A Software Project Glossary: API, SLA, MVP, Sprint and More (In Plain Language)
If you didn't understand “we'll connect the API with a webhook, test in staging and deploy at the end of the sprint,” you are not alone. We explain nearly 60 terms in plain language, each with the question you should ask.
In brief: Knowing the terms used in software projects does not require you to be an engineer; but it lets you ask the right question. This glossary explains, in plain language and with a “what should you ask when this term comes up?” note, the terms business owners and managers meet most often in proposal meetings, project management and contracts. The terms are split into categories: project management, parts of software, infrastructure and release, quality and security, product and business model, and contract and maintenance. If you do not understand a term, do not hesitate: a good team should be able to explain the concept in your language.
Last updated: October 2026
How to use it
You do not have to read the glossary from beginning to end. Skim it before a meeting or look up a term you hear. For each term you will find three things: what it means, why it matters, what to ask.
1) Project management terms
| Term | What does it mean? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | The written definition of the work to be done and not to be done in the project | “Are the out-of-scope items in writing?” |
| Requirement | What the system must do (e.g. “the customer must be able to see order history”) | “Who approves requirements, and how do they change?” |
| MVP | Minimum viable product: the smallest version enough to test the idea with real users | “What is in the first version, and what comes later?” — our MVP guide |
| Prototype / wireframe | A drawing or clickable sketch of the screens; to see the flow before coding | “Can I see the flow before coding begins?” |
| Sprint | A short working period, usually 1–4 weeks; a working piece is delivered at the end | “What will I see and approve at the end of each sprint?” |
| Agile | An approach of progressing in short cycles and correcting direction with feedback | “How will we control budget and timeline in an agile method?” |
| Scrum / Kanban | Agile working methods; ways of managing the work list and flow | “Can I see the backlog too?” |
| Backlog | The list of work to be done, arranged in priority order | “Who sets the priority?” |
| Milestone | An important delivery point; payment plans are often tied to it | “Which milestone is payment tied to?” |
| Acceptance criteria | The conditions that must be met for a piece of work to count as “done” | “What is needed for this feature to be considered complete?” |
| UAT (user acceptance testing) | Testing with real scenarios, done by you/users before delivery | “How much time is set aside for UAT?” |
| Change request | A new request outside the scope | “How are change requests priced?” |
For the quote and pricing side, see our software project pricing models article.
2) The parts of software
| Term | What does it mean? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Frontend | The part the user sees and clicks: pages, buttons, forms | “Is it tested on mobile and in different browsers?” |
| Backend | Business logic that runs on the server: saving, calculation, authorization | “Where do the business rules run?” |
| Database | Where data is stored (customers, orders, products) | “How are backup and security handled?” |
| API | The interface through which two programs talk; like a “waiter”: takes the order, passes it to the kitchen, brings back the answer | “Which systems will we talk to over API? Is there documentation?” |
| Webhook | A system automatically calling another system when an event happens (a new order) | “Are missed notifications reprocessed?” |
| Integration | Connecting two systems so that they share data | “In which direction and how often does the data flow?” — our integration guide |
| SDK / library | Ready-made pieces of code; speeds up the work | “How do you manage licences and updates?” |
| Framework | A ready-made skeleton for building software quickly and in an orderly way (e.g. Next.js, Laravel) | “Why did you choose this framework? Is it easy to find developers?” |
| Admin panel | The internal screen where your team manages content and data | “Which roles will get which permissions?” — our panel design article |
| Multi-tenant | One piece of software hosting many customers, keeping their data separate (typical in SaaS) | “How is customer data separated from each other?” |
| Monolith / microservices | Architecture as one piece versus small independent services | “Why this choice for this project?” — our microservices guide |
| Open source | Software whose source code is public and usable under a certain licence | “Is the licence of the components used suitable for commercial use?” |
3) Infrastructure and release
| Term | What does it mean? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Server / cloud | The computer the software runs on; rented in the cloud | “In whose name is the server account opened?” |
| Hosting | The service that runs the site/app | “What are the monthly cost and capacity?” |
| Domain | The site address (example.com) | “In whose name is the domain registered?” |
| SSL / HTTPS | The encrypted connection between browser and server | “Is the certificate renewed automatically?” |
| Environments: development, test (staging), live (production) | Copies of the software at different stages; tried in staging before going live | “Can I try it in staging before it goes live?” |
| Deploy | Moving a new version to live | “Will there be downtime during release? Can we roll back?” |
| CI/CD | Automatically testing and releasing code | “Is the release process automatic, and how is the risk of errors reduced?” |
| Version control (Git, repository/repo) | The system that manages code history and teamwork; the repository where the code is kept | “Whose account is the repo in? Will I be given access?” |
| Backup | A safe copy of the data | “Is restoration tested?” |
| Scalability | The system's ability to grow without slowing down as users and data grow | “For how many users was it designed?” |
| CDN | A distributed network that serves content quickly from different parts of the world | “How are images and files served?” |
4) Quality, security and performance
| Term | What does it mean? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Bug | Unexpected or wrong behaviour of the software | “How are bugs reported, and how quickly are they fixed?” |
| Hotfix | Quickly fixing an urgent bug and releasing it | “Is there an emergency release process for critical bugs?” |
| Testing (automated / manual) | Checking that the software works correctly | “Which tests are done?” |
| Refactoring | Improving the internal order of software without changing its external behaviour | “Is time set aside for code quality for maintenance?” |
| Technical debt | Quality shortfall that accumulates for the sake of a quick solution and must be paid later | “What compromises are made when development is fast?” |
| Code review | Checking written code by another developer | “Is code reviewed?” |
| Performance | Page speed and the system's response time | “What is your speed target, and how do you measure it?” |
| Penetration (pen) test | A controlled attack attempt to find security holes | “Is it needed, and who will do it?” |
| OWASP | A community and list that classifies web security risks | “Are security checks done against the OWASP list?” — our security guide |
| MFA / 2FA | A second verification step (SMS, app code) | “Is it mandatory on admin accounts?” |
| KVKK | Turkey's personal data protection law | “Is personal data processed, and what is done for compliance?” |
5) Product and business model terms
| Term | What does it mean? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| SaaS | Using software by subscription instead of buying it | “What does the monthly cost cover?” — our subscription model guide |
| PWA | A web app that can be added to the home screen and works like an app | “Is a PWA enough instead of a mobile app?” — our comparison article |
| UX / UI | User experience / interface design | “Will it be tested with real users?” |
| CRM / ERP | Customer relationship / enterprise resource planning software | “How will it integrate with existing systems?” — CRM, ERP |
| RAG | AI searching your company documents before answering | “Which source do answers come from, and does it cite the source?” — our RAG guide |
| Chatbot / AI assistant | Software that responds through written or spoken conversation | “What are the rules for handing off to a human?” — our chatbot guide |
| Conversion rate | The percentage of visitors who take the target action | “Is conversion tracking set up?” |
| ROI | Return on investment | “With which number will we measure success?” — our AI ROI article |
6) Contract, support and maintenance
| Term | What does it mean? | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| SLA | Service level agreement: measurable commitments such as response/resolution time and availability | “What are the response and resolution times for a critical problem?” — our maintenance and SLA guide |
| Uptime (availability) | The share of time the system is up and running | “How is it measured, and what happens if it is missed?” |
| RTO / RPO | The longest time to recover after an outage / the most data loss accepted | “What loss and downtime is acceptable for us?” |
| NDA | A non-disclosure agreement | “Can an NDA be signed before the project?” |
| IP / source-code transfer | Who will own the code and design | “Is the source code delivered to me after payment?” |
| Warranty period | The period after delivery in which defects in scope are fixed free of charge | “What are its start and scope?” |
| Maintenance contract | The arrangement for updates, support and development after launch | “What does it cover, and what is the monthly fee?” |
| Documentation | The written documents on the system's setup and use | “Which documents will be provided at delivery?” |
| Handover | Transferring the project smoothly to another team | “How does the process work if I leave?” |
When choosing a vendor, also see our 15 questions to ask a software company guide, which turns these terms into questions.
8 sentences that help in a meeting
When you meet a technical term, these sentences protect you:
- “Can you explain this with a business example?”
- “What does this gain me / what risk does it reduce?”
- “Can we add this to the quote in writing?”
- “What is the alternative, and why do you recommend this?”
- “Does this bring an additional cost?”
- “When and how can I test it?”
- “Who will own this (account, code, domain)?”
- “If a problem comes up, whom do I reach and how?”
Term pairs that are often confused
- Warranty ≠ Maintenance. Warranty is free fixing of bugs in the delivered scope; maintenance is a continuing service.
- Response time ≠ Resolution time. One is the first reply, the other is finishing the problem.
- MVP ≠ A low-quality product. It is a first version with few features but working and secure.
- Staging ≠ Live. The test environment and the environment real users use are different.
- Backup ≠ Restorability. You must test that the backup can be restored.
- Frontend ≠ Backend. A nice interface does not show that the backend is solid.
- Open source ≠ Free and risk-free. Licences and security updates must be managed.
Plain communication with Aktaş Digital
We make it a principle to explain terms in your language in projects: in the proposal stage we write the scope and cost breakdown openly, show working builds throughout and keep supporting you after delivery. On every topic that needs a technical decision (architecture, integration, security, maintenance), we share the rationale in an understandable way. To turn your need into a feature list, you can try the Software Scope Planner and then write to us through our quote form.
Frequently Asked Questions
I keep hearing API; what is it in the simplest terms?
It is the standard interface two programs use to talk to each other. For example, your e-commerce site talks to the courier company's API and creates a label. Having an API makes it easier for systems to be connected.
What is the difference between an MVP and a prototype?
A prototype is a sketch that shows how the product will look and work; often it has no real function. An MVP is the smallest working product that real users can use.
Are a sprint and a milestone the same thing?
No. A sprint is a short working period (e.g. two weeks). A milestone is an important delivery point and can be reached after several sprints.
Should I insist on an SLA in the contract?
For systems that run continuously and are critical to your business, yes; for a small corporate site a lighter plan can be enough. What matters is knowing in writing whom you will reach, and how quickly, when a problem occurs.
Is “technical debt” a bad thing?
Sometimes it is a conscious choice (a simple solution for a quick launch); the problem is debt accumulating without being managed. Ask your team where and why they take on debt and when they will pay it off.
Which terms are enough for me to know?
To begin, the terms scope, MVP, sprint, API, integration, staging/live, backup, SLA, maintenance and source-code ownership let you follow most of a meeting. You can ask about the rest as needed.
Conclusion
Technical terms are not a barrier but a tool that lets you ask the right question. Skim this glossary before a meeting, ask for a business example of every term you do not understand and put subjects such as scope, ownership, testing and maintenance in writing. The first thing you can do today: mark the terms you do not understand in a software quote you have and ask the vendor to explain them in plain language.
