endeRH-Webdesign | Shopware Freelancer

What is the back end?

The backend is the “back” part of a website, which is not accessible for the ordinary visitor. In this area the page is managed and filled by the administrator or operator (content management system). The users can only see the other end, which is called the frontend analogously.

  • Access usually only for administrator (with login / password)
  • Contains numerous functions for content, design and much more
  • Important e.g. for onpage optimization of the site or shop
  • Various function extensions are often possible beyond that

The backend is used for this

The range of functions can vary, but it is always the same in essence. Above all, the content can be maintained and recreated in the backend. In addition, the design can also be adapted at any time. In certain cases, the administrator will assign additional rights for employees in the backend. Media content as well as users, comments and spam are also managed in the backend. In WordPress, for example, the backend for the user is so to speak “behind the scenes”, because the visitors of the website do not see these areas. They are only visible to the administrators and possibly other registered users who have access to the admin area. The frontend, on the other hand, is publicly accessible and is shown to users when they visit the website. So frontend and backend are terms used by programmers and other computer experts to describe the “layers” that make up a computer program or website (or possibly hardware) – in terms of how accessible they are for a user. The terms backend and frontend thus describe the two main parts of a website. Web-based interfaces are usually referred to as an administration interface when it comes to the backend. In so-called content management systems, the following activities are possible via the back end: setting up navigation, managing images, videos and other media, adapting designs, maintaining content, adding functions (plug-ins / add-ons), changing settings, and importing and exporting various data. The backends of shop systems can also offer many other management options. A typical example is the creation and maintenance of categories and products. The backend is also very important for search engine optimization. It is quasi the central point for the implementation of OnPage optimization measures. In the backend, for example, metadata is entered, the content is entered, page errors are analyzed, keyword densities of certain content are evaluated, the sitemap is generated, snippets are stored if necessary and the internal linking is organized. Which concrete possibilities are offered in each individual case always depends on the CMS or shop system used.

Backend and frontend – two sides of the same coin

What is the difference between backend and frontend? The backend refers to computer applications or parts of them or the code of a program that enable the operation and which a user cannot access. Most data as well as the operating syntax is stored and retrieved in the backend of a computer system. Usually the code consists of one or more programming languages. The backend is sometimes referred to as the data access layer of software (or hardware) and contains all functions that need to be accessed and navigated by digital means. The layer above the back end is the front end and contains the software that is part of the user interface. Human or digital users always interact directly with various aspects of the front-end of a program, including user-entered data, buttons, programs, Web pages, and other functions. Most of these functions have been developed by UX experts to be as accessible, pleasant, and user-friendly as possible. A backend program supports frontend user services and is connected to all necessary resources. The backend application can interact directly with the frontend or be called by an intermediate program that mediates frontend and backend activities. System architectures are divided into front-end and back-end components for different purposes. In software and Web development, projects are most often broken down by the skills required. The front-end aspect of a project is usually handled by professionals such as Web designers, while the back end is handled by developers. The front-end and back-end can also be used to describe situations where the customer has access to one view and employees have access to another. Front-end components are customer-oriented, while the rights to the back end are reserved for authenticated users only.

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