name. CNAME records can be used to alias one domain name to another. As an example, you may want blog.website.com to also be accessed via news.website.com; this can be done by adding a CNAME record that points news.website.com to blog.website.com, essentially creating two different ‘doors’ to the same location!
cPanel
A type of control panel, or dashboard, from which you can manage and oversee your hosting account and website.
cPanel is the brand name for a specific kind of control panel in use by a wide variety of hosting companies. WPX Hosting does not use cPanel specifically but instead uses a customised, streamlined control panel with similar functionality.
Credentials
The vital details needed to access your website, hosting account, admin panel, etc. Credentials are the collective name for passwords and usernames, as well as any other key information necessary to access an online account.
Customer Support
This is the service provided by WPX Hosting to resolve customer issues. Customer support includes our fast Live Chat, Email Tickets requesting help, and any other direct contact with technical experts from WPX looking for help or to resolve relevant issues. Customer support with WPX Hosting is available 24/7 365 days of the year; you can open a support ticket here.
D
Dana Foundation
A Non-Profit canine charity organisation based in Sofia, Bulgaria and founded by Losinka Bakalska. The Dana Foundation strives to amend the homeless dog crisis in Sofia; they do this by providing stray dogs with food and medical care as well as promoting adoption. You can find out more about how WPX Hosting helps homeless dogs and The Dana Foundation here.
Data Centre
A data centre is a large server storage site. Data centres house and maintain hundreds and even thousands of servers. WPX Hosting uses the world’s largest data centre, the Lakeside Datacenter in Chicago, for our servers. WPX also has a data centre based in London.
Database
A database is the name for any kind of electronic, computerised information library. It is literally a base for data. In practical terms, a database is where important information related to your website is kept and stored.
DDoS
A Distributed Denial-of-Service is a form of cyber-attack. The perpetrator of this kind of cyber-attack will use multiple unique IP addresses (possibly thousands of them) simultaneously to attack a specific online location, such as a website or server.
WPX Hosting provides Enterprise-level DDoS Protection completely free of charge with your hosting to protect your site from such attacks.
Disk Space
This is the physical limit to the amount of website data that can be stored on a server/database. Like Bandwidth, Disk Space consumes resources and is limited to varying degrees every month, depending on your hosting plan. Your own computer relies on a finite amount of Disk Space to store data.
DNS
A Domain Name System is a hierarchical naming structure for computers and online services. Essentially, a DNS is a network system used to translate names into IP addresses.
Domain Name
This is an identification string that defines autonomy, authority, and control over a web address. Domain Names represent an Internet Protocol (IP) resource, such as a PC or a web site. Selecting a unique Domain for your website (e.g. www.jeffsnaturalcandles.com or www.homemadecandles.com) classifies it as your own, giving it its identity.
Domain Registrar
This is the company/entity that manages the reservation of internet domain names. Domain Registrars are verified vendors of domains; WPX Hosting serves not only as a hosting provider but also a Domain Registrar, so we sell both hosting and domains.
Domain Transfer
This is the process of changing the designated Registrar of a domain name. For example, changing your Domain Registrar from GoDaddy to WPX Hosting.
E
Email
Electronic Mail is a method of exchanging messages between email users via the internet. Emails are the most common form of communication nowadays and an email address is an essential piece of information to access online services, such as Facebook, Amazon, and WPX Hosting. WPX provides email free with your hosting.
Email Alias
This is a method of separating one email address into multiple names. This allows you to maintain only one email box but have multiple email ‘names’ associated with it.
For example, you may have jeff@naturalcandles as your main address but using email aliases will allow you to have info@naturalcandles and study@naturalcandles too. Using aliases, everything sent to an alias email address is received in the primary email inbox.
Email Address/Account
An email address is the online location of your own, personal email account. An email account can be set up with a variety of different services, such as Google (Gmail), Yahoo, AOL, Microsoft (Hotmail), and even WPX Hosting.
Email forwarding
This is the straightforward process of sending an email, that was addressed to you, to another email user. Forwarding an email allows others to become involved and/or informed about a conversation happening through email. All email systems have a forwarding function.
EPP-Key/Auth. Code
When transferring a domain from one Domain Registrar to another, an Authorisation Code (‘Auth Code’ or EPP) is required. This EPP-Key was introduced to create a stronger link between Domain Registrars and their Domains.
F
FFY
This stands for our Fixed For You Guarantee. This is our personal promise that our 24/7 Support Team will handle any website-related issues fast and free – a service not offered by any other hosting providers. The FFY Guarantee means that you can feel free to ask our Support Team to help you with any problems or technical difficulties you may be facing with your website or hosting account.
FTP/SFTP
A File Transfer Protocol is a standard network method for transferring computer files between a user and a network. Uploading computer files to a website usually requires a kind of FTP program (like FileZilla). SFTP is simply the more secured, encrypted transfer of files.
G
GDPR
The European Union’s new General Data Protection Regulations will come into effect on May 25th. These new regulations, overseen by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Commission, intend to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the European Union (EU). Although it is a EU regulation, the GDPR will have a global influence and even affects non-EU companies and businesses. To find out more, see our article here!
Georgi Petrov
The co-CEO of WPX Hosting, Georgi Petrov began the company with Terry Kyle to provide professional, high quality hosting to entrepreneurs and businesses. Georgi Petrov takes care of the more technical aspects of WPX Hosting, working closely with developers and programmers.
H
Hosting
This is essentially like renting property (server space), onto which you can build your house (website) and give your house a name and address (domain name and IP address).
Hosting Panel
This is basically the control station, or home menu, of your hosting service. On the WPX website, after you log in, you will arrive at your Hosting Panel. From here, you can oversee your hosting, view files, and adjust settings. The Hosting Panel is your go-to location for making any important changes to your account, such as accessing your File Manager or installing a free SSL.
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language is a kind of coding language and is now the standard for creating webpages and web applications. When accessing a website, your web browser receives a HTML document of the page, which it then converts into a readable, visual format.
HTTP
Short for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol, this is the essential foundation for transferring information across the Internet. HTTP has evolved steadily since the late 1990s but the latest version, HTTP/2 was recently released in 2015.
HTTP/2
The newest, most efficient protocol for information transfer on the Internet. Having only been introduced to the World Wide Web recently, standardisation is slow but gradual. Major web servers are now supporting it and is WPX Hosting already running HTTP/2 on its servers.
HTTPS
This is the Secured version of regular HTTP. Seeing HTTPS in the URL indicates that the website is secured and that personal information used to access this website, such as Facebook or your Email account, is kept safe.
HTTPS also signifies that a website is using an SSL Certificate, indicating an added level of safety.
I
Internet Protocol
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the IP for communication. IP is used to host or network interface identification and location addressing.
J
Joey
Terry Kyle’s golden retriever; she is the happy face of WPX Hosting and always accompanies her master. Joey is a mainstay at the WPX office and provides both a positive mood and a natural companion for the staff. Everybody is always happy to see Joey and likewise, she is always happy to receive some food and attention.
K
L
Logs (Access/Error)
These are the records kept with information relevant to website errors and access details. You can view these logs through your Hosting Panel on the WPX Hosting website.
M
Malware
Short for Malicious Software, is the term for a variety of hostile and infectious software. Malware includes computer viruses, ransomware, Trojan Horses, spyware, and others. Malware is created by another user with the intent to cause disruption or harm to another; software such as anti-virus and firewalls are used to protect against Malware.
WPX Hosting provides free, daily malware scanning on all websites and even offers malware removal, a free service unique to WPX.
Managed Hosting
A type of web hosting service in which most (if not all) of the technical work (including installing updates, changing important settings, and general maintenance) is taken care of by your hosting provider’s technical support.
WPX Hosting provides Managed WordPress Hosting, so you needn’t worry about the complex techie stuff!
Migration
The process of moving a website’s contents from one hosting provider to another. Site migration is handled by professionals at WPX Hosting without the need of any work from customers.
Multisite (WordPress)
A WordPress feature which allows users to create a network of sites on a single WordPress installation. This is an effective way to manage multiple blogs or sites without taking up more website hosting slots.
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