Glossary

What is Back-end?

Published October 14, 2026

Also known as: backend, server.

Back to the restaurant: if the front-end is the dining room, the back-end is the kitchen. Customers never go in there, but it’s where the order becomes a dish.

In your app, the back-end comes in when you need login, a shared database or a connection to other services. Vibecoding tools usually offer ready-made options for this, which you switch on by chatting.

Related terms

API: A standard way for one program to talk to another. When your app checks the weather or sends a message through another service, it is using an API.
Database: The place where the app stores information in an organized way, like customers, orders or tasks, so it's still there later and can be seen from other devices.
Front-end: The part of the app that people see and touch, like screens, buttons, text and forms. It runs in the browser of whoever is using it.
Login: The step where a person proves who they are, usually with an email and password or a Google account, to access only what belongs to them in the app.

See the full glossary