Backend

The backend is the part of a website or application that runs behind the scenes, on the server ✕ A server is a powerful computer that provides data or services to other devices — for example serving a website or storing your cloud files. More in the glossary → , and that the user does not see directly. It handles the business logic, stores and retrieves information in databases, deals with authentication and processes the requests coming from the frontend ✕ The frontend is the part of a website or app that the user sees and interacts with — the design, text, buttons — and that runs in the browser. More in the glossary → . When you log in, search for a product or make a payment, it is the backend that checks the data, saves it and returns the right response. It is called the "server side" and is programmed with languages like Python, PHP ✕ PHP is the programming language WordPress runs on at the server. Using a recent version improves speed and security. More in the glossary → , Java or Node.js, often with the help of frameworks ✕ A framework is a ready-made structure of code that serves as a foundation for building applications faster, without starting from scratch and following proven best practices. More in the glossary → . It usually talks to the frontend through an API ✕ An API is a set of rules that lets two programs talk to each other. It works like a go-between that carries requests from one application to another and returns the response. More in the glossary → . Frontend and backend are the two halves of almost any application: one is the visible face, the other the engine that drives it.