Web application
A web application supports tasks using web technologies, often through a browser. Installation, offline operation and server connections depend on its scope.
Complete a task through a web interface
A web application is built using web technologies and is typically used through a browser. People can perform tasks and work with data, such as booking appointments or managing orders. The term does not specify one technical architecture.
In a fictional appointment portal, you choose an available slot and submit a booking request. Confirmed storage establishes that an appointment has been created reliably. A visible selection alone does not demonstrate completion.
Depending on its task, a web application may run locally in the browser or connect to server services. Its boundary with a website is fluid; a website may include application functions. Installation and offline operation are additional properties that need deliberate implementation. They do not follow automatically from the name web application.
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Related terms
- FrontendThe frontend is an application’s user-facing interface. Helpful browser feedback does not replace authoritative server-side checks.
- BackendThe backend handles an application’s server-side rules and data. It is more than a database or an administration screen.
- Single-page applicationA single-page application updates views within a loaded web document. It may still have many views and separate URLs.
- Legacy systemAn existing system still in use, with technical and business dependencies accumulated over time.
- Multi-tenancyMulti-tenancy supports separate customer or group scopes in one solution. A tenant is not automatically one person or one database.
- Browser cacheThe browser cache stores suitable HTTP responses for later use. Reuse and revalidation follow the applicable rules.
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