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Glossary

Here we explain key terms from our texts briefly and in plain language, and spell out abbreviations.

301
301 is a status code that the server sends. It tells browsers and search engines that a page has moved to a new address for good.
a.m.
ante meridiem (morning)
AAAA
IPv6 address record in DNS
ABDA
Bundesvereinigung Deutscher Apothekerverbände (Federal Union of German Associations of Pharmacists)
Accessibility
Accessibility means that a site works for all, as far as it can. That includes those who see or hear poorly or use no mouse.
AG
Aktiengesellschaft (stock corporation)
Agency
An agency is a firm that plans, designs and builds sites for its clients. At XICflow, one of the plans is also called Agency.
AGG
Allgemeines Gleichbehandlungsgesetz (German General Equal Treatment Act)
AI
artificial intelligence
Alt text
Alt text (short for alternative text) is a short description of an image. Screen readers read it out, and it shows up when the image does not load.
Analytics
Analytics shows how people use a site. You see which pages are read a lot and where people come from.
AO
Abgabenordnung (German Fiscal Code)
API
application programming interface
APP
Applications (layer of the BSI IT-Grundschutz Compendium)
approx.
approximately
ArbGG
Arbeitsgerichtsgesetz (German Labour Courts Act)
ARD
Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (German public broadcasting network)
ARIA
Accessible Rich Internet Applications
Art.
Article
ASCII
American Standard Code for Information Interchange
AUMA
Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft (Association of the German Trade Fair Industry)
AV
allgemein verwendbare Anlagegüter (general-purpose fixed assets, depreciation table of the Federal Ministry of Finance)
AVIF
AV1 Image File Format
B2B
business-to-business
B2C
business-to-consumer
Backup
A backup is a safe copy of data, such as a whole site. If something is lost, you can use it to get the old state back.
BayLDA
Bayerisches Landesamt für Datenschutzaufsicht (Bavarian Data Protection Authority)
BayStrWG
Bayerisches Straßen- und Wegegesetz (Bavarian Roads Act)
BDSG
Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (German Federal Data Protection Act)
BEG
Bundesförderung für effiziente Gebäude (federal funding for efficient buildings)
BF17
accompanied driving from age 17 (Begleitetes Fahren ab 17)
BfDI
Bundesbeauftragte für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (Federal Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information)
BFSG
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (German Accessibility Strengthening Act)
BFSGV
Verordnung zum Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (ordinance under the German Accessibility Strengthening Act)
BGB
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (German Civil Code)
BGL
Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts- und Sportplatzbau (German landscaping trade association)
BHO
Bundeshaushaltsordnung (Federal Budget Code)
BIBB
Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training)
BITV
Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung (German Barrier-Free Information Technology Ordinance)
Block
A block is a ready part of a page, such as a text, an image or a form. In the editor you build pages from blocks, and elsewhere a block can just mean a part of a text.
BMBFSFJ
Bundesministerium für Bildung, Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (German Federal Ministry of Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth)
BMEL
Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft (former German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture)
BMFSFJ
Bundesministerium für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (former Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth; now BMBFSFJ)
BMLEH
Bundesministerium für Landwirtschaft, Ernährung und Heimat (German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity)
BMWSB
Bundesministerium für Wohnen, Stadtentwicklung und Bauwesen (German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building)
BOM
byte order mark
Branding
Branding means all that makes a brand easy to know, such as the logo, the colours and the fonts. On a website it gives one clear look.
BSI
Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (Federal Office for Information Security)
BStBl
Bundessteuerblatt (Federal Tax Gazette)
BWP
Bundesverband Wärmepumpe (German Heat Pump Association)
bzw.
beziehungsweise (or, respectively)
CA
certificate authority
Cache
A cache is a store for files that are needed again. The browser or the server keeps them there so that a page loads faster next time.
Call to action
A call to action asks the visitor to take the next step, mostly as a button. Examples are “Send enquiry” or “Book an appointment”.
canonical
canonical is a note in the code with the main address of a page. If the page can be reached at more than one address, it tells search engines which one should count.
CAPTCHA
Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
CDN
content delivery network
Chatbot
A chatbot is a program that answers questions in a chat. Today it is often run by an AI.
CJEU
Court of Justice of the European Union
CLS
Cumulative Layout Shift
CMS
content management system
CNAME
canonical name (alias record in DNS)
CO2
carbon dioxide
CON
Concepts and Procedures (layer of the BSI IT-Grundschutz Compendium)
Contrast
Contrast is the difference in brightness between text and its background. If it is too weak, many people find the text hard to read.
Conversion
A conversion is when a visitor does what the business hopes for. That can be an enquiry, a call or a booking.
Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are three measures from Google for how good a page is. They show how fast it loads, how fast it reacts to input and if it stays still while it loads.
CORS
Cross-Origin Resource Sharing
Crawler
A crawler is a program that visits and reads websites on its own. Search engines use crawlers to find new and changed pages.
Credits
Credits, also called AI credits, pay for AI use when the quota of the month runs out, and you can buy them as a pack. For a photo, credits name who made it.
CRM
customer relationship management
CRUD
create, read, update, delete
CSRF
cross-site request forgery
CSS
Cascading Style Sheets
CSV
comma-separated values
CTR
click-through rate
CV
curriculum vitae
Dashboard
A dashboard is an overview that shows key figures and areas at a glance. At XICflow you reach the brand settings from there, for example.
DAT
Deutsche Automobil Treuhand
DDG
Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (German Digital Services Act)
Dec
December
DEHOGA
Deutscher Hotel- und Gaststättenverband (German hotel and restaurant association)
DGUV
Deutsche Gesetzliche Unfallversicherung (German Social Accident Insurance)
DIHK
Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer (formerly Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag; umbrella organisation of the German chambers of commerce and industry)
DIN
Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization)
DJI
Deutsches Jugendinstitut (German Youth Institute)
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance
DNS
Domain Name System
DOM
Document Object Model
Domain
The domain is the name under which a website can be found on the web. You register it with a provider and then link it to your site.
DOSB
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (German Olympic Sports Confederation)
Double opt-in
Double opt-in is a sign-up in two steps, say for a newsletter: first you type your address, then you confirm with a click in a mail. This shows that the person wanted to sign up.
DPMA
Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt (German Patent and Trade Mark Office)
Dr.
Doctor
Drag and drop
Drag and drop means that you grab an item, move it to a new place and let go. In the editor you can sort blocks this way.
DSGVO
Datenschutz-Grundverordnung (General Data Protection Regulation)
DSSV
Arbeitgeberverband deutscher Fitness- und Gesundheitsanlagen (German employers’ association of fitness and health facilities)
DTV
Deutscher Tourismusverband (German Tourism Association)
e. K.
eingetragener Kaufmann (registered merchant)
e. V.
eingetragener Verein (registered association)
e.g.
exempli gratia (for example)
ECC
E-Commerce-Center (ECC Köln)
Editor
The editor is the place where you work on a website. There you change texts, images and blocks and see the result right away.
EDPB
European Data Protection Board
EEG
Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz (German Renewable Energy Sources Act)
eG
eingetragene Genossenschaft (registered cooperative)
eGbR
eingetragene Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts (registered civil law partnership)
EN
European Standard (Europäische Norm)
EN 301 549
EN 301 549 is a standard in Europe so that all people can use digital content. For websites, it takes over the A and AA checks of the WCAG.
ENISA
European Union Agency for Cybersecurity
EPS
Encapsulated PostScript
EStDV
Einkommensteuer-Durchführungsverordnung (Income Tax Implementing Ordinance)
EStG
Einkommensteuergesetz (Income Tax Act)
et seq.
et sequentes (and the following)
EU
European Union
EUR
euro
EV
electric vehicle
EX
diseases of the extremities and the pelvis (diagnosis group in the German Heilmittelkatalog)
EY
Ernst & Young
FAQ
frequently asked questions
Favicon
A favicon is the small icon of a website that shows up in the browser tab. It usually shows the logo of the business.
Feb
February
ff.
and the following
Font
A font is a typeface, the style of the letters. It sets how the text on a page looks.
Funnel
A funnel is a way to picture the path from visitor to client. Many people go in at the top, and enquiries come out at the bottom.
G-BA
Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (Federal Joint Committee)
GB
gigabyte
GbR
Gesellschaft bürgerlichen Rechts (civil law partnership)
GDPR
General Data Protection Regulation
GDV
Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft (German Insurance Association)
GEG
Gebäudeenergiegesetz (German Building Energy Act)
GewO
Gewerbeordnung (German Trade Regulation Act)
ggf.
gegebenenfalls (if applicable)
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format
GKV
gesetzliche Krankenversicherung (statutory health insurance)
GmbH
Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (German limited liability company)
GModG
Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz (Building Modernisation Act)
GoBD
Grundsätze zur ordnungsmäßigen Führung und Aufbewahrung von Büchern, Aufzeichnungen und Unterlagen in elektronischer Form sowie zum Datenzugriff
GOT
Gebührenordnung für Tierärztinnen und Tierärzte (German veterinary fee schedule)
GPS
Global Positioning System
GPU
graphics processing unit
Gradient
A gradient is a blend in which one colour fades softly into another. For ramps, the word gradient means how steep the slope is.
GVA
Gesamtverband Autoteile-Handel (German automotive parts trade association)
GW
gigawatt
GWh
gigawatt-hour
HDE
Handelsverband Deutschland (German Retail Federation)
Hero
The hero is the large first section at the top of a page. It mostly shows a heading, an image and a button for the next step.
HEX
hexadecimal
HGB
Handelsgesetzbuch (German Commercial Code)
HGrG
Haushaltsgrundsätzegesetz (Budgetary Principles Act)
HMAC
hash-based message authentication code
Hosting
Hosting means that a website is kept on a server so that visitors can reach it. The firm that does this is called a host.
HR
human resources
HRB
Handelsregister Abteilung B (commercial register, section B)
hreflang
hreflang is a note in the code that lists the languages of a page for search engines. So people mostly land on the page in their own language.
HSL
hue, saturation, lightness
HSTS
HTTP Strict Transport Security
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language
HTML5
Hypertext Markup Language, version 5
HTTP
Hypertext Transfer Protocol
HTTPS
Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
HWG
Heilmittelwerbegesetz (German Act on Advertising in the Field of Healthcare)
HwO
Handwerksordnung (German Crafts Code)
i.e.
id est (that is)
IAB
Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (Institute for Employment Research)
ICANN
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICT
information and communication technology
ID
identifier, identification
IEA
International Energy Agency
IETF
Internet Engineering Task Force
IFK
Interessengemeinschaft freiberuflicher Krankengymnasten, today Bundesverband selbstständiger Physiotherapeuten (German association of self-employed physiotherapists)
IKT
Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologie (information and communication technology)
IMAP
Internet Message Access Protocol
incl.
including
Indexing
Indexing means that a search engine adds a page to its list of known pages. Only then can the page show up in search results.
inkl.
inklusive (including)
Inline
Inline means in place, such as an icon in the code, not in a file. You edit text inline in the preview, and inline blocks join the part on top.
INP
Interaction to Next Paint
IP
Internet Protocol
IPv4
Internet Protocol version 4
ISE
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
IT
information technology
ITIC
Information Technology Intelligence Consulting
IVH
Industrieverband Heimtierbedarf (German pet supplies industry association)
IW
Institut der deutschen Wirtschaft (German Economic Institute)
Jan
January
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group
JPG
Joint Photographic Experts Group (file extension of the JPEG format)
JS
JavaScript
JSON
JavaScript Object Notation
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data)
JSON-LD is a format for adding structured data to a page. It usually sits in the head of the page, and visitors do not see it.
KB
kilobyte
KBA
Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (Federal Motor Transport Authority)
KBV
Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians)
KfW
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau
KI
künstliche Intelligenz (artificial intelligence)
KOFA
Kompetenzzentrum Fachkräftesicherung (Competence Centre for Securing Skilled Labour)
KSchG
Kündigungsschutzgesetz (German Protection Against Dismissal Act)
KUG
Kunsturhebergesetz (German Act on Copyright in Works of Fine Art and Photography)
KunstUrhG
Kunsturhebergesetz (Act on Copyright in Works of Fine Art and Photography)
kW
kilowatt
kWp
kilowatt peak
Landing page
A landing page is a page made for one goal, such as an ad or a campaign. People who click the ad land right there.
LCP
Largest Contentful Paint
LDI
Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit (state data protection commissioner)
LE
Let's Encrypt (certificate authority)
LEO
Level-One study (study series of the University of Hamburg)
LfDI
Landesbeauftragter für den Datenschutz und die Informationsfreiheit (State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information)
Lighthouse
Lighthouse is a test tool from Google for web pages. It gives a score in four areas, such as speed and accessibility.
lit.
litera (letter)
llms.txt
The llms.txt is a short text file on a website that sums up how the site is built and its key addresses for AI tools. It is still a fairly new idea.
LMIDV
Lebensmittelinformations-Durchführungsverordnung (German implementing regulation on food information)
MaBV
Makler- und Bauträgerverordnung (Estate Agents and Property Developers Ordinance)
Mar
March
MarkenG
Markengesetz (Trade Mark Act)
max.
maximal (maximum)
MB
megabyte
MBO-Ä
(Muster-)Berufsordnung für die in Deutschland tätigen Ärztinnen und Ärzte (model professional code for physicians)
Mega menu
A mega menu is a large menu that opens across the page. It shows many items at once, set out in columns or cards.
Meta description
The meta description is a short text about a page in its code. Search engines often show it below the title in their results.
min.
minimum
Mobile-first
Mobile-first means a page is planned for the phone first and then for large screens. At Google it also means that mainly the phone view of a page counts.
MOT
Ministry of Transport test (annual vehicle test in the UK)
MP4
MPEG-4 Part 14 (video format)
MPhG
Masseur- und Physiotherapeutengesetz (German Masseurs and Physiotherapists Act)
MsbG
Messstellenbetriebsgesetz (Metering Point Operation Act)
MW
megawatt
MX
mail exchanger (mail server record in DNS)
NAP
name, address and phone number
no.
number
No.
number
noindex
noindex is a note in the code of a page. It tells search engines to keep the page out of their search results.
nos.
numbers
Nov
November
NRW
Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia)
OG
Open Graph
OH
Orientierungshilfe (guidance)
Open Graph
Open Graph is a set of notes in the code for how a shared link looks. It covers the title, the text and the preview image, called OG image.
OPS
Operations (layer of the BSI IT-Grundschutz Compendium)
ORP
Organisation and Personnel (layer of the BSI IT-Grundschutz Compendium)
p.m.
post meridiem (afternoon)
P.O.
post office
PageSpeed
PageSpeed stands for a score of how fast a page loads, which sums up several tests in one number. At XICflow, the goal is a score of 100.
PAngV
Preisangabenverordnung (Price Indication Ordinance)
para.
paragraph
PDF
Portable Document Format
PDF/UA
PDF/Universal Accessibility (accessible PDF under ISO 14289)
Plugin
A plugin is an add-on that gives a program or a site a new function. A social plugin is a button from a social network that sits on a page.
PNG
Portable Network Graphics
PO
post office
Prof.
Professor
Prompt
A prompt is an input, and for an AI it is the text that tells it what to do. In a browser, a prompt can also be a small window that asks you to choose.
Publish
To publish means to put a site online so that all can see it. After a change you republish, and then the new version is live.
PV
photovoltaics
PWA
progressive web app
Q1
first quarter
QR
quick response
RAG
retrieval-augmented generation
RAID
redundant array of independent disks
RDFa
Resource Description Framework in Attributes
Redirect
A redirect sends visitors from an old address to a new one. You need it when a page moves or gets a new name.
Responsive
Responsive means that a page adapts to the size of the screen. It then works well on a computer, a tablet and a phone.
RFC
Request for Comments
RGB
red, green, blue
Rich result
A rich result is a search entry with more details, such as stars from reviews or the hours a firm is open. It is often based on structured data.
robots.txt
The robots.txt is a small text file on the server. It tells search engines which parts of a website they may fetch and which they may not.
RSS
Really Simple Syndication
SaaS
software as a service
Schema.org
Schema.org is an open set of words for structured data. It sets the names that code uses for a firm, a service or a question.
Screen reader
A screen reader is a program that reads the content of a page aloud. It also reads out the alt text of images and the names of form fields.
SEO (search engine optimisation)
SEO stands for search engine optimisation. It means all the work that helps search engines find a website and show it well.
Sep
September
Sept
September
SGB
Sozialgesetzbuch (German Social Code)
SHA256
Secure Hash Algorithm with 256 bits
Sitemap
A sitemap is a file that lists the pages of a site. It helps search engines find the pages.
SME
small and medium-sized enterprises
SMOG
Simple Measure of Gobbledygook
SMS
Short Message Service
Snippet
A snippet is the short entry of a page in search results. It usually shows the title, the address and a short text about the page.
SPF
Sender Policy Framework
SSE
server-sent events
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer
SSO
single sign-on
St.
Street
Staging
Staging is a test copy of a website that visitors do not see. There you check changes before they go to the live site.
Str.
Straße (street)
Structured data
Structured data is info in the code of a page for search engines. It can give the name of the firm, its address or when it is open.
Subdomain
A subdomain is an extra part in front of the main domain, such as the word shop. It can be used to split parts or languages of a website.
SVG
Scalable Vector Graphics
TDDDG
Telekommunikation-Digitale-Dienste-Datenschutz-Gesetz (German Telecommunications and Digital Services Data Protection Act)
Template
A template is a ready-made pattern that you only need to adapt or fill in. That way you do not have to start from scratch.
TKG
Telekommunikationsgesetz (German Telecommunications Act)
TLS
Transport Layer Security
TMG
Telemediengesetz (former German Telemedia Act, replaced by the DDG)
Token
A token is a kind of ID, such as a digital pass that a program sends with its requests. In the AI chat, use is counted in tokens, with a quota for each month.
TOTP
time-based one-time password
TR
Technische Richtlinie (technical guideline)
Tracking
Tracking means that what people do on sites is followed and studied. A tracker is the program that collects this data.
TTDSG
Telekommunikation-Telemedien-Datenschutz-Gesetz (former name of the TDDDG)
TTL
time to live
TÜV
Technischer Überwachungsverein (technical inspection association)
TXT
text record in DNS
UG
Unternehmergesellschaft (German entrepreneurial company with limited liability)
UrhG
Urheberrechtsgesetz (German Copyright Act)
URI
Uniform Resource Identifier
URL
Uniform Resource Locator
US
United States
USA
United States of America
UStDV
Umsatzsteuer-Durchführungsverordnung (VAT Implementing Ordinance)
UStG
Umsatzsteuergesetz (VAT Act)
UTF-8
Unicode Transformation Format, 8-bit
UUID
universally unique identifier
UWG
Gesetz gegen den unlauteren Wettbewerb (German Act against Unfair Competition)
UX
user experience
VAT
value added tax
VDI
Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (Association of German Engineers)
vgl.
vergleiche (compare)
VR
Vereinsregister (register of associations)
VSBG
Verbraucherstreitbeilegungsgesetz (German Consumer Dispute Resolution Act)
W3C
World Wide Web Consortium
WC
toilet (water closet)
WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Web font
A web font is a font that is loaded from the web when a page opens. If it comes from a server of some other firm, data goes to that firm.
WebAIM
Web Accessibility In Mind
WebAuthn
Web Authentication
Webhook
A webhook is an address to which a system sends data on its own when something happens. At XICflow, each new enquiry can go on to another tool this way.
Website builder
A website builder is a tool to make a site from ready parts without code. With an AI website builder, an AI makes the first draft from what you tell it.
WebVTT
Web Video Text Tracks
WEG
Wohnungseigentumsgesetz (German Condominium Act)
Widget
A widget is a small element that you embed in a page, such as a map or a box with reviews. It often comes from another provider.
WLAN
wireless local area network
WOFF
Web Open Font Format
WOFF2
Web Open Font Format 2
WoVermRG
Gesetz zur Regelung der Wohnungsvermittlung (German act regulating housing brokerage)
WPA2
Wi-Fi Protected Access 2
WPA3
Wi-Fi Protected Access 3
XL
extra large
XML
Extensible Markup Language
z. B.
zum Beispiel (for example)
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (German public television broadcaster)
ZDH
Zentralverband des Deutschen Handwerks (German Confederation of Skilled Crafts)
ZertVerwV
Zertifizierter-Verwalter-Prüfungsverordnung (Certified Manager Examination Ordinance)
ZiviZ
Zivilgesellschaft in Zahlen (Civil Society in Figures)
ZR
appeals on points of law in civil matters (register code of the German Federal Court of Justice)
ZVSHK
Zentralverband Sanitär Heizung Klima (German plumbing, heating and air-conditioning association)
ZZF
Zentralverband Zoologischer Fachbetriebe Deutschlands (German pet trade association)