Use this glossary to distinguish the pieces of a publishing architecture. The definitions are starting points; follow the linked guides for operating assumptions, limitations, and practical examples.
Blockchain CMS
A content-management approach that assigns a defined publishing role to a blockchain, such as release commitments or permissions. It usually keeps large payloads elsewhere. See the blockchain CMS guide.
Content-addressed storage
A model in which an identifier relates to a particular content representation rather than only a server location. Identification and ongoing availability are separate concerns.
Content identifier (CID)
An IPFS identifier that combines a digest with information about the content representation. It is not simply a plain file checksum. Representation and import settings can affect the result. See IPFS CIDs.
Content provenance
Evidence about the origin, handling, and changes of content. It can support a reader's evaluation without independently proving that the content is true. Explore provenance.
Decentralized CMS (dCMS)
A publishing design that distributes selected responsibilities or authority across components and operators. Always ask which layer is decentralized and who controls recovery.
Digital signature
A cryptographic mechanism that associates a statement with a signing key. Interpreting who controls that key and whether it was authorized requires a surrounding trust process.
DNSLink
A DNS-based convention for associating a domain with an IPFS or IPNS path. It signals a content reference; it does not independently provide a gateway, TLS certificate, or storage.
ENS
The Ethereum Name Service, which can be part of a human-readable naming and resolution layer. Its role is distinct from retaining the bytes of a website.
Filecoin
A storage marketplace and network that can form part of a persistence arrangement. It is not another name for IPFS and should be evaluated separately from the reader-facing retrieval route.
Gateway
An access layer that serves network content through protocols familiar to a client, such as HTTP. The availability of a preferred gateway is separate from the existence of stored copies.
Hash
A digest calculated from a defined sequence of bytes. In an integrity workflow, it supports comparison with a reference. It does not, by itself, prove meaning, authorship, or confidentiality.
Headless CMS
A content-management system whose editorial backend is separated from public presentation. Headless delivery does not inherently mean blockchain-based or decentralized publishing.
Indexer
A component that turns records and content metadata into convenient views such as current-version lookups and article lists. A resilient design documents how to rebuild it.
IPFS
A content-addressed peer-to-peer system for organizing and transferring data. It is not a blockchain or a complete CMS. See IPFS content management.
IPNS
The InterPlanetary Name System: a mutable naming mechanism in the IPFS ecosystem. A stable name can resolve to changing content references under the relevant authority and validity rules.
Manifest
A document describing a release package, its files, relationships, and verification scope. A manifest is useful only when its format and interpretation remain understandable.
Off-chain payload
The actual article, media, or other content stored outside the publication ledger. An on-chain pointer does not itself preserve the referenced payload.
On-chain record
Information recorded in a blockchain, such as a commitment, pointer, or permission event. Its meaning depends on the application rules and the network's verification model.
OpenTimestamps
A project defining timestamp-proof operations and independent verification. Its documented Bitcoin workflow can contribute evidence of earlier existence. Read the project explanation.
Pinning
Retaining selected IPFS data against a node's garbage collection. Pinning needs an operating node and an explicit retention responsibility; it is not a universal promise of availability.
Release package
The approved files and metadata treated as one publishing edition. Defining the package makes integrity checks, corrections, and recovery easier to interpret.
Tamper evidence
Evidence that can help detect a change to a committed representation. It does not prevent every change, establish intent, or guarantee factual accuracy.
Web3 CMS
A broad term for content management used with decentralized infrastructure or blockchain-related publishing records. Evaluate the actual architecture rather than relying on the label.