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Glossary
Bad neighborhood

Bad neighborhood

Bad neighborhoods are groups of websites that search engines have downgraded because they violate search engine guidelines. Bad neighborhoods include sites that post spam content or use negative SEO techniques. Search engines may penalize your site's ranking if you end up in a bad neighborhood. 

Search engines create bad neighborhoods by direct or indirect association, such as when site owners pay for backlinks or search engines find external links to and from low-quality websites. 

Your website may be placed in a bad neighborhood if it has: 

  • Spam — Websites that contain irrelevant, low-quality content lowers the website’s SEO value
  • Bad links — Websites with links that lead to parts of the internet called PPC (pills, explicit adult content, casinos) can have a lowered reputation and ranking
  • Too many external links — Sites with too many links unrelated to the core content can be classified as link-building sites, resulting in a lower ranking
  • Too many ads — A website flooded with ads will be indexed as low quality, especially if the ads don’t relate to the website's content
  • Misleading content — A website that links to sites with misleading or inaccurate content or content that spreads misinformation can end up in a bad neighborhood
  • Paid links — Buying links for SEO improvement is an old method to gain search preference that Google's algorithm now punishes

To improve your SEO and keep your website out of bad neighborhoods, Webflow offers an essential guide to SEO and SEO tips. Learn more about SEO fundamentals.

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Web animations with After Effects & Lottie

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Localize your site in Webflow

Learn how to localize a site for different languages and regions. Translate text, customize and manage content, and optimize SEO settings, so your site reaches a wider audience.

CSS grid in Webflow

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Webflow 101

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Interactions & animations course

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Other glossary terms

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Document type definition (DTD)

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A document type definition (DTD) defines the structure, validity, and attributes of standard generalized markup language (SGML) documents, such as GML, HTML, and XML.

Widget

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A widget is an interactive element embedded in a user interface that facilitates specific user actions or displays important information at a glance.

Span text

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The span tag is used to style inline-text.

Custom font

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A custom font is any non-system-default typeface you manually upload to your website.

Width

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Width defines how wide an element can be. This can be defined in absolute terms (pixels) or relative terms (ems, rems, percentages, viewport-height, or viewport-width).

Element

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Elements are individual HTML components that constitute a webpage’s structure and contents.

Semantics

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Semantics accurately represent the structure and purpose of content in computer languages, enabling web developers and programmers to ensure the written code produces an output legible to humans and machines.

Character encoding

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Character encoding is the process of representing characters (such as “a” or “3”) in a particular way, such as text on a computer screen.

URL redirect

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URL redirect, or URL forwarding, is a web server function that automatically sends users from one web address to another.

Product attribute

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Product attributes are specific characteristics that define purchasable merchandise or commodities and provide relevant information to customers.

Base tag

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The base tag specifies the base URL for all relative links within HTML code for a specific page or document.

Syntax

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Syntax is the name for the rules specifying a programming language's structure and formatting.

Behavioral targeting

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Behavioral targeting is a marketing technique that leverages user data to deliver personalized ads to drive conversions.

Last updated

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The last time someone made a change to your site.

Media section

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A section of the Add panel that holds multimedia elements like images, video, and Lottie animation.

Container

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An element that contains content.

Save as Backup

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The ability to manually save a version of your site that you can restore at a later date using the keyboard shortcut Command + Shift + S (on Mac) or Control + Shift + S (on Windows).‍

Website name

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A website name, or domain, is the title of a website that appears in the browser tab and search engine results.

Maximum width (max width)

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The “max-width” CSS property defines an element’s maximum width.

Unbranded form submission notification

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Form submission notifications that have no reference to Webflow (e.g., notifications sent from “no-reply@webforms.io” instead of “no-reply@webflow.com”).

Deep copy

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In programming, a deep copy is a replica of an object that doesn’t share the same references as the original. That way, if you make changes to the duplicate, the original stays the same.

Hit

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A hit is a request to a web server from a browser for a specific resource.

Call stack

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A call stack is an ordered list of the functions (or stack frames) a program has to execute before it returns a result.

Webclip

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A 256 x 256 px image associated with your website that shows up when your website link is saved to an iPhone home screen.

Domain

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A domain, or domain name, is the unique address that directs to a website on the internet.

Username

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The ID used to log into your Webflow account.

Delete element

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To remove an element and its content from your website.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

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A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a visual medium that enables visual interaction with software applications or electronic devices through elements like icons, buttons, and menus.

Selector

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A selector identifies and selects specific HTML elements to apply CSS styles to.

CRLF

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On Windows-based systems, the sequence of two ASCII characters representing a line break in text files is called "Carriage Return, Line Feed," or CRLF.

Bottom bar

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A bottom bar is a navigation bar at the bottom of an app or webpage.

Redo

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To move forward one step while making changes to a Webflow site.

SSL

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SSL (secure socket layer) is the standard method for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser.

Tag

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A Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) tag is a code snippet that defines and describes the structure and content of web pages.

Accessibility tree

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A webpage’s accessibility tree indicates which parts of the page are compatible with assistive technologies such as braille displays, screen readers, and voice commands.

Utility pages

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Utility pages are default, customizable templates for your site’s 404 page, Password page, and Search results page.

Idempotent

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Idempotency is a computing principle where multiple applications of a function or operation produce the same result as a single execution.

Ciphertext

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Ciphertext is unreadable, encrypted data that ciphers use for security during data transit.

Interpolation

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Interpolation is a mathematical process that estimates and creates new values based on known values and their relationship.

Designer

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The main interface where you can build sites.

SaaS

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Software as a Service (SaaS) is a cloud-based approach to delivering software on a subscription basis without requiring local installation.

Drafted pages

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You can exclude pages from being published to your site by setting them as drafts. These can be unfinished pages, internal pages such as style guides, archived pages saved for backup, etc. Learn more about drafted pages.

Descendant selector

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A descendant selector is a CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) selector that targets elements nested inside a parent element.

Constant

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In coding, a constant is a fixed value that can’t change, no matter where it appears or what the program uses it for.

Prefetch

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Prefetch is a technique that proactively loads and caches resources to improve website performance and user experience.

Meta title

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A meta title is an HTML element that defines a web page's title and appears in browser tabs and search snippets on search engine results pages (SERPs) as a clickable headline.

Static content

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Static content is content that’s not bound to any Collections or dynamic elements.

Authorized applications

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Third-party applications that you've given access to your personal and/or website data.

Compile

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Compiling is the process of converting code from a high-level programming language into a low-level language that computers can understand.

Image

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A Webflow element that displays graphical files on your website.

Top margin

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Top margin is a CSS property that defines the space between the top edge of an element and its surroundings, such as other elements, the browser window, or the edge of a container.

Display: grid

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The display: grid CSS property defines a website element (such as a button or header) as a grid container.

Typography

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A section in the Add panel that houses typography elements such as headings and paragraphs.

Target

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The currently selected element.

Design mode

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The mode that enables a designer to build in Webflow.

Registrar

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A registrar, or domain name server (DNS) registrar, manages the sale of domain names and the assignment of IP addresses, ensuring each domain’s uniqueness.

Color field

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A color field specifies a graphical color picker or user interface for entering a color into a text field in a seven-character, hexadecimal format.

Fold

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The fold distinguishes the visible portion of the webpage immediately visible to users without scrolling from the remaining content viewable by scrolling down.

Traffic

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Traffic, or web traffic, refers to the number of users who visit a website over a period of time.

Sorting Collection lists

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You can sort your Collection items in multiple ways — select the field from the Collection you wish to filter from, then select the ordering option.

User interface (UI)

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A user interface (UI) is any visual element humans interact with on a device, webpage, or application.

Webflow branding

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A visible “Made in Webflow” badge displayed in the bottom right corner of Webflow sites. Webflow branding also appears in the site’s HTML. Learn more about Webflow branding.

Help text

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Help text is a user interface design element that provides additional information or guidance to users to clarify which content should go in a given Collection field.

Resource Description Framework (RDF)

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The Resource Description Framework (RDF) is a standardized framework developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that facilitates automated data exchange between web systems and applications.

Workspace plan

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A Webflow plan that applies to your entire Workspace.

Domain-Specific Language (DSL)

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A Domain-Specific Language (DSL) is computer script that solves software problems in a specific domain.

Common targets

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All elements on the page targeted by the same selector.

Cloneable site

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Cloneable sites are open source (made available under the CC0 (“no rights reserved”) license). When you enable cloning, you allow any user to copy, modify, and use any part of your site for personal or commercial purposes.Sites with cloning turned off do not give others access to copy your site or open it in the Designer.

Sitemap URL

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The location your sitemap is stored in relation to your site, and what’s used when submitting your sitemap to search engines.

Flex child

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An element contained within a parent element that has display: flex set.

Tabs

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A Webflow component that displays a pane of content associated with a tab menu button.

Export

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A downloadable ZIP file that contains your Webflow site's HTML, CSS, JS, and image files.

Pages panel

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A panel in the left toolbar where you can add static pages and folders to your Webflow site. You can also manage and access Utility pages and Collection pages.

Right padding

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The inside spacing between the right border of an element and the elements inside it.

Receipt emails

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Email confirmations you receive upon making Webflow payments.

Email template

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Email templates — or pre-designed HTML layouts — ensure consistent branding and visual aesthetic in marketing campaigns.

Inline style

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Inline style applies CSS to an individual HTML element using the "style" attribute within the HTML tag.

Total Site Pages

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The amount of pages your site currently has.

Total Form Submissions

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The amount of times a site visitor submits data using your site's form(s).

Canvas

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The <canvas> tag in HTML5 creates a container for dynamic graphics and image rendering on a webpage.

Display: flex

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The most flexible display property in CSS is the aptly named display: flex, which allows you to create flexible layouts with elements that you can align and distribute vertically or horizontally.

Flex-shrink

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The flex-shrink CSS property defines how much an element shrinks relative to other flexible items inside the same parent element.

Left margin

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Left margin is a CSS property that defines the space between an element's left edge and its surroundings.

Free plan

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The perfect Webflow subscription for getting started, giving you access to all Designer features, so you can start building a site right away.

Profile settings

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The area where you can manage your profile, email settings, and security settings.

Made in Webflow

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Made in Webflow showcases Webflow sites made by individuals and teams.

Password protection

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Password protection is a security feature restricting certain website areas to authorized users, requiring a secret phrase or key to access them.

Entity

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An entity is a representation of a special character that causes syntax conflicts in HTML (Hypertext Markup Language).

Dither

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Dithering is a design technique that simulates additional colors on a display to smooth transitions in images with limited color palettes.

X-Ray mode

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A grayscale view of your site’s canvas that visually displays each element’s border, margin, and padding when hovered over.

Publish destination

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The specific domain or subdomain where your Webflow site is displayed.

Subdomain indexing

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When a search engine crawls your site's Webflow subdomain (e.g., your-site.webflow.io).

Collection field

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An individual field within a Collection. You'll select which fields to display in dynamic Collection lists and Collection pages.

Ligature

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A ligature in typography groups adjacent letters or characters into one glyph.

Plain text field

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A plain text field is an input field for short-form text without formatting or styling.

Array

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An array is an ordered, random-access collection of data. This data can be either primitive or object, depending on the coding language.

Collection item

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An individual item within a Collection. For example, in a “Blog Posts” Collection, the Collection items are individual blog posts.

Parent

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The element directly above in the hierarchy tree.

Left toolbar

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The vertical bar of tools on the left side of the Webflow Designer. It holds the Add panel, Symbols panel, Navigator panel, Pages panel, CMS panel, Ecommerce panel, Assets panel, Settings panel, Site Activity log, Audits, Search, Video tutorials, and Help.

ASCII

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The American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) is an encoding standard that assigns numerical values to characters and translates them into computer-readable code.
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