Decide whether a glossary will solve a real problem
Every organization uses words that feel ordinary to its team but unfamiliar to someone visiting its website for the first time. A community group might refer to an intake meeting; a repair business might describe a diagnostic assessment. If visitors need to understand those terms before they can choose a service or complete a form, a short explanation can remove unnecessary uncertainty.
A glossary is useful when the same important terms appear across several pages, or when explaining each term in full would interrupt the main message. It should not become a place to hide essential information. If a visitor must understand a term to act on a page, define it briefly on that page too. The glossary can offer more context and an example for anyone who wants it.
Start with a specific goal, such as helping prospective clients understand your process or helping volunteers recognize the roles described on an application page. That goal will guide which entries belong in the glossary and which are simply internal vocabulary your visitors do not need.
Collect terms from real visitor tasks
List the tasks people come to your site to complete: checking whether they are eligible, comparing options, preparing for an appointment or finding out what happens after they make contact. Read the pages involved in those tasks and mark terms a newcomer might have to stop and interpret. Include abbreviations, process names and words that have a specialized meaning in your field.
Then review the questions your team already receives through email, phone calls or in-person conversations. A repeated request to explain what a phrase means is a stronger candidate than a term that merely sounds technical. If you want to think more broadly about how people discuss shared interests and ask questions, Community Building · Social Signal Journal offers another place to browse.
Keep the first list short enough to review carefully. You might begin with the terms that affect a visitor’s next step, rather than trying to define every unfamiliar word on the site. For each candidate, note where it appears and why understanding it matters. This makes it easier to prioritize entries and spot pages that need clearer wording even if you never create a glossary entry.
Write definitions people can use
A useful entry answers three questions: What does this mean here? When will a visitor encounter it? What, if anything, should they do with that information? Lead with a plain-language definition, then add a brief example or distinction if it helps. Avoid defining one unfamiliar term with two more unfamiliar terms.
For example, instead of writing “An intake meeting facilitates preliminary service assessment,” you could write: “An intake meeting is an initial conversation about what you need and whether our service is a good fit. You do not need to decide on a service before the meeting.” The second version explains the term and addresses a practical worry. Adapt the details to your organization’s actual process rather than copying a generic example.
Keep each entry focused. If an explanation grows into several paragraphs about requirements, timelines and exceptions, the topic may need its own page. In that case, the glossary entry can provide a concise definition and point visitors toward the fuller explanation. To explore other ways of learning what an audience finds confusing or valuable, you can browse Audience Insights · Social Signal Journal as a separate source of ideas.
Connect and maintain the glossary
Place the glossary where a visitor can find it without guessing, and connect relevant terms from pages where they appear. A short definition beside a form field may be more helpful than making someone leave the form to look up a term. On a longer page, a reference to the glossary can provide optional detail without slowing down readers who already understand the language.
Test a few entries with someone who is not involved in your day-to-day work. Ask them what they think the term means, what they would do next and whether the explanation answers their question. Their response can reveal missing context or an example that makes sense only to your team. Also check that the glossary and the pages using its terms describe the same process.
Give one person responsibility for reviewing entries when services, forms or procedures change. A simple record of the term, the pages where it appears and the person who can confirm its meaning is enough to support that review. A small, accurate glossary is more helpful than an extensive one that contradicts the rest of your website.
