Glossary
Active Directory
Active Directory (AD) is a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks. It provides a centralized platform for managing and storing information about network resources, including users, computers, and services. Active Directory facilitates authentication and authorization, allowing administrators to control access to resources and enforce security policies across the network.
App Catalog
App Catalog is a special SharePoint site that stores apps for SharePoint, Teams, and other Microsoft 365 services. Global or SharePoint administrators can upload and manage applications from AppSource marketplace, custom-developed apps, or 3rd party apps for your organization's internal use. There can be only one App Catalog in a tenant.
App Page
App Page in SharePoint Online is a specialized type of page designed to host a single web part or app. It provides a focused, full-page experience dedicated to a specific functionality or application, allowing the app to utilize the entire page space without other distractions. This layout is ideal for scenarios requiring a large amount of data display or complex interactions, such as dashboards, data entry forms, or detailed reports.
AppSource
Microsoft App Source is a global online marketplace with applications and services created for Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power BI, Power Platform, and other Microsoft services. AppSource allows you to purchase and deploy applications in the organization's tenant.
Azure AD (Active Directory)
Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based identity provider which allows employees in your organization sign in and get access to Microsoft 365 as well as many other SaaS applications.
Azure DevOps
Azure DevOps Services (formerly Visual Studio Team Services) is a cloud-based product that provides version control, requirements management, automated pipelines for builds and releases, and testing capabilities.
CAML
Collaborative Application Markup Language (CAML) is a case-sensitive XML-based language used in SharePoint to define data definition objects such as lists, document libraries, views, content types, fields, and data rendering elements. For example, CAML can be used to build a query to filter and retrieve data from lists or libraries.
Consent Framework
Consent Framework is a part of Azure AD, based on an administrator giving consent to an application that asks to be registered in their directory to involve accessing directory data. Only after consent is given, the client application may call the Microsoft Graph API on behalf of the user.
Content Type
Reusable collection of settings and metadata that defines a specific category of information, such as documents or list items. It includes metadata fields, and document templates, enabling consistent management and organization of similar items across lists and libraries.
Crawled Property
A crawled property in SharePoint search stores content and metadata that is extracted from an item by the crawler, such as a text of a document, author, or title. Crawled property is not retrievable but may be mapped to one or more managed property.
Custom Action
Custom action represents a link, ribbon component, menu item, or toolbar item. Custom action can be bound to list type, content type, or file type.
Document Library
A special type of list that stores files, folders, and information about them. Document Library, as well as List, can contain personal or shared views, item-level permissions, and so on.
Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based set of SaaS applications and services that combines customer relationship management (CRM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP).
Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) is a cloud-based identity and access management service offered by Microsoft. This service allows organizations to efficiently manage and secure their users' identities and access to a variety of resources, both internal and external. These resources include Microsoft 365, the Azure platform, and thousands of other software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications.
Event Receiver
An Event Receiver allows handling the events within Site, List, or Document Library.
Extension attributes
Extension attributes in Microsoft Entra ID are additional properties that can be added to the default set of attributes provided by the service. These attributes allow organizations to extend the schema of Microsoft Entra ID by incorporating custom data fields that are specific to their business needs.
Farm
A Farm is a group of servers that work in concert to provide SharePoint services to deliver functionality for the end-users.
Farm Solution
Farm solution is a package that can be deployed to an on-premise SharePoint Farm. Farm solution has full access to system resources and other sites on the farm.
Feature
A feature is a set of SharePoint elements (artifacts) such as the following: site column, content type, web part, application page, custom actions, list template, list instance, and others.
Feature Scope
A Feature Scope at which a feature is defined for. A Feature can be defined for Farm, App, Site, or Web.
Full-width section
Full-width section in SharePoint Online is a layout option that allows content to span the entire width of the page, providing a more immersive and visually impactful presentation for elements like images and videos.
Hub Site
A promoted SharePoint site that allows you to associate other site collections to it and provide common navigation, search within associated sites, news, and site activities. There may be more than one hub site in a SharePoint Online tenant, but a site can be associated only with a single Hub Site.
List
A list is a storage unit in SharePoint. The list can contain columns of different types, content types, views. Document Library is a special type of List and therefore Library inherits the functionality of List.
Managed Property
A Managed property in the SharePoint search schema defines what data from crawled properties are included in the search index. Managed properties have a large number of settings to determine how the contents are shown in search results. Managed Properties may be referred to in search queries to specify which information you need to return.
Microsoft Graph
REST API secured with Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) and Open Authorization (OAuth 2.0) provides a single endpoint to provide access to data and services in Microsoft 365 such as SharePoint, Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, and others.
Microsoft Teams
A chat-based collaboration platform for business communications with useful features for online meetings, live events, document sharing.
OneDrive for Business
OneDrive for Business (previously SkyDrive Pro) is a managed cloud storage for work or school organizations that lets you share and collaborate on work documents with co-workers. Physically hosting infrastructure for OneDrive for Business can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud as a purchased service.
PnP PowerShell
PnP PowerShell is a PowerShell module that provides over 600 cmdlets designed to work with Microsoft 365 environments, including SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Project, Security & Compliance, and Microsoft Entra ID. This module is part of the larger Microsoft 365 platform community (PnP) initiative and is open-source, meaning it is maintained and supported by the community rather than Microsoft directly.
Power Automate
Microsoft Power Automate is a cloud-based service that allows users to create automated workflows between applications and services. It enables the automation of repetitive tasks and processes, such as data collection, notifications, and approvals, without the need for extensive coding knowledge.
Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is a business analytics tool that enables users to visualize data and share insights across their organization or embed them in an app or website. It allows users to connect to various data sources, transform raw data into interactive dashboards and reports, and perform data analysis using intuitive drag-and-drop features.
Profile Card
Profile cards in Microsoft 365 display information related to a person, such as contact details, organizational chart view, recently used documents, emails, and others. The profile card may look different depending on the application you use. Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, and other Microsoft 365 services support the profile card.
QR Code
Quick Response (QR) Code is a two-dimensional barcode that stores information. It can be scanned using a QR Code reader or a mobile device's camera, providing quick access to the encoded data.
REST API
REST API (Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface) is a standardized way for software applications to communicate over the internet. It enables clients to request and manipulate data from a server using standard HTTP methods like GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE. REST APIs are widely used for building web services that are scalable, flexible, and can be accessed by various client applications.
RSS
RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a popular web feed format used to deliver updates from websites to users and applications in a standardized, machine-readable format. This format is commonly used for distributing news articles, blog posts, and other frequently updated content.
Search Service
SharePoint Search Service Application provides enterprise search functionality, including crawling, indexing, and searching, and allows you to find the most relevant information. The Search Service Application is available for both on-premises SharePoint Server deployment and SharePoint Online.
Tenant
A Microsoft 365 tenant is a dedicated virtual instance of the Microsoft 365 services. The tenant holds the organization's information, such as users and domains (Azure AD), configurations, subscriptions, and services. The organization receives a tenant by signing up for Microsoft 365 services.
Unified Interface (Dynamics 365)
Unified Interface based on responsive web design principles to ensure all Microsoft Dynamics 365 applications provide a consistent viewing experience for any device (desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone) and any screen size.
User Information List
The User Information List in SharePoint is a hidden list that stores details about users who have accessed a SharePoint site. This list includes metadata such as the user’s display name, email address, login name, and other profile information from Active Directory or Entra ID. It is automatically updated when users interact with the site or when their profiles are synced from AD. This list is essential for managing permissions, alerts, and workflows that require user information.
User Profile
A user profile is a set of properties that describe a user. The properties include basic information about the user, contact details, and other data. The user profile is used for such services as Delve, My Site, and others
UTM Paremeters
UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters also called UTM tags or codes are text paremeters that you add to URL to help track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns or webpage.
There are five UTM parameters: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content.
Virtual Contact File (vCard)
A Virtual Contact File (VCF), commonly known as a vCard, is a standardized file format used for storing and sharing contact information electronically. These files can include details such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, URLs, logos, photographs, and even audio clips. vCards are widely used in digital communication to easily exchange contact information via email, instant messaging, QR codes, and other digital means. They are supported by many contact management applications and devices, making them a versatile tool for managing personal and professional contacts.
Web Part
Web Part is an essential primary component of functionality or content placed on a SharePoint page. In addition, some web parts support customization, such as a configuration of a specific web part or its appearance.
Web Part Gallery
The SharePoint Web Part Gallery is a centralized repository within SharePoint where users can discover, access, and manage various pre-built components, known as web parts, to enhance the functionality and customization of their SharePoint sites. It offers a diverse range of tools and widgets developed by Microsoft and third-party developers, empowering users to easily extend and tailor their SharePoint experience to meet specific business needs without extensive coding or development.
Work Item (Azure DevOps)
A Work Item in Azure DevOps is a unit used to track various types of work within a project, such as tasks, bugs, features, and user stories. It helps teams plan, manage, and monitor their work efficiently, ensuring all project aspects are documented and progress is tracked.