A Practical Guide to Glossary Pages
Pages that define the terms used in an industry or product, either as one glossary or as separate definition pages.
Dana Whitfield
Why does it matter?
Glossaries help newcomers understand a field and support consistent terminology, but thin definition pages at scale add little value.
What are the numbers?
- Formats a single page, alphabetical sections or individual term pages
- Markup HTML definition lists or DefinedTerm structured data
- Consistency definitions should match product and help content
- Value definitions should add explanation beyond a dictionary
What should I do?
- Define terms your audience actually searches for
- Link terms from articles where they appear
- Use examples to explain meaning
- Keep definitions consistent with product copy
- Review definitions as the field changes
What should I avoid?
Avoid:
- Hundreds of one-line definition pages
- Definitions copied from other sites
- Circular definitions
- Glossaries nobody maintains
When should I get help?
Short answer Bring in help when building a large glossary or knowledge hub.
Where this comes from
- MDN Web Docs — The dl element
- Schema.org — DefinedTerm
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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