Definitions beginning with W

W3C

World Wide Web Consortium: organization developing many Web specifications and recommendations with the community.

In practice: Find the recommendation matching your need and check its status and examples.

WAF

Application firewall filtering HTTP traffic to limit some attacks. It does not fix vulnerable code or cover every threat.

Reference: Cloudflare · Web Application Firewall · Source consulted 2026-10-31

In practice: Review legitimate requests blocked in error and tune rules to site journeys.

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines: international W3C recommendations for making Web content more accessible.

In practice: Connect each relevant criterion to a check on a real page and component.

Web agent

Software agent able to browse pages, interpret an interface and perform Web actions within its permissions.

In practice: Limit possible actions and require explicit confirmation before consequential operations.

Web application

Software with an interface using web technologies, often in a browser, to perform tasks and manage state. It may combine local processing and remote services. A web application is not automatically installable or available offline: those capabilities require specific design and testing.

Reference: MDN : Progressive web apps · Source consulted 2026-10-18

In practice: describe a task through initial data, changes and confirmation. Test back navigation, reload and connection loss; distinguish locally entered information from an outcome actually recorded by the service.

Web design

Visual and functional design of Web interfaces, hierarchy, components and adaptation to screens.

In practice: Start with tasks, content and usage constraints before choosing an appearance.

Web form

A set of controls for collecting or sending information. Associate useful labels and instructions with fields, and explain required data and what follows submission.

Reference: W3C WAI : Labeling controls · Source consulted 2026-10-18

In practice: check that fields are necessary, errors can be corrected and a test enquiry reaches the right person.

Web hosting

Service making website files, databases and resources available on servers connected to the Internet.

Reference: MDN : Client-server overview

In practice: ask who handles updates, backups, monitoring and recovery beyond the storage allowance.

Web marketing

Digital actions used to understand a market, attract audiences, build relationships and generate results.

In practice: Choose channels from audience needs and measure one concrete action per channel.

Web server

Software receiving HTTP requests and returning resources or forwarding application processing. The term can also mean its host machine. Distinguish hardware, HTTP software, application and database when assigning an outage, maintenance responsibility or access.

Reference: MDN : What is a web server? · Source consulted 2026-10-18

In practice: Inspect final responses and logs before changing a server rule.

Web sustainability

Approach aiming for digital products that are durable, efficient, accessible, resilient and responsible for people and the planet.

In practice: Measure page weight, service life and replacement frequency before claiming an environmental benefit.

WebAssembly

A format and execution environment allowing compiled code to run alongside JavaScript in browsers. Useful for demanding computation, it does not automatically accelerate images, networking or an entire site.

Reference: MDN : WebAssembly · Source consulted 2026-10-18

In practice: Measure the real benefit and check loading, accessibility and fallback.

Webhook

Notification sent by a service to a designated address when an event occurs. The receiver must verify the message and handle failures or repeats before applying a business action. Identify the event, delivery attempt and local processing separately. An acknowledgement does not prove that all business operations completed.

Reference: Standard Webhooks · Specification and guidelines · Source consulted 2026-10-25

Source consulted : GitHub Docs · 2026-10-17

In practice: Plan retries, duplicates and an error log for the receiver.

Webhook delivery identifier

Reference assigned to a webhook delivery by a provider. Check whether it identifies the event or a delivery attempt: deduplication depends on that convention.

Reference: GitHub : Webhook best practices

Source consulted : GitHub Docs · 2026-10-17

Replay the same synthetic delivery and check that it remains traceable without triggering the same action twice.

Webhook retry

Another delivery attempt under the provider’s retry rules. It can cause repeated receipt, so the receiver must avoid executing the same business action twice.

Reference: GitHub : Webhook best practices

Source consulted : Stripe Docs · 2026-10-17

Document who retries, under which limits and how to handle already-applied or late notifications.

WebMCP

Approach allowing a website to expose structured tools to compatible agents so selected actions are more reliable than visual automation alone.

In practice: Review tools offered to the browser, permitted actions and consent steps.

WebP

Image format supporting lossy and lossless compression and transparency. Savings depend on the image and settings; compare size and quality rather than converting without review. Also inspect edges and embedded text after lossy encoding. A small file does not guarantee readability at the displayed size.

Reference: MDN · Image file types and formats · Source consulted 2026-10-25

Source consulted : MDN · 2026-10-17

In practice: Compare appearance and size with other formats on images actually used.

Website

Organized set of pages and resources accessible under the same domain or online identity.

In practice: Define the tasks the website must support and the owner of each piece of content.

Website backup

Copy of the files, content, data and settings needed to recover a website after loss or error; its scope must be documented.

Reference: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr · Sauvegardes · Source consulted 2026-10-31

In practice: record each copy’s date and scope, then check it includes the expected data and media.

Website brief

Planning document connecting goals, audiences, pages, content, functions, constraints and acceptance criteria for a website project.

In practice: Describe audiences, tasks, available content, constraints and acceptance criteria in the brief.

Website job opening

Page describing a genuinely open role, its tasks, conditions, requirements and application route.

In practice: publish duties, conditions and steps for the vacancy actually open.

Website restoration

Process of returning a website to service from copies, with checks on the pages, data and functions actually recovered.

Reference: Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr · Sauvegardes et restauration · Source consulted 2026-10-31

In practice: rehearse away from the public site and measure what is actually returned to service.

WebSocket

Protocol supporting two-way communication over a maintained client-server connection, used for live updates among other purposes. The application still needs interruption, reconnection and outdated-message handling; an open connection does not ensure every business operation completed.

Reference: MDN : WebSocket API · Source consulted 2026-10-18

In practice: Test disconnection, reconnection and message order for real-time functions.

White hat SEO

Sustainable SEO practices respecting search-engine guidance and prioritizing genuine value for the audience.

In practice: Keep practices explainable to readers and consistent with the relevant engine’s guidance.

WHOIS

Lookup service providing access to certain domain-registration information according to applicable privacy rules.

In practice: Use available records to check a domain without assuming all holder details are public.

Wireframe

Simplified functional page diagram showing areas, priorities and journeys before detailed graphic design.

In practice: Validate information order and actions before working on visual details.

WordPress

Widely used open-source content management system for creating and managing many types of websites.

In practice: Inventory theme, extensions and content before an update or migration.

WYSIWYG

Visual editing mode that approximates the final presentation while content is being entered. It makes formatting easier but may not reproduce the public site’s styles, screen sizes or behavior. Published results still need checks for structure, readability and accessibility.

Reference: W3C : Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines · Source consulted 2026-10-18

In practice: publish text containing headings, a list, an image and a link on a protected copy. Compare the editor with mobile display and keyboard navigation; a correct-looking editing area does not guarantee a coherent heading structure.