Glossary

Clear, plain-English definitions of the terms you'll meet building apps with AI. No jargon, no fluff, just the concepts you need. Get the basics, then go build.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Agent Memory

Agent memory is how an AI agent holds on to context, like goals and past decisions, so it stays consistent across a task.

Authentication

Authentication is how an app verifies who a user is, usually through a login, so only the right people can access their accounts and data.

B

Brainstorm

Brainstorm is an Emergent tab that plans your app with you first, asking questions and turning your answers into an editable build plan.

C

CRUD

CRUD (create, read, update, delete) is the set of four basic operations an app performs on stored data, covering most of what any app does.

Context Limits

A context limit is the maximum amount an AI agent can hold in its working memory at once, covering your conversation, code, and decisions.

Custom Domain

A custom domain lets your deployed Emergent app run at your own web address instead of the default emergent.app URL.

D

Deployment

Deployment is the process of publishing your app so it runs live at a real web address for anyone to use, not just in a private preview.

E

Environment Variable

An environment variable is a stored setting an app reads at runtime, used to keep values like secret keys separate from the code.

E-3 Agent

E-3 is Emergent's autonomous agent that plans, builds, tests, and fixes an app from a brainstorm and an approved plan, with little hands-on steering.

E-1 Agent

E-1 is Emergent's core builder agent, working through a conversational loop that lets you steer the build step by step in real time.

Emmy

Emmy is Emergent's free, built-in AI assistant that answers questions about your build in the context of your current project.

F

Fork

Forking in Emergent creates a new branch of your project with a fresh context window, while keeping all your existing generated code intact.

G

GitHub Integration

GitHub Integration connects your Emergent project to GitHub, so you can save, version, and back up your code without leaving Emergent.

H

Hallucinated API

A hallucinated API is a function, method, or endpoint an AI confidently writes into code that does not actually exist.

Health Check

Health Check tests whether your Emergent app is ready to deploy, catching problems before you commit credits to publishing it.

I

Idempotency Key

An idempotency key is a unique ID sent with a request so that if it's sent twice, the action only happens once.

Integration Agent

Integration Agent is Emergent's specialized agent that connects your app to third-party services, handling setup, configuration, and code.

L

Lookup Field

A lookup field pulls in and displays a value from a linked record in another table, so related information shows up where you need it.

Live Preview

A live preview is a real-time view of your app that updates as you build, letting you see changes instantly without publishing.

M

Maxx Mode

Maxx Mode gives Emergent's agent more room to reason, for complex builds that need deeper thinking before coding.

Mobile Agent

Mobile Agent is Emergent's agent for building production-ready iOS and Android apps from a plain-language description, available on paid plans.

N

Null Value

A null value is a stored placeholder meaning no data, showing a field is empty on purpose rather than holding a zero or blank text.

P

Package Hallucination

Package hallucination is when an AI tool tells you to install a software package that does not exist, which attackers can then exploit.

Prototype Agent

Prototype agent is Emergent's fastest agent, built for quick UI mockups and validating a design before you build the real thing.

Q

Query

A query is a request that fetches or filters specific data from a database, returning just the records an app asks for.

Query Parameters

Query parameters are key-value pairs added after a ? in a URL that pass extra information to a server, like filters or search terms.

R

Rate Limit

A rate limit is a cap on how many requests an app or service will accept in a set time, used to prevent overload and abuse.

Rollup Field

A rollup field is a field that calculates a single value, like a sum or count, from a set of linked records in another table.

Retry Logic

Retry logic is code that automatically re-attempts a failed request, so a temporary glitch doesn't break the whole action.

Rollback

A rollback is the act of returning an app or system to an earlier working state, undoing changes that caused a problem.

S

Seed Data

Seed data is the sample or starter records loaded into an app's database at the start, so a new build isn't empty when you open it.

Structured Output

Structured output is AI output returned in a fixed, machine-readable format like JSON, so an app can reliably read and act on it.

Sub-Agent

A sub-agent is a specialised helper Emergent's main agent hands focused tasks to, like testing or image work, while it stays in charge of the build.

T

Token

A token is a small chunk of text an AI model reads and writes in, and it's the unit an agent's memory, or context window, is measured in.

U

Universal Key

Universal Key is one Emergent credential that connects your app to multiple LLMs like GPT, Claude, and Gemini, billed in Emergent credits.

V

Visual Edits

Visual Edits lets you click any element in your Emergent app preview, say the change, and stack edits to apply to the real code in one batch.

Voice Mode

Voice Mode lets you build apps on Emergent by speaking, turning your spoken description into working code and UI in real time.

W

Webhook

A webhook is an automatic message one app sends another the moment an event happens, so the second app can react without checking for updates.

Start Building
on Emergent today

Start Building

Build Full-Stack

Web & mobile apps in minutes

Continue with Google

Thank you! Your submission has been received!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

Enter the 6-digit code sent to

you@example.com

Edit

Resend

By continuing, you agree to our
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.