Glossary for Shopify merchants

SEO and AI search

Search title (SEO title)

The blue headline Google shows for a page in search results. Shoppers read it first, so it should say what the page sells, in about 60 characters.

Meta description

The short summary under the title in Google results. It doesn't change rankings directly, but a clear one gets more people to click. About 160 characters. Check yours with the search listing preview.

Search listing

How a page appears on Google: its search title, meta description and address.

Alt text

A short written description of a photo. Google Images and screen readers rely on it because they can't see the picture. See how to write alt text.

Structured data (schema markup, JSON-LD)

Hidden code that states facts about a page, like price, stock, FAQs and store details, so Google and AI assistants can read them reliably and show rich results. See product structured data.

Rich results

Extra details Google adds to a listing, such as prices, star ratings or breadcrumbs, which make the result bigger and more clickable.

Canonical tag

A line in a page's code naming the main version of that page, so search engines know which address to show when several addresses show the same content.

Redirect (301)

A permanent forward from an old address to a new one, so links to a deleted or renamed page still land somewhere useful and keep their ranking value.

Broken link (404)

A link to a page that no longer exists. Shoppers land on an error page and search engines waste visits on a dead end. See fixing broken links.

Indexing

Whether a search engine has added a page to its results. A page that isn't indexed can't show up in search at all.

Google Search Console

Google's free report on how people find a site: the searches it appears for, impressions, clicks, average position and indexing problems.

Impressions

How many times a page appeared in search results, whether or not anyone clicked.

Click-through rate (CTR)

The share of people who saw a result and clicked it: clicks divided by impressions.

Average position

Where a page usually ranks for a search. 1 is the top result; 11 or worse is page two.

Keyword

The words people type into a search engine. Each page should be the best answer for one main search.

Keyword cannibalization

Two or more pages on the same site chasing the same search, so search engines split their attention and both rank lower than one strong page would.

Thin content

A page with too little original text to understand or rank, like a one-line product description or a short, generic blog post.

Duplicate content

The same text on more than one page, often copied supplier descriptions. Search engines usually show one copy and ignore the rest.

AI crawlers

The bots AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Gemini and Copilot use to read websites. A site that blocks them can't be recommended from what they read.

llms.txt

A plain text summary of a site for AI tools, listing its main pages. Optional; major search engines haven't confirmed they use it. See llms.txt for Shopify.

AI shopping readiness

What AI assistants need before they recommend a product: a photo, a price, a real description, answers to common questions, a category and a barcode.

GTIN (UPC, EAN)

A product's global barcode number, used by Google Shopping and AI shopping to match a product to what people search for.

Generative engine optimization (GEO)

Work that helps a brand get found and cited in answers from AI assistants, alongside traditional search engine optimization (SEO).

IndexNow

A protocol that lets a website tell participating search engines, including Bing, the moment a page is added or changed, instead of waiting to be crawled.

Packaging EPR

Packaging EPR (extended producer responsibility)

State laws that make the brands selling products into a state report the packaging they supplied there each year, by material, and pay fees that fund recycling. See what is packaging EPR.

Producer

The business responsible for reporting packaging under an EPR law. Usually the brand owner for product packaging, and whoever packs the order for shipping packaging, except in California, where the brand owner reports both.

Producer responsibility organization (PRO)

The organization that runs a state's packaging EPR program for producers: collecting reports, setting and invoicing fees, and funding recycling.

Circular Action Alliance (CAA)

The producer responsibility organization for six of the seven US packaging EPR states: Oregon, Colorado, California, Washington, Minnesota and Maryland.

Small producer exemption

An exemption for businesses under a state's revenue or packaging tonnage line. Not always automatic: California's has to be applied for and Oregon's claimed in a yearly window. See state thresholds.

Covered materials

The packaging and paper a state's EPR law applies to, reported by material category such as corrugated cardboard, paper, each plastic resin, glass and metal.

Data year

The calendar year of packaging a report covers. Reports on one year's packaging are filed the following year.

Flat fee (flat dues)

A fixed annual fee some states, such as Oregon and Colorado, offer low-volume producers instead of paying by the pound.

SB 54

California's packaging EPR law, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. Its final regulations took effect May 1, 2026. See the SB 54 guide.

Source reduction

Cutting the amount of packaging, especially plastic, used in the first place. California requires producers to report and plan for it.

Shipping and delivery

WISMO ("where is my order")

Customer messages asking where an order is. Most come from late or stalled packages nobody explained. See reducing WISMO emails.

Stuck in transit

A package with no new tracking scan for several days while on its way. See what to do.

Carrier exception

A tracking status meaning something interrupted delivery, such as an address problem, weather or a damaged label.

Delivered, not received

A package tracking shows as delivered that the customer says never arrived. See the steps to take.

Handling time

Business days from an order coming in to the carrier's first scan.

Transit time

Business days from the carrier's first scan to delivery.

Delivery estimate

The date range a store shows before purchase for when an order will arrive, built from handling time, transit time and an order cutoff. See delivery estimates.

Ship-by date (holiday deadline)

A carrier's last recommended day to ship for delivery before a holiday. A store's order cutoff is earlier by its handling time. See the cutoff calculator.

Dimensional weight

A billing weight carriers calculate from a box's size. Large, light boxes are charged by size rather than actual weight.

3PL (third-party logistics)

A warehouse company that stores, packs and ships orders for a brand.

Shipping claim

A request to a carrier or insurer for payment when a package is lost or damaged. See filing claims.

Branded tracking page

A page on a store's own site where customers follow their package, instead of the carrier's site.

Shopify POS and retail

Shopify POS

Shopify's point of sale for selling in person, sharing products, inventory and customers with the online store. It comes in POS Lite and the paid POS Pro, which adds staff and inventory features.

Layaway

Holding an item for a customer who pays for it over time, with the item handed over once it's paid in full. See layaway on Shopify POS.

Hold

Setting an item aside for a customer for a short time, often without payment. See holding items.

Special order

An item ordered in for a specific customer, usually with a deposit.

Work order

A ticket for a job done for a customer, such as an alteration, repair or custom work, with the details, price, deposit, status and pickup date. See work orders.

Deposit

A partial payment taken up front for a layaway, special order or custom job.

Staff attribution

Crediting a sale, or individual items in it, to the staff member who made it. The basis for commissions and sales goals.

Sales commission

Pay tied to what a staff member sells, usually a percentage of net sales after returns. See tracking commissions.

Time clock

A record of when staff start and finish work, including breaks, used for payroll. See time clocks for Shopify POS.