Web hosting comes with a lot of jargon. This glossary explains the most common terms in plain language so you can navigate cPanel, the client area, and support articles with confidence.
Core Hosting Terms
- Hosting: the service that stores your website files and serves them to visitors.
- Domain: your website address, such as yourbusiness.co.ke.
- Nameservers: addresses like ns1.nairohost.site that tell a domain where its hosting lives.
- DNS: the system that translates domain names into server addresses.
Control and Access Terms
- cPanel: the control panel for managing files, email, and databases.
- Client area: the dashboard at my.nairohost.site for billing and support.
- FTP: a method for uploading files to your server.
- public_html: the folder that holds your public website files.
Website and Email Terms
- WordPress: popular software for building websites, installable via Softaculous.
- SSL: a certificate that enables HTTPS and secures your site.
- Database: structured storage that powers apps like WordPress.
- Email account: a professional inbox such as info@yourdomain.co.ke.
Performance and Renewal Terms
| Term | Meaning | |------|---------| | Bandwidth | Data transferred to visitors | | Storage | Disk space for files and email | | Propagation | Time for DNS changes to spread | | Renewal | Paying to keep a service active |
If you come across a term not listed here, contact support through the /contact page and ask for a quick explanation.