Glossary

Building software comes with a lot of new words. Here they are in plain English, in alphabetical order.

AI agent / coding agent An AI that doesn't just answer questions but does work for you, like writing code in your project. Flowmaps works with Claude Code.

Anthropic The company that makes Claude. You get your API key from them, and they bill you for your AI use.

API A way for two programs to talk to each other. When Flowmaps "uses the Anthropic API", it sends a question to Claude and gets an answer back.

API key A long, secret password that lets a program use a service on your behalf. Keep it private, like a bank PIN. In Flowmaps it's stored encrypted.

Backend The part of an app that runs on a server and that users don't see: saving data, checking passwords, sending emails.

Board (Kanban) A view of your features as cards in columns by status: Idea, Scoped, Ready, In Progress and Shipped. See Kanban board.

Branch (git) A separate copy of your project where changes happen, so your main project stays safe. When the work is good, the branch is merged back.

Build order (v0.1.0) The number a feature gets the first time it's Ready. It shows the order in which you decided to build things.

Build prompt Written instructions for the AI about what to build. Flowmaps writes them for you, split into database, backend and frontend. See Build prompts.

Claude The AI made by Anthropic that Flowmaps uses to recommend features, write instructions, and build.

Claude Code The version of Claude that can work inside your project: read files, write code and run commands.

Command / terminal The terminal is a window where you type instructions (commands) instead of clicking. On Windows it's called PowerShell, on a Mac Terminal. See Build with AI from your terminal.

Commit A saved checkpoint of your project in git, with a short note about what changed.

Database Where an app stores its information, like user accounts or orders.

Deploy Putting a new version of your app online, so people can use it.

Flag An automatic warning on a feature that touches something risky: legal, security, compliance or cost. Not legal advice. See What are flags?

Frontend The part of an app that people see and click: pages, buttons, forms.

Git A tool that keeps the full history of your project, so you can always go back. Flowmaps sets it up for you.

GitHub A website that keeps an online copy of your project's code and its history, so nothing is lost if your computer breaks. Free for private projects. See Save your work on GitHub.

Knowledge base / help center Help articles for your customers about how your product works. Flowmaps drafts them when a feature ships. See Knowledge base.

Markdown A simple way to format text: **bold**, ## Heading, - list item. Used in notes, skills and help articles.

MCP A standard way for Claude to connect to other tools. Flowmaps uses it so you can work with your board from inside Claude. See Use Flowmaps inside Claude.

Merge Bringing the work from a branch back into your main project.

Mind map Your venture's whiteboard: every idea is a card, and lines show how they connect. See Ventures and mind maps.

Push Sending your saved changes (commits) from your computer to GitHub.

Repository (repo) The folder with your project's code and its git history. On GitHub, each app has its own repository.

Shipped Finished and live: the last column on the board.

Skill Your own rules for the AI, like your brand colors or the tools you build with. See Skills.

Token (access token) A secret code that lets the flowmaps command or Claude use your Flowmaps account. You can disconnect it any time in Settings.

Venture One business idea or product. Each venture has its own mind map, board and knowledge base.