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Struggling to tell your PLG from your NPS? This glossary breaks down 100+ SaaS terms, acronyms and buzzwords with simple definitions and plain-English alternatives.
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SaaS loves a buzzword.
Whether you’re building the product, selling it, or trying to write copy that makes sense to actual humans, the jargon flies thick and fast.
From CAC and NRR to PLG and SDK, it’s easy to forget that not everyone knows what these terms mean, or what they actually do. And when you’re writing onboarding content, sales decks, websites or help docs? Clear communication matters.
So here it is. The ultimate SaaS glossary. 100+ terms, acronyms and buzzwords explained in plain English, with a bonus: a simple alternative for each one. (Because sometimes it’s not just about knowing the jargon. It’s about knowing when not to use it.)
The stuff product managers say with a straight face while engineers nod solemnly. These terms often show up in roadmaps, dev updates, and pitch decks, but that doesn’t mean your customers (or even your teammates) know what they mean.
Definition: Application Programming Interface — a set of rules that lets one software product talk to another.
Say this instead: “Our system connects easily with your existing tools.”
Definition: A connection between two different systems or platforms that lets them share data or work together.
Say this instead: “It works with [X tool] out of the box.”
Definition: A way for one system to automatically send real-time data to another system when something happens.
Say this instead: “It instantly sends an update when something changes.”
Definition: Software Development Kit — a bundle of tools and code to help developers build on your platform.
Say this instead: “A starter kit for building things on top of our product.”
Definition: Software that’s installed and run on a company’s own internal servers (not hosted by the provider).
Say this instead: “Installed and managed on your own systems.”
Definition: Software hosted by the provider and accessed via the internet — no need to install anything locally.
Say this instead: “Just log in — no installs, no maintenance.”
Definition: A way of building software using independent, self-contained services that work together behind the scenes.
Say this instead: “It’s built in blocks, so we can update things without breaking everything else.”
Definition: A method of packaging software so it can run reliably in different computing environments (often using tools like Docker).
Say this instead: “It runs smoothly no matter where it’s hosted.”
Definition: Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment — automating how new code is built, tested, and released.
Say this instead: “We release new updates quickly and safely — without the mess.”
Definition: The amount of time your service is available and running without interruption.
Say this instead: “How often it’s up and working as expected.”
Definition: When your system or app is unavailable due to maintenance or issues.
Say this instead: “The time it’s not working — planned or not.”
Definition: The time it takes for data to travel between a user’s device and the system. Lower = faster.
Say this instead: “How quickly things respond when you click or load something.”
Definition: Distributing network or traffic across multiple servers to keep things running smoothly.
Say this instead: “It handles traffic better, even during busy times.”
Definition:
Definition: A single software instance that serves multiple customers (tenants), each with separate data.
Say this instead: “Each customer has their own secure setup — without running multiple versions.”
Definition: Managing and labeling different versions of software or APIs so users or systems know which one they’re using.
Say this instead: “You can keep using your current setup while we roll out the new one.”
Definition: A go-to-market strategy where the product itself drives user acquisition, retention, and expansion (often via free trials or freemium).
Say this instead: “We let people try the product first — and the value sells itself.”
Definition: A way of working that brings together software development and IT operations to speed up delivery and improve quality.
Say this instead: “Our dev and ops teams work closely to ship things faster and fix issues quickly.”
Definition: A plan or timeline that outlines what features, updates, or improvements are coming (and when).
Say this instead: “Here’s what’s coming next.”
Definition: A list of tasks, features, bugs, or improvements that need to be worked on — often prioritised during sprints.
Say this instead: “Things we plan to build or fix.”
Definition: A tool that lets you turn features on or off without deploying new code.
Say this instead: “We can control who sees what — and test things quietly.”
Definition: The cost of quick fixes or shortcuts in code that will need to be cleaned up later.
Say this instead: “Code we need to fix eventually because it was rushed or messy.”
Definition: Agile = an approach to software development based on flexibility and collaboration. Scrum = a popular framework for running Agile projects. Sprint = a short cycle of work (usually 1–2 weeks).
Say this instead: “We work in short cycles so we can test, learn and improve as we go.”
Definition: The most stripped-back version of a product that still solves the problem — used to test demand.
Say this instead: “It’s the simplest version that still works, so we can learn what matters.”
Definition: Releasing a feature to a small group of users to test it before a full launch.
Say this instead: “We’re trialling it with real users before going live.”
Definition: The process of checking that software works as intended — usually includes manual testing and automated tests.
Say this instead: “We test everything before it goes live.”
Definition: Making sure that new updates haven’t accidentally broken existing features.
Say this instead: “We double-check the old stuff still works when we add something new.”
Definition: A safe, isolated space where you can test things without affecting real users or data.
Say this instead: “A testing zone where you can break things without consequences.”
From CAC to churn to CLTV, these are the numbers people love to throw around, but rarely explain properly. Here’s a breakdown that’s actually useful (and what you can say instead).
Definition: Annual Recurring Revenue — the total value of all active subscriptions over a year.
Say this instead: “What we make from subscriptions each year.”
Definition: Monthly Recurring Revenue — your predictable income from subscriptions each month.
Say this instead: “Our steady month-to-month income.”
Definition: Annual Contract Value — the average value of one customer contract over a year.
Say this instead: “How much a customer is worth to us annually.”
Definition: Customer Acquisition Cost — how much it costs (in marketing, sales, etc.) to get one new customer.
Say this instead: “What we spend to win a customer.”
Definition: Customer Lifetime Value — the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with your business.
Say this instead: “How much each customer brings in over time.”
Definition: The percentage of customers who cancel their subscription during a given period.
Say this instead: “How many customers we lose.”
Definition: The percentage of customers who keep using (and paying for) your product over time.
Say this instead: “How many customers stick around.”
Definition: Measures how much existing customer revenue has grown or shrunk over time (after upgrades, downgrades, churn).
Say this instead: “How well we keep and grow our current customers.”
Definition: Revenue gained from existing customers spending more — through upgrades, add-ons, or more seats.
Say this instead: “How much more our current customers are paying.”
Definition: A business model where a basic version is free, and users pay to unlock more features.
Say this instead: “Try it free — then upgrade if you need more.”
Definition: A feature or section of content that requires payment to access.
Say this instead: “You’ll need to upgrade to unlock this.”
Definition: Pricing structured in levels based on features, usage, or seats.
Say this instead: “Different plans for different needs.”
Definition: Customers pay based on how much they use the product (e.g. per user, per API call, per GB).
Say this instead: “You only pay for what you use.”
Definition: Pricing based on the number of users (or “seats”) that have access to the product.
Say this instead: “Pricing depends on how many team members need access.”
Definition: A proactive team or function that helps customers get value from your product (and stick around longer).
Say this instead: “We help customers get the most out of the product.”
Definition: The strategy and plan for launching a product or entering a market — includes sales, marketing, and positioning.
Say this instead: “How we get our product in front of the right people.”
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition: A detailed description of the type of company or person who gets the most value from your product.
Say this instead: “Our best-fit customer.”
Definition: A semi-fictional profile of a typical buyer — including goals, pain points, and behaviour.
Say this instead: “The kind of person who usually signs up.”
Definition: A strategy where you win a small deal, prove value, then grow the account over time.
Say this instead: “Start small, grow big.”
Definition: When your product meets a real market need — and people are buying it, using it, and recommending it.
Say this instead: “It solves a real problem — and people want it.”
These are the acronyms and phrases that get thrown around in marketing meetings to sound smart — but they often hide what’s actually going on. Here’s what they mean, and how to say them like a real person.
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition:
Say this instead: “Where someone is in their decision-making journey.”
Definition: The percentage of people who move from one stage of the funnel to the next (e.g. from visitor to lead, or lead to customer).
Say this instead: “How many people take the next step.”
Definition: Figuring out which channels or actions led to a conversion (e.g. was it the ad, the blog, or the email?).
Say this instead: “What made them finally take action.”
Definition: Tailoring marketing efforts to where someone is in the customer journey — from first click to loyal user.
Say this instead: “Right message, right time.”
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition: Showing ads to people who’ve visited your site or engaged with your content but didn’t convert.
Say this instead: “Following up with people who already showed interest.”
Definition: A strategy where you market to specific high-value companies, not just broad audiences.
Say this instead: “We focus on winning key accounts.”
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition: Assigning points to leads based on how likely they are to buy (based on behaviour or demographics).
Say this instead: “Ranking leads by how likely they are to convert.”
Definition: Sending helpful, relevant content over time to move leads closer to a purchase.
Say this instead: “Keeping in touch until they’re ready.”
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition: Rapid, low-cost experiments to quickly grow users or revenue.
Say this instead: “Trying scrappy ideas to grow fast.”
Definition: Comparing two versions (of a page, email, ad) to see which performs better.
Say this instead: “Testing what works best.”
Definition: Tracking tags added to URLs to see where traffic comes from (e.g. email, social, ads).
Say this instead: “It tells us what campaign brought them here.”
Definition: Improving pages, content or flows so more visitors take action (sign up, buy, book).
Say this instead: “Making it easier for people to say yes.”
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition: A series of emails sent to new users to guide them through setup and early success.
Say this instead: “Helping new users get started.”
Definition: A planned set of emails that builds trust over time.
Say this instead: “A drip-feed of helpful content.”
Definition: Strategies and tactics to stop customers from cancelling.
Say this instead: “Keeping customers happy (and paying).”
User experience (UX) and interface (UI) terms often get thrown around like everyone’s a product designer. But if your job is to write content, build trust, or convert users — you need to understand how design and copy work together. Here's what those terms actually mean (and how to explain them like a human).
Definition: The complete path a user takes when interacting with your product — from first touchpoint to becoming a regular user.
Say this instead: “The steps someone takes from finding us to getting value.”
Definition: The specific path a user follows to complete a task (e.g. signing up, changing settings, making a purchase).
Say this instead: “How someone moves through the product to get something done.”
Definition: A basic outline or sketch of a page layout, without design or branding — used to map structure and functionality.
Say this instead: “A rough blueprint of what goes where.”
Definition: A mock version of a product or feature that users can interact with — often used for testing before building.
Say this instead: “A test version to try before we build the real thing.”
Definition: A review of how users interact with your product, identifying friction points and areas for improvement.
Say this instead: “A health check for the user experience.”
Definition: Designing your product so it can be used by everyone — including people with disabilities or assistive technologies.
Say this instead: “Making sure everyone can use it, no matter their ability.”
Definition: Rules of thumb or best practices used to evaluate usability (e.g. “users should always know where they are”).
Say this instead: “UX guidelines we check against to make sure things make sense.”
Definition: UX tactics that trick users into doing something they might not want to do (e.g. hidden opt-outs, confusing buttons).
Say this instead: “Design choices that benefit the business — not the user.”
Definition: Anything that slows users down or makes a task harder than it should be.
Say this instead: “Unnecessary steps, confusion or roadblocks.”
Definition: A pop-up window that appears on top of the page and requires action before you can continue.
Say this instead: “A box that interrupts what you’re doing.”
Definition: A small bit of text that appears when you hover over or click on something — used to give extra info.
Say this instead: “A quick tip or explanation that pops up.”
Definition: A prompt that tells users what to do next — like “Sign up,” “Book a demo,” or “Learn more.”
Say this instead: “The next step we want someone to take.”
Definition: A visual change (like colour or underline) that appears when a user hovers over a clickable element.
Say this instead: “What a button or link does when you mouse over it.”
Definition: A design approach where the layout adjusts based on screen size — so it works well on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
Say this instead: “Looks good and works well on any device.”
Definition: A navigation bar that stays fixed to the top of the screen as you scroll down.
Say this instead: “A menu that follows you as you scroll.”
Definition: A design approach that starts with mobile layouts, then scales up to larger screens.
Say this instead: “Designed for phones first — then adapted for bigger screens.”
Dashboards are full of useful data, and even more confusing terms. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers that matter, what they actually mean, and how to explain them without sounding like you swallowed a product analytics playbook.
Definition: Key Performance Indicator — a measurable goal that shows how well something is performing.
Say this instead: “The number we’re tracking to measure success.”
Definition: Objectives and Key Results — a goal-setting framework that defines what you want to achieve and how you’ll measure it.
Say this instead: “Our big goal — and how we’ll know if we hit it.”
Definition: A central place to view and track performance data — usually visualised as charts, graphs, and tables.
Say this instead: “A snapshot of how things are going.”
Definition: The set of tools a company uses to collect, analyse, and report on data (e.g. GA, Mixpanel, Segment, Looker).
Say this instead: “Our toolkit for tracking what’s working.”
Definition: Looking at how different groups of users behave over time — usually based on when they signed up or took an action.
Say this instead: “Comparing how different groups use the product.”
Definition: The point where users abandon a flow — like signing up, checking out, or completing a setup.
Say this instead: “Where people give up before finishing.”
Definition: A video-like replay of how a user navigated your product — useful for spotting bugs or confusion.
Say this instead: “A playback of how someone used the site.”
Definition: A visual map that shows where users click, scroll, or spend the most time on a page.
Say this instead: “It shows what people notice — and what they miss.”
Definition: The percentage of visitors who leave a page without taking any action or visiting another page.
Say this instead: “People who landed here… and then left.”
Definition: How long a visitor spends on a page before leaving.
Say this instead: “Did they skim or stick around?”
Definition:
Say this instead: “How many people are using it regularly — daily, weekly, or monthly.”
Definition:
Say this instead:
Definition: How actively users interact with your content or product — clicks, comments, usage frequency.
Say this instead: “How involved people are.”
Definition: A graph showing how many users stick around over time — usually measured from signup day onward.
Say this instead: “How fast people drop off — or stay loyal.”
Once someone signs up, the real work begins — keeping them happy, solving their problems, and growing the relationship. Here’s the jargon that comes with that world, with definitions that actually make sense.
Definition:
Definition: A live walkthrough of your product, usually done over video to show key features and answer questions.
Say this instead: “A personalised tour of how it works.”
Definition: A conversation with a prospect to understand their needs, pain points and whether your product is a good fit.
Say this instead: “A first chat to see if we can actually help.”
Definition: Addressing concerns or hesitations a potential customer has during the sales process.
Say this instead: “Answering their ‘but what if…’ questions.”
Definition: How fast deals move through the sales pipeline — from first contact to close.
Say this instead: “How long it takes to turn a lead into a customer.”
Definition: Tools, training, and content that help sales teams sell more effectively.
Say this instead: “Giving the sales team what they need to win.”
Definition: Customer Relationship Management — a system for tracking leads, deals, and customer interactions (e.g. HubSpot, Salesforce).
Say this instead: “The place where we track everything about our customers.”
Definition: The stages a prospect moves through before becoming a customer — often shown in a CRM.
Say this instead: “Our sales progress, from new lead to signed deal.”
Definition: Deciding whether a lead is worth pursuing, based on their needs, budget, and fit.
Say this instead: “Figuring out if they’re likely to buy.”
Definition: The percentage of users who start a free trial and then become paying customers.
Say this instead: “How many people try us — and stick around.”
Definition: The full process of managing a customer contract — from negotiation to signing, renewing, and updating.
Say this instead: “Every step of managing a customer agreement.”
Definition: The process of getting a new user or customer up and running — includes setup, training, and early support.
Say this instead: “Helping new customers get started (and see value fast).”
Definition: The process of closing or cancelling a customer account — ideally done smoothly, with feedback collected.
Say this instead: “Wrapping things up when a customer leaves.”
Definition: A logged issue or request submitted by a user when something goes wrong or they need help.
Say this instead: “A customer’s ‘hey, this isn’t working’ message.”
Definition: A self-serve library of articles, FAQs, and tutorials to help users solve common problems.
Say this instead: “The place to find answers without waiting for support.”
Definition: Customer Satisfaction Score — a short survey asking users how satisfied they are (usually rated 1–5 or with emojis).
Say this instead: “A quick pulse-check on how happy customers are.”
Definition: Net Promoter Score — a survey asking how likely someone is to recommend your product, rated from 0–10.
Say this instead: “Would they tell a friend about us?”
Jargon isn't the enemy... confusion is. And in SaaS, it's easy to confuse people without meaning to. Whether you’re writing product copy, a pitch deck, or an onboarding sequence, the best content is clear, useful, and a little less “wait, what does that mean?”
If your content is full of terms like NRR, SDK and TOFU (and your readers aren't converting) it might be time for a rewrite. I help SaaS teams turn fuzzy, jargon-filled copy into content that actually lands.
Want help making your content sound human (without losing credibility)? Let’s chat.
Join my email list for bite-sized advice, process fixes and writing tips — made for compliance-heavy teams.
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