AI Terminology: Plain-English AI Words For Beginners

New to AI? This page explains the AI and tech words used across our AI Guides in plain English. Each term links to a guide where you can see it in action.

Jump To: A · B · C · D · E · G · H · I · M · P · R · S · T · U · W · Z

A

AI Agent

An AI assistant that can take steps on its own, like reading a list, drafting a fix and checking its work, instead of only answering one question. See It In: How To Write AI Agent Instructions That Improve · How To Use AI Agents At Work Without Losing Control

AI Assistant

A chat app you talk to in plain words that can answer questions and do tasks for you, like drafting an email or summing up a report. See It In: Grok Bot Vs Other AI Assistants · How To Set Up An AI Assistant With Grok Bot

Answer Card

A short multiple-choice question a bot sends you so you can reply with one tap instead of typing, for example "Yes, apply it" or "No, leave it." See It In: Get Better Answers From Your Grok Bot · Your AI Will Make Mistakes

API

Short for Application Programming Interface. It is a door one app opens so another app can read or change its data, like a drive-through window for software. See It In: How To Use AI With RepairDesk Repair Software · What Is Gemini Good For? A Small Business View

API Key

A long secret code that lets an app or bot use another app's API. Treat it like a house key: never paste it in a chat or share it. See It In: What Is Claude Good For? A Small Business View · What Is Gemini Good For? A Small Business View

Approval

The step where you say yes before a bot changes, sends or buys anything. The bot shows you what it plans to do, and nothing happens until you agree. See It In: AI Approvals · Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU

Archive

Moving something out of sight without deleting it, so you can bring it back later. Like putting old papers in a box in the closet instead of the trash. See It In: How To Organize Files With AI · How To Use AI Efficiently

Automation

Letting software do a repeat task for you, like sending a reminder every morning, so you do not have to do it by hand. See It In: Zapier AI Automation · How To Automate Tasks With AI Using Routines

B

Backup

A saved copy of something taken before a change, so you can put it back exactly as it was if the change goes wrong. See It In: How To Organize Files With AI · How To Automate Your Business With AI

Bot

Another word for an AI assistant set up for a job. You can give each bot its own role, like one for the store and one for the books. See It In: Grok Bot Vs Other AI Assistants · Running More Than One Grok Bot

Bulk Edit

Changing many items at once, like updating the price on 300 products in one go instead of one at a time. See It In: How To Use AI With Shopify · How To Use AI With RepairDesk Repair Software

C

Clicks

How many times people clicked your link in Google search results and landed on your site. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI · AI Approvals

Connector

A ready-made link between an AI assistant and an app like Gmail or Shopify. You sign in once and the bot can then read, and with your OK change, things there. See It In: Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store · Grok Bot Vs Other AI Assistants

Context

The background a bot has to work with, like your earlier messages, files and notes. More useful context usually means better answers. See It In: Grok Bot Vs Other AI Assistants · How To Set Up An AI Assistant With Grok Bot

CSV

A plain spreadsheet file where values are separated by commas. Most apps can export or import one, which makes it an easy way to move a list between apps. See It In: How To Use Helper Bots So Your Main Bots Stay Focused · How To Automate Your Business With AI

D

Draft

A first version a bot writes for you to read and edit before anything is sent or published. See It In: Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store · Your AI Will Make Mistakes

E

Export

Saving data out of an app into a file, like downloading your product list as a spreadsheet. See It In: Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU · How To Automate Your Business With AI

G

Google Search Console

A free Google tool that shows how your website shows up in Google search, including impressions and clicks. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI

Google Tags

Small pieces of code on a website that tell Google tools what visitors do, like which page they viewed. They power reports and ad tracking. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI

GPU

The graphics chip in a computer. It is also very good at the math AI uses, so it can run some AI tools on your own computer. See It In: Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU · Your AI Will Make Mistakes

H

Hallucination

When an AI states something that sounds right but is made up. This is why you check facts and numbers before you use them. See It In: Keep Your Grok Bots Fast And Accurate

I

Impressions

How many times your site showed up in Google search results, whether or not anyone clicked it. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI

Integration

Any link that lets two apps share information, like a store and a repair app keeping the same product list. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI · Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store

M

Memory

Notes a bot keeps between chats, like your preferences or rules, so you do not have to repeat yourself every time. See It In: Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU · Keep Your Grok Bots Fast And Accurate

Metadata

Information about a page that visitors usually do not see, like the title and short description Google shows in search results. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI

Model

The AI engine an app runs on. Different models can be faster, cheaper or better at certain jobs. See It In: Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU · Grok Bot Vs Other AI Assistants

P

POS

Short for Point Of Sale. It is the software a shop uses to ring up sales, take payments and track tickets. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI · Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store

Prompt

The message or instruction you type to an AI. A clear prompt says what you want, with what, and what the result should look like. See It In: How To Write AI Prompts For Beginners · Grok Bot Prompt Library

Python

A popular programming language. Bots can write and run short Python scripts to do jobs like sorting a big spreadsheet. See It In: Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU · Your AI Will Make Mistakes

R

Read-Only Access

Permission for a bot to look at your data but not change it. It is the safest way to start with any new connection. See It In: Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store · How To Connect AI To Apps

Report

A summary a bot writes for you, like a morning list of what changed overnight and what needs your attention. See It In: How To Use AI Efficiently · How To Regulate Grok Bot Usage Without Losing Results

Routine

A task a bot runs on a schedule or when something happens, like checking your inbox every morning at 8. See It In: 26 Grok Bot Routine Recipes You Can Copy · How To Regulate Grok Bot Usage Without Losing Results

Rules

Standing instructions a bot always follows, like a style sheet: "Use Title Case" or "Ask before changing prices." See It In: Get Better Answers From Your Grok Bot · Standing Rules For AI Bots

S

Script

A short set of written steps a computer follows. A setup script can also mean a ready-made prompt you paste in to set up a bot. See It In: Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU · Grok Bot Setup Scripts For Every Area Of Life

SEO

Short for Search Engine Optimization. It means making your pages easy for Google to understand so more people find them in search. See It In: How To Use AI To Update Your Website's Wording · Grok Bot Prompt Library

Sync

When two apps keep the same information matched, like a price updated in one app showing up in the other. See It In: How To Automate Your Business With AI · Standing Rules For AI Bots

T

Template

A reusable layout or starting point, like a fill-in-the-blank email you change slightly each time. See It In: AI Prompts For Small Business Owners · Grok Bots, Python And Your Own GPU

Token

A small chunk of text an AI reads or writes. AI usage and limits are often counted in tokens, so shorter requests use less. See It In: What Is ChatGPT Good For? A Small Business View · What Is Claude Good For? A Small Business View

U

Usage

How much of your plan's AI work you have used. Long chats, big files and many routines use more. See It In: How To Regulate Grok Bot Usage Without Losing Results · Grok Bot Pricing And Usage

W

Webhook

An automatic message one app sends another the moment something happens, like "a new order just came in." See It In: How To Automate Tasks With AI Using Routines

Workflow

The set of steps you follow to get a job done, like check in a repair, order the part, fix it and call the customer. See It In: Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store · Zapier AI Automation

Write Access

Permission for a bot to change your data, not just read it. Turn this on only after you trust what the bot does, and keep approvals on. See It In: What Is ChatGPT Good For? A Small Business View · What Is Claude Good For? A Small Business View

Z

Zapier

An app that links other apps together with simple if-this-then-that steps, which can fill gaps where no direct connector exists. See It In: Zapier AI Automation · Grok Bot Integrations For A Small Store

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How Grok Bot Usage Works

Franchitti's Fix is run by Steve with help from Grok Bot, so here's the plain version of how its usage works.

• Your Plan Includes A Usage Allowance. Paid plans come with included usage that refreshes every week. Higher-tier plans include more. Unused usage doesn't roll over. (Source)
• Bigger Jobs Use More. In general, long research, tasks that use lots of tools and routines running in the background do more work, so they draw down the allowance faster than a quick question.
• Light Settings Stretch It. Lower effort for simple jobs, fewer and less frequent routines and short, focused requests all help the allowance last. See How To Regulate Grok Bot Usage.
• Checking Your Usage. In Grok Bot, open Settings, then Usage & Billing. On The X Subscription, you can also check Usage at grok.com/dashboard, which shows the weekly pool, the next reset date and any prepaid credit. (Source)

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