ChurchSpring Glossary

At ChurchSpring, one of our main goals is to provide an easy-to-use platform for churches. But if you're unfamiliar with some of the lingo that comes with creating a website, even a simple platform can be a challenge. Enter the ChurchSpring Glossary! Below, we've listed several terms that are commonly used in building websites but that may not be so common in your vernacular.

Let's start by defining what exactly is a website!

Imagine your website as a physical place…

Your domain would be your address
Your subdomain would be addresses of different buildings or suites at one location
Your domain host would be the land owner who leases you the address
Your website host would be the building owner who leases you the space
Your website would be your building
And your web pages would be the rooms in your building

Domain: a unique, easy-to-remember name used to navigate to a website. As you set up your ChurchSpring website, you’ll want to purchase a domain from somewhere like Google Domains, GoDaddy, or Namecheap. Learn how to point your domain to your ChurchSpring site here: [insert help article].

Subdomain: similar to a domain, a subdomain is a specific property within the domain, identified by a unique name preceding the domain. At ChurchSpring, you will always have a subdomain that allows you to access your website even if there is an issue with your custom domain or you haven't yet set one up.

Host: hosts are required for both your domain and your website. ChurchSpring is your website host, but you will need to select a domain host such as Google Domains, GoDaddy, or Namecheap to host your custom domain.

Point vs. Transfer vs. Redirect: when setting up a domain for your website, you may hear the terms “transfer,” “point,” and “redirect” used in similar ways. However, each of these terms means something different and specific:

Point: to designate the target website where the domain should land. This is like having an address to a location but asking for directions to get there. Once you have purchased a domain through a host such as GoDaddy or Google, you will need to point the domain to your ChurchSpring website to complete your custom domain setup.
Transfer: to move your domain from one host to another, i.e. from GoDaddy to Google. You will never transfer your domain to ChurchSpring since we are not a domain host. If you do transfer your domain to a new host after it has been set up with your ChurchSpring website, you will need to update the DNS records with your new host to point the domain back to your ChurchSpring site.
Redirect: to point a web user from one URL to a different one automatically. Sometimes, you make changes to a domain or URL of a website or webpage and need to direct visitors to the new URL. This is called a redirect. It’s just like forwarding your mail when you move to a new home. You can set up internal redirects on your ChurchSpring website or other types of redirects through your domain host.

Admin Menu: This is the left-hand menu that is only accessible to Admin users who are logged in to their site. Here, you can change settings, manage features such as Giving & the Directory, and add requests to our Roadmap!

Universal App: A universal app, like My Church by ChurchSpring, may also be called a readymade app, global app, or white-labeled app. These types of apps are built with pre-set features that aren’t customizable between different customers or, in our case, ministries. When compared to custom-built apps, universal apps have less flexibility but allow for much lower development, maintenance time, and costs as well as increased reliability in performance.

Nav(igation) Bar/Menu: This is the menu located in the header of your website that shows your main pages and their sub-pages. ChurchSpring nav menus are limited to 6 main pages, but each main page can have as many sub-pages as you need. Keep your nav menu simple, though, so users can easily find what they need!

Link: A link, or hyperlink, is used to direct a visitor to another webpage either internally on your site or externally on another website. Links can load in the current window or tab or open a new window or tab.

Embed Code: Unlike links, embed codes are HTML codes that allow you to put content from a third party directly on your website, allowing visitors to view videos, livestreams, or other content without leaving your site. Learn more about embed codes here: [insert help article].

Native: Online, the term ‘native’ is used to describe something that is built into or fits naturally with the content around it. For instance, your church directory is a native feature of your ChurchSpring website while your videos are hosted on a third-party site and added with a link or embed code.

Third-Party: Third-party platforms are websites or tools owned by someone else that you may want to utilize on your ChurchSpring website. For instance, you can connect a third-party payment platform to the Give button on your website or you can set up ChurchSpring Giving, our native payment processing platform.

Universal Code: A universal, or global, code is a piece of code that is added to one place on your website that will change something across your full website. An example of a universal code is a Google Analytics tracking code. When this is added to your global header, it will track the information of visitors on every page of your website. Any universal code can be added to your ChurchSpring website in the Admin Settings under Website > Google Analytics.