tomyl.ink glossary

Plain-English definitions for the words you run into when you build a personal website, set up a link-in-bio page or social profile, and look after your privacy and reputation online. Where a term comes from a standard or an official body, such as ICANN, the W3C, the FTC or CISA, the definition follows that source.

A record: A DNS record that holds the IPv4 address a domain name points to; its IPv6 counterpart is called an AAAA record. Website hosts commonly ask you to add or change an A record so your domain loads their servers.; Related:Domain Name System (DNS)CNAME record Web hosting
Account recovery information: The backup email addresses and phone numbers a service uses to confirm it's you when you're locked out or resetting a password. After a hacked account is back under your control, the FTC advises making sure those recovery contacts are ones you entered and can still access.; Related:Multifactor authentication (MFA)Impersonation account Credential stuffing
Alt text: A text alternative attached to an image that conveys its information or function to people who can't see it, including screen reader users. The W3C advises a brief description that conveys the meaning of an informative image, the link destination or action for an image used as a link or button, and an empty alt attribute (alt="") for purely decorative images.; Related:WCAG Contrast ratio
Auth-Info code: A unique code, also called an AuthInfo, authorization or transfer code, that a registrar creates to identify the domain holder and help prevent unauthorized transfers. You need it to move a domain from one registrar to another, so treat it like a password.; Related:Transfer lock Registrar
CNAME record: A canonical name record, a DNS record that makes one name an alias of another, for example pointing www.example.com at a hostname a hosting service gives you. Under the DNS standard (RFC 1034), a name that has a CNAME should hold no other data. A bare domain such as example.com is the top of its zone and must carry other records, such as its nameserver (NS) records, so CNAMEs are normally used on subdomains such as www rather than on the bare domain.; Related:A record Subdomain Domain Name System (DNS)
Content management system (CMS): Software that lets you publish, organize, change or remove content such as text, images, video and audio, usually through an editor rather than by writing code. Many website and blogging tools are built around a CMS.; Related:Web hosting Responsive design
Contrast ratio: A measure of how much text stands out from its background, expressed as a ratio such as 4.5:1. WCAG 2.2's minimum contrast criterion (Level AA) asks for at least 4.5:1 for regular text and 3:1 for large-scale text, defined as at least 18 point, or 14 point bold.; Related:WCAG Alt text
Credential stuffing: An automated attack in which criminals take username and password pairs stolen in one data breach and try them on the login pages of other sites. It works because many people reuse the same login details, which is why every account needs a unique password.; Related:Password manager Multifactor authentication (MFA)Account recovery information
Custom profile URL: A profile web address that uses a name you choose instead of a string of numbers, often based on your handle. Whether you can set or change one, and how often, varies by platform, so check that platform's own help pages.; Related:Handle URL
Cybersquatting: Intentionally registering a domain name that matches a commercial trademark or the name of a well-known person, usually to sell it to the legitimate owner at an inflated price. In generic TLDs, the legitimate owner may be able to start a UDRP proceeding.; Related:UDRP Domain name Impersonation account
Data broker: A company that collects information about people and sells or shares it with others, such as advertisers, businesses or individuals. The FTC notes that people search sites are one type of data broker.; Related:People search site Digital footprint Personally identifiable information (PII)
Digital footprint: The trail of information about you that exists online, including what you post, what others post about you, your account profiles and records compiled by data brokers. Some of it you control directly; the rest you can only influence, for example through privacy settings or opt-out requests.; Related:Personal brand Data broker Personally identifiable information (PII)
Domain name: A unique, human-readable name, such as example.com, that forms the basis of the web addresses and email addresses people use to find you. It is made of segments called labels separated by dots, and registering one gives you the right to use it for a set period rather than owning it outright.; Related:Top-level domain (TLD)Registrar Domain renewal
Domain Name System (DNS): The internet's lookup system that translates domain names into the numeric IP addresses computers use to find each other. Connecting your domain to a website or email service is done by adding or editing DNS records.; Related:Nameserver A record CNAME record
Domain renewal: Extending a domain registration before it reaches its expiration date; if you don't renew, you may lose the right to use the name. For generic TLDs, ICANN describes a 45-day Auto-Renew Grace Period after expiration, during which registrars often, but not always, allow renewal, and, at all but sponsored gTLD registries, a 30-day Redemption Grace Period after deletion, during which the registrant can still redeem the name through the registrar, which may carry a restore fee.; Related:Domain name Registrar Transfer lock
Doxing: Also spelled doxxing. CISA's current guidance (February 2026) describes doxing as gathering a person's personally identifiable information, or an organization's sensitive information, "from open sources or compromised materials and releasing it publicly or using it for malicious purposes." It can lead to stalking, swatting or extortion. CISA advises reporting it to local law enforcement and to any platform where the information appeared, and considering a report to the FBI's IC3; if you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.; Related:Swatting Personally identifiable information (PII)People search site
Handle: The unique username that identifies an account on a social platform, often shown with an @ symbol. Using the same or a similar handle across platforms makes it easier for people to recognize your real accounts.; Related:Custom profile URL Impersonation account Personal brand
HTTPS: An encrypted version of HTTP, the protocol browsers use to load web pages. It uses TLS to encrypt all communication between a visitor's browser and your site, so information such as form entries and passwords can be exchanged safely.; Related:TLS certificate URL
ICANN: The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation formed in 1998 that helps coordinate the internet's unique identifiers, including domain names. It accredits registrars and coordinates the rules for generic top-level domains, such as the policies on transfers and domain disputes.; Related:Registrar Top-level domain (TLD)UDRP
Impersonation account: A fake profile that copies a real person's name, photos or handle to deceive others, for example to scam that person's friends or followers. Report it through the platform's own help center. If the account is used for fraud, extortion or threats, you can also report it to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) or local police, and anyone in immediate danger should call 911.; Related:Verified badge Handle Doxing
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): The FBI-run central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime. IC3 says that anyone in immediate danger should call 911 or local police, that crimes against children should be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and that IC3 will never contact you directly to ask for information or money.; Related:Phishing Doxing Swatting
Link in bio: A link placed in a social media profile that leads to a simple page listing several destinations, such as your website, portfolio, newsletter or latest project. The page can live on your own website or on a dedicated link-in-bio service.; Related:Handle UTM parameters Open Graph tags
Location tagging: Attaching a place to a post, photo or check-in, either by choosing it yourself or automatically through your device. CISA's current doxing guidance recommends checking the location tagging settings on each social media profile and regularly reviewing your privacy and location tagging settings.; Related:Doxing Digital footprint
Material connection: The FTC's term for a relationship with a brand that your audience might not expect, such as a business, personal, family or employment tie, payment, or free or discounted products. If you endorse something you have a material connection to, the FTC expects you to disclose it clearly yourself; it says starting a post with labels like "Ad:" or "#ad" would likely be effective.; Related:Personal brand Link in bio
Multifactor authentication (MFA): Signing in with two or more different kinds of proof: something you know, like a password; something you have, like a phone or security key; or something you are, like a fingerprint. The FTC notes it is also called two-factor authentication or two-step verification, and it is usually not turned on by default.; Related:Passkey Password manager Account recovery information
Nameserver: A server in the Domain Name System that answers queries about a domain, such as which IP address it uses. The nameservers listed for your domain determine where its authoritative DNS records live, so changing them moves control of all those records to a different provider at once.; Related:Domain Name System (DNS)Registrar A record
Open Graph tags: Meta tags defined by the Open Graph protocol, such as og:title, og:description, og:image and og:url, that a web page uses to describe how it should appear when shared. Social and messaging apps can read them to build a link preview, and the protocol recommends adding og:image:alt to describe the preview image.; Related:Link in bio Search engine optimization (SEO)Alt text
Passkey: A sign-in credential based on FIDO standards that is stored on your phone, computer or a hardware security key and lets you sign in the same way you unlock the device, such as with a fingerprint or other biometric, a PIN or a pattern. Because there is no password to type or steal, passkeys are designed to resist phishing.; Related:Multifactor authentication (MFA)Password manager Phishing
Password manager: A program that creates, stores and fills in passwords for you, so every account can have a long, random and unique password without your having to remember it. CISA lists using a password manager among its core steps for staying safe online, and NIST's digital identity guidelines (SP 800-63B-4) note that password managers have been shown to make people more likely to choose stronger passwords.; Related:Credential stuffing Multifactor authentication (MFA)Passkey
People search site: A site, also called a people finder site, that compiles personal information from sources like other data brokers, public social media profiles and government public records into reports it sells to anyone. The FTC explains that you can ask each site to opt you out, though some information may not be removable and new records can appear, so it is worth checking again periodically.; Related:Data broker Doxing Digital footprint
Personal brand: The overall impression people form of you from what they find online: what you're known for, how you describe your work and how consistently you present yourself across your website and profiles. Building one is mostly a matter of deciding deliberately what to publish and where.; Related:Digital footprint Search engine optimization (SEO)Handle
Personally identifiable information (PII): Information that can be used to distinguish or trace a person's identity, either alone or combined with other information linked to that person. Examples include a name, home address, phone number, date of birth or government ID number.; Related:Doxing Data broker Digital footprint
Phishing: A form of social engineering in which criminals pose as a trusted person or organization to trick you into opening harmful links, emails or attachments or handing over personal information such as passwords. The FTC notes that scammers use email or text messages, and CISA's current guidance says to beware of urgent or emotional language, untrusted shortened URLs and incorrect email addresses and links.; Related:Multifactor authentication (MFA)URL shortener Passkey
Privacy and proxy services: Third-party services that keep a registrant's personal contact information out of public registration data lookups, often still called WHOIS. With a privacy service you remain the holder of record but alternate contact details are shown; a proxy service becomes the domain's holder of record itself and shows its own details.; Related:WHOIS Registrant Doxing
QR code: A square barcode that a phone camera can scan to open a link or other information, often printed on business cards, flyers and signs. The FTC warns that scammers hide harmful links in QR codes, sometimes by covering legitimate ones, so check where a code leads before entering any information.; Related:URL shortener Phishing
Redirect: An instruction that sends visitors and search engines from one URL to another. A permanent redirect (HTTP status 301) is used when a page or site has moved for good, preserving existing links and bookmarks; a temporary redirect is for short-term changes, and search engines don't memorize the temporary address.; Related:URL Search engine optimization (SEO)URL shortener
Registrant: The person or organization that registers a domain name, also called the domain name holder. The registrant enters into a contract with a registrar and makes changes to the domain's settings through that registrar, so it is worth confirming that you, not a designer or friend who helped set things up, are listed.; Related:Registrar WHOIS Privacy and proxy services
Registrar: The company through which you register a domain name. The registrar checks that the name meets the registry's requirements, submits it to the registry (the master database for that top-level domain), collects your contact details, and is where you manage renewals, nameservers and transfers afterward.; Related:Registrant Domain name Auth-Info code
Responsive design: A web design approach that makes pages render well on all screen sizes and resolutions while staying easy to use. WCAG's reflow criterion sets a related bar: content should work at a width equivalent to 320 CSS pixels without needing to scroll in two directions.; Related:WCAG Content management system (CMS)
robots.txt: A plain-text file at the top level of a site that asks automated crawlers, such as search engine bots, not to access certain paths, under the Robots Exclusion Protocol (RFC 9309). The standard says these rules are not a form of access authorization, and listing a path there makes it publicly discoverable, so never rely on it to hide private pages.; Related:Sitemap Search engine optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO): The process of making a website more visible in search results, also described as improving search rankings. For an individual, it often means helping your own site and profiles appear when someone searches your name.; Related:Sitemap Personal brand Redirect
Sitemap: A file, usually in XML, that lists the URLs on a site so search engine crawlers can find them, optionally with details like the date each page was last modified. The format is defined by the Sitemap protocol.; Related:robots.txt Search engine optimization (SEO)
Subdomain: A domain that sits inside a larger one, such as blog.example.com within example.com. Once you register a domain you can usually create subdomains yourself and point each one, for example a blog or portfolio, to a different service.; Related:Domain name CNAME record Domain Name System (DNS)
Swatting: A harassment tactic, described by CISA, that deceives emergency dispatchers into believing people are in imminent danger of death or bodily harm, so police and emergency services are sent to an unsuspecting person's address. CISA notes that addresses leaked through doxing can lead to it; if you are concerned about your physical safety, it advises contacting local law enforcement.; Related:Doxing Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
TLS certificate: A digital certificate that lets a website prove its identity and set up HTTPS. It is often still called an SSL certificate, after SSL, the older protocol that TLS replaced. It binds the site's public key to its owner, is digitally signed by a certificate authority (a trusted entity that issues and revokes certificates), and is valid only for a set period, so it has to be renewed.; Related:HTTPS Web hosting
Top-level domain (TLD): The last segment of a domain name, such as .com, .org or .us. ICANN groups TLDs into generic TLDs (gTLDs) like .com and .net and country code TLDs (ccTLDs) based on two-letter codes like .jp or .fr; because ccTLDs are managed locally, their registration rules vary.; Related:Domain name ICANN
Transfer lock: A domain status, shown in lookups as clientTransferProhibited, that tells the registry to reject requests to transfer the domain to another registrar, which helps prevent unauthorized transfers. ICANN requires registrars to offer a reasonable way to remove the lock when you do want to transfer. Separately, under ICANN's current Transfer Policy a registrar may refuse a transfer within 60 days of a new registration or a previous transfer, and may apply a 60-day transfer lock after a change to the registrant's name, organization or email unless you opted out beforehand. Revised transfer rules from an ICANN policy review are awaiting implementation, so check ICANN's current Transfer Policy before you move a domain.; Related:Auth-Info code Registrar Domain renewal
UDRP: The Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy, an ICANN policy for disputes over allegedly abusive domain registrations such as cybersquatting. It lets trademark holders start an expedited administrative proceeding by filing a complaint with an approved dispute resolution provider.; Related:Cybersquatting ICANN
URL: A uniform resource locator, the full address of a specific page or file on the internet, such as https://www.example.com/about. It identifies the protocol to use (here, https), the domain and the path to the resource.; Related:Domain name HTTPS Redirect
URL shortener: A service that turns a long web address into a short one that redirects to the original. Short links are handy in profiles and print, but they hide the real destination, and CISA's current doxing and phishing guidance tells people to beware of untrusted shortened URLs.; Related:Redirect Phishing QR code
UTM parameters: Tags added to the end of a URL, such as utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, that tell an analytics tool where a visit came from; utm_content can tell apart two links in the same place. For example, a hypothetical link in your profile might end in ?utm_source=profile so you can see those visits separately from newsletter clicks.; Related:Link in bio URL URL shortener
Verified badge: A mark shown on some profiles to signal that the platform has confirmed something about the account, such as that it is authentic. What a badge means, who can get one and whether it costs money differ from platform to platform, so read the platform's help pages instead of assuming.; Related:Impersonation account Handle
WCAG: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the W3C's international standard for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 2.2, published October 5, 2023, and updated December 12, 2024, has 13 guidelines under four principles (perceivable, operable, understandable and robust), each with testable success criteria at levels A, AA and AAA.; Related:Alt text Contrast ratio Responsive design
Web hosting: A service that stores your website's files on a web server connected to the internet so visitors can load them at any time. Your domain and your hosting can come from different providers; DNS records connect the two.; Related:Domain Name System (DNS)A record Content management system (CMS)
WHOIS: The long-standing name for looking up a domain's registration record, such as the registrar, key dates and, depending on privacy rules and services, some contact details. ICANN says the Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP), which works over HTTPS, was created as the replacement for the WHOIS protocol, and as of January 28, 2025, gTLD registries and registrars are no longer required to provide WHOIS services, with a few exceptions. What a lookup must show is now set by ICANN's Registration Data Policy, in effect since August 21, 2025.; Related:Registrant Privacy and proxy services Registrar