Fediverse
A network of independently operated social services that can exchange content and interactions. Which interactions work depends on the software and server policies.
The language of the open social web
A little less jargon.
A lot more clarity.
The terms you’ll encounter while connecting your website.
Federation
Communication between independently run servers. You can follow a profile hosted elsewhere without opening an account on that same server.
Handle
An account address, commonly written @name@server.example. Both parts matter: two people can use the same name on different servers. Copy the full address when sharing it.
Instance / server
An installation of a social platform with its own operator, accounts, and rules. One platform can have many independently run instances.
ActivityPub
A W3C standard for social networking. Its server-to-server protocol defines how servers exchange activities, such as creating a post or following an account.
WebFinger
A discovery mechanism that can map an account address to information about that account, including its public profile endpoint. Finding that endpoint does not verify post delivery.
Actor
The technical representation of an account or other entity that performs activities. A website publication can have an actor profile just as a person can.
Inbox / outbox
ActivityPub endpoints for receiving and publishing activities. An advertised inbox tells other servers where to send messages; its existence does not prove successful delivery.
Boost
Mastodon’s name for resharing a post with your followers. Other platforms may use a different label or offer different sharing behavior.
References: W3C ActivityPub · Mastodon network guide · WebFinger in Mastodon