Glossary

1 min

This list includes terms commonly used in the Optimizely Content Management System (SaaS) and throughout the platform.

access rights – Controls what a visitor can view and what a content manager can do to content on an application; access rights include Read, Create, Change, Delete, Publish, and Administer. See Access rights.

ACL – Stands for access control list. Optimizely user permissions to access system processes and operations. For example, permissions determine who can read, change, or publish a page in a node on the tree structure.

administrator page – Where administrators manage access rights, application languages, scheduled jobs, export and import of data between applications, and configure new applications in a multi-site solution.

API – Stands for application programming interface. The API specifies how some software components should interact with each other, such as accessing a database or computer hardware or easing the work of programming graphical user interface components. APIs often are in the form of a library that includes specifications for routines, data structures, object classes, and variables. See Introduction to the CMS (SaaS) REST APIIntroduction to the CMS (SaaS) REST API.

application – A distinct instance that lets you manage multiple projects or websites within the same CMS (SaaS) environment. Found in Settings. Applications let you choose which URLs to use, which languages to use, which content is shared, and much more. See Applications.

approval sequence – Defines the steps and reviewers needed to review and approve content or certain changes (such as changes to access rights, language settings, and so on). See Approval sequences.

asset – Content such as documents, videos, and images that can be linked to other content such as pages and shared blocks. See Assets.

assets panel – Customizable placeholder for assets, where you can drag and drop images, shared blocks, files, or products into a CMS (SaaS) page and see non-visible settings for the content. See Get started with CMS (SaaS).

autosave – Saves the page every minute by default, ensuring your work will not disappear if a sudden crash of the system or browser occurs. Your organization might have other configured settings for autosave.

base type – Dictate the shared properties and behaviors that are inherited by specific content types. Each content type has a base type. Base types create a consistent application of settings and templates across those content types. See the Base type section of the Content types documentation.

BLOB – Stands for binary large object. A BLOB provider is a framework designed to store large amounts of binary data in a more optimized and cost-effective solution, such as cloud storage, instead of in a database. Used for the asset system in CMS (SaaS).

block – See inline block and shared block in this glossary.

block type – A type of block, such as campaign teasers and banners, videos, news feeds, and contact forms. A block type contains a set of properties, a visual representation, and editing capabilities. It has no URL.

blueprint – Visual Builder blueprints are reusable layout templates that content managers can create directly in the UI. You can save sections and experiences as blueprints. See Save as blueprint.

breadcrumb – The path to the current page within the application structure. Breadcrumbs are clickable for backtracking.

CMS – Stands for content management system. A software application that helps users create, edit, organize, and publish digital content.

CMS (SaaS) – Cloud-hosted and managed content management system that offers continuous updates with features, patches, and fixes. It is integrated with Optimizely Graph and Visual Builder. Lets you manage multiple sites using shared assets and templates.

component – When referencing a base type, a generic content type used as a field on other content items or as a standalone item. It supports multiple locale branches. Content administrators can select Available for composition in Visual Builder in the component's Settings page to enable components to be used within Visual Builder at the section and element level. See Create a block.

content area – Stores a collection of content area items (shared blocks or pages), letting content managers manage order, group, and display of different pieces of content.

content item – A conceptual reference to content stored in CMS (SaaS). A content item encompasses all its versions, locale variations, and associated data. Examples include pages, blocks, and media files. Every content item is an instance of a content type and has a unique key. See Develop content.

content modeling – Defines content types and relationships (such as blocks and pages); establishes schema with text, image, and link fields; integrates directly with Optimizely Graph.

content type – CMS (SaaS) content types include Experience, Section, Element, Page, and Shared Block types, and Media types such as Images, Video, and Media. See Content types.

content version – A specific revision of a content item in a particular locale. Each content item can have multiple versions with different statuses (draft, published, and so on). See Develop content.

CSS – Stands for cascading style sheet. A file type that defines the appearance and layout of an application, containing fonts, colors, and so on. CSS files separate layout from content so you can update layout independently.

dashboard – The CMS (SaaS) Dashboard is an overview page where content managers can add gadgets or manage and monitor application activities. See Get started with CMS (SaaS).

developer – Writes code to implement some features of the application.

environment – Another term for instance. An individual instance of CMS (SaaS). See instance for information.

elements – Reusable design components like banners and CTAs, with options to adjust fonts, colors, and layout while locking branding elements for consistency. Elements do not have a layout.

experience – Visual Builder experiences are flexible and composable web or application pages that display in a list. They are comprised of sections that you can save as reusable blueprints. See Create a Visual Builder experience from scratch and Create a Visual Builder experience from a blueprint. From a developer's perspective, experiences give you access to the layout system and the UnstructuredData array. See Configure Visual Builder.

external link – A link from one application to another application on a different domain, usually set to open in a different tab or window.

gadget – A small application component responsible for its rendering and behavior, accessible from the dashboard or the panels in the CMS (SaaS) UI. See Gadgets.

GDPR – Stands for General Data Protection Regulation.

global navigation bar – Group of options in the uppermost part of the user interface when logged in. Lets you switch between Optimizely products. See Get started with CMS (SaaS).

globalization – Managing content in multiple languages and localizing the user interface.

GUID – Stands for globally unique identifier.

headless – Refers to a system architecture that separates the back end of an application from the front end. CMS (SaaS) is a headless content management system (CMS).

inline block – Stored as part of the content item where they were created, such as on a page; they do not need to be published individually. Because they are stored as part of other content, you cannot reuse them, and they do not show up in the CMS assets pane.

interactive preview – Live previews on desktop, tablet, and mobile, allowing testing of interactive components pre-publish with instant visual feedback in the builder.

internal link – A web page link to another page on the application.

instance – An individual environment of CMS (SaaS). CMS (SaaS) comes with three instances. Use these instances to separate your production and non-production data. How you use your instances is up to you. See Configure environments.

JSON – Stands for JavaScript Object Notation (a recognized standard name). It is a lightweight data interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write. It is easy for machines to parse and generate.

landing page – A target page on which a visitor "lands" after clicking a banner or link. Usually, a landing page is a web page that is separate from the main page, with the goal of the visitor performing a certain action (conversion).

master language – The language in which the first version of content is created. See Languages.

media – Files such as an image, a PDF, a Word document, a video, or an MP3 file. See Media.

metadata – Information about information. For example, the meta-descriptions for content picked up by search engines or metadata for media, such as images or documents.

navigation panel – Contains the page tree structure, language branches, tasks, and project items of the application. See Get started with CMS (SaaS).

occasional editor – An individual who occasionally changes web page content. Typically, an occasional editor lacks access rights to publish information, which a full-time editor or webmaster must carry out.

operation – An operation is the unit of an API method and an API endpoint. For example: GET https://api.cms.optimizely.com/v1/contenttypes. See Introduction to the CMS (SaaS) REST APIIntroduction to the CMS (SaaS) REST API.

Optimizely Graph – A GraphQL-powered API for content querying and delivery, enabling access to structured content across platforms with high-performance global CDN delivery.

outline – A Visual Builder outline is a list view of your sections. You can drag and drop a section in any order or go to the content you want to edit by hovering over the section in the preview or the outline. See Outline.

page type – Used by content managers when creating content, contains a set of fields (properties) such as page title and main body. See Create a page.

PDP – Stands for product display page. A commercial page that displays products for sale.

properties – Individual fields or attributes that define the data structure of content types. They specify the type of data that can be stored and how it should be managed. Property types are the building blocks of content types. See Define page properties.

REST API – Programmatic configuration of CMS instances, defining content types and resource settings, ideal for iterative developer workflows.

rich-text editor – Utility for editing the content of web pages. See Edit content using the TinyMCE rich-text editor.

root – The parent of all folders in a file system. (Despite being called the root, it is generally found at the top of the structure).

SaaS – Stands for software as a service. SaaS is a cloud-based model that lets users access software applications over the Internet. See also CMS (SaaS).

search phrase – One or more words a user enters into a search box to begin a search. See Find content.

section – Visual Builder sections are horizontal slices of a page comprised of elements. Sections use rows and columns in a grid layout to structure content. You can save sections as a reusable blueprint. See Section.

semantic search – Faceted and fuzzy search capabilities by title, keywords, content type, and metadata, with semantic understanding to enhance content discoverability.

SEO – Stands for search engine optimization. Making application content attractive to application visitors and, as a result, achieving high rankings in search results. See Search engine optimization.

SEO URL – Corresponds to a simple address in CMS. Depending on the site set up, it may be used instead of the hierarchical URL when links are rendered in outgoing responses. The site responds to the SEO URL for incoming requests, regardless of settings.

shared block – Shared, reusable content, such as an image banner, a page listing, or a video, that you can insert into one or more pages. They can be reused by multiple content items and applications and are well-suited for reusable components such as campaign teasers and banners, videos, and news feeds. If you edit a shared block's content, it updates every page on which it was inserted. See Shared Blocks.

style – Visual Builder style settings let you modify the appearance of the content based on pre-approved guidelines. You can apply styles to any level of Visual Builder content, such as rows and columns, sections, or experiences. See Select styles.

URL – Stands for uniform resource locator. Also known as a web address such as https://world.optimizely.com.

user – Logs into an application to manage and administer content and products. Types of users include administrators, editors (content managers), marketers, and merchandisers.

visitor – Someone who visits an application using a web browser. In most cases, a visitor can use public functions and services but cannot create content and has limited access to community content.

Visual Builder – A drag-and-drop WYSIWYG editor with real-time preview, letting content managers create and organize content with reusable templates and layout customization.

Webhook – An HTTP callback that sends event data from one application to another when a specific event occurs. In CMS (SaaS), a webhook sends content lifecycle events, such as content being created or published, to an endpoint URL that a subscribing system controls. See Use webhooks to automate the content lifecycle.

WYSIWYG – Stands for what you see is what you get. An editing approach where on-screen content matches the published rendering.

XML – Stands for extensible markup language. An open international standard for structuring and transferring data between systems.