Custom software glossary The words,
in plain English.

Designing and building software so people with disabilities can use it — for example with a keyboard, a screen reader, or larger text. Good accessibility tends to make software easier for everyone.

A defined way for one piece of software to request information or actions from another. Most modern platforms offer an API so other systems can connect to them without anyone copying data by hand.

Confirming who someone is, usually with a sign-in. Common methods include passwords, one-time codes, and single sign-on.

Deciding what a signed-in person is allowed to see and do. In business software this is usually organized into roles.

The part of software that runs on a server: storing data, applying business rules, and talking to other systems. People don’t see it directly.

Software for editing and publishing website content without writing code. WordPress is a widely used example.

Software designed and built for one organization’s specific needs, as opposed to an off-the-shelf product sold to many customers.

A secure area where customers sign in to see their own information, submit requests, and follow progress.

A screen that brings key numbers, statuses, and trends together so people can see what needs attention at a glance.

Moving information from one system to another: mapping old fields to new ones, cleaning the data, and checking that everything arrived correctly.

Organized storage for the information an application uses, such as customers, orders, or records, designed to be searched and updated reliably.

Putting a version of the software into the environment where people use it.

The part of software people see and use in a browser or app: screens, forms, buttons, and navigation.

The servers and services that run software and make it available over the internet.

The encrypted version of the web’s protocol. It protects information traveling between a browser and a website.

A connection that lets two or more systems share information automatically.

Platforms that let people assemble applications from visual building blocks with little hand-written code. Fast for some jobs, limiting for others.

The smallest version of a piece of software that is genuinely useful, built first so it can be used and improved.

A ready-made product sold to many organizations, usually by subscription.

At Citadel Matrix, the document that states what will be built and what it costs, based on the agreed requirements. Nothing is built until it is accepted.

A clear description of what software must do and for whom: the basis for a quote and for the build.

Layouts that adapt to the size of the screen, so one website or app works on phones, tablets, and desktops.

Permissions grouped by role, such as staff, manager, or customer, so each person sees and does only what their role requires.

Making a website easier for search engines to understand and for people to find, through clear structure, useful content, and fast pages.

A file that lists a website’s pages so search engines can find them.

Letting people use one existing account, such as their work account, to sign in to several systems.

Labels added to a web page’s code that describe its content — an organization, a service, a question — in a format search engines understand.

Checking that software works as intended before people rely on it, from automated checks to people trying real tasks.

The final check in which the people who will use the software confirm it does what was agreed.

Software that runs in a web browser and lets people do work: sign in, enter and update information, and follow processes.

A message one system sends to another the moment something happens, such as a new order, so the receiving system can react right away.

Having software carry out repetitive, rules-based steps — routing, reminders, filling documents — so people can focus on work that needs judgment.