# Glossary > Key concepts, terminology, and component definitions used across Glow. The canonical definitions for terminology, canvas concepts, execution mechanics, and billing models used across Glow. A B C D E F G H I L M P R S T V W --- ## A Account Identity Your personal user profile identified by your email address. Your account travels with you across every workspace you belong to. What actions you can perform inside a given workspace is determined by your role in that workspace, not your account. Learn more in Account & Authentication → Action Canvas Steps A type of step that executes an active task: dispatching an email, creating or updating records in a CRM, querying a database, or evaluating custom code. Actions are the executable operations of a workflow, distinct from triggers and flow controls. Learn more in Triggers and Actions → App drawer Canvas UI The right-hand configuration panel that opens when you select any step on the canvas. The App drawer provides tabs for **Setup** (input fields and data mappings), **Executions** (step output history), and **Test & Debug** (isolated test runners). Learn more in The Dock & App drawer → --- ## B Billing & Usage Workspace Settings The administration hub located at `/app/subscription` where teams monitor live meters (Step credits, Glow AI tokens, Retained storage), review published pricing calculators, configure budget safeguards, manage payment methods, and download PDF invoices. Learn more in Billing & Usage Overview → --- ## C Canvas Core Interface The real-time multiplayer visual workspace where workflows are designed, wired, tested, and operated. The canvas renders triggers, action steps, routing branches, sticky notes, and live collaborator cursors. Learn more in Steps and Connections → Client workspace MSP & Governance An isolated tenant workspace belonging to a client organization, managed by a consultancy or MSP through an authenticated delegation grant. Workflows, credentials, logs, and billing remain strictly segregated from all other tenants. Learn more in How Multi-Tenancy Works → Conditions Flow Control A flow control step that evaluates structured rules and routes workflow execution down matching branches. Each matching rule triggers its own path, while an optional ELSE branch executes when no rules match. Learn more in Conditions Step → Connection (app) Integrations An authenticated third-party OAuth token or API credential securely stored in the workspace. Workflows bind to connections to interact with external services on behalf of your team. Learn more in Connecting an App → --- ## D Date Data Tools A data transformation step that formats timestamps for human readability, computes intervals between dates, adds or subtracts time offsets, or extracts components (e.g. month, weekday). Learn more in Date Step → --- ## E Execution Engine & Runtime A discrete run of a workflow initiated by a trigger or manual run point. Each execution maintains its own isolated context, step logs, input payloads, and output states. Learn more in Step-Level Executions → --- ## F Flow Flow Control The dock group of built-in logic steps that control execution flow: Conditions, Switch, Filter, Repeater, Wait, Human Review, Stop and Error, and Do Nothing. Learn more in Choosing a Flow Step → --- ## G Glow AI Tokens AI & Billing The consumption unit for hosted AI features in Glow (AI Prompt, AI Agent, AI Data Transform, Workflow Assistant). Total billable tokens equal input tokens + output tokens + reasoning tokens. AI tokens never convert into Step credits and reset monthly. Learn more in Step Credits, Tokens & Storage → Grant MSP Governance The formal delegation agreement granted by a client Admin to an external MSP or consultancy. Grants specify access tiers (Audit, Standard, Full Operational), covered workflows, expiration dates, and audit logging. Learn more in Governance & Impersonation → --- ## H HTTP Mode Step Configuration The deterministic configuration mode on a step where you explicitly specify input fields, values, and variable mappings, ensuring identical execution on every run. HTTP Request Developer Tools A built-in action step located under `Tools → Data → Dev tools` that makes custom REST API calls (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH) to any publicly accessible web service. Learn more in HTTP Request → --- ## I Interface Templates & Forms The canvas drawer that transforms a backend workflow into an interactive standalone form. End-users fill in input fields and submit requests without opening or modifying the workflow canvas. Learn more in Form Templates → --- ## L Link / Edge Canvas Visuals The directional wire connecting two steps on the canvas. An edge defines data dependency and execution order: Step B executes after Step A completes, with Step A's outputs available to Step B. Loop Batch & Iteration Glow provides two looping mechanisms: **Run for each item** (a setting on a single action step to iterate over a list) and **Repeater** (a canvas step that repeats a multi-step workflow body). Learn more in Loops & Iteration → --- ## M MCP Mode Step Configuration An authoring toggle on steps that lets you describe intended behavior in natural language, which an AI model interprets to populate fields. For deterministic production runs, use HTTP Mode. Model Context Protocol (MCP) Developer & AI An open standard connecting AI coding assistants (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Zed) to Glow as an **MCP Server** for workflow discovery and step sandboxing. Glow also acts as an **MCP Client** allowing canvas AI Agents to call external tool servers. Learn more in Model Context Protocol (MCP) → --- ## P Prepaid Resource Model Billing Architecture Glow's resource-based billing model where workspaces configure independent monthly allowances for Step credits, Glow AI tokens, and Retained storage in advance. When an allowance depletes, operations pause safely without surprise fees. Learn more in Billing & Usage Overview → --- ## R Record Data Structures A structured key-value data object (such as a customer contact, CRM lead, or invoice). Collections of records are passed between steps, mapped into fields, or transformed using data helpers. ret Variable Syntax The root property key under which connected App action steps and HTTP Request steps store their returned response payload (e.g. `{{ 3.ret.id }}`). Triggers store output at the root without `ret` (e.g. `{{ 1.id }}`). Learn more in Variable Reference Syntax → Retained Storage Storage & Billing The persistent cloud storage capacity (measured in Gigabytes) allocated to a workspace for stored files, attachments, and generated documents. Storage represents continuous standing capacity and never resets monthly. Learn more in Step Credits, Tokens & Storage → Role Team & Security The permission tier assigned to a workspace user: **Admin**, **Manager**, or **Member**. All three roles can build, edit, and run workflows. Financial management and team settings are restricted to Admins. Learn more in Permissions and Access → --- ## S Scheduler Triggers A built-in trigger step that automatically initiates workflow runs on a recurring schedule (e.g. every weekday at 9:00 AM) using plain-language schedules or manual cron expressions. Learn more in Scheduler Trigger → Secret Security & Config An encrypted workspace credential (such as an API key, signing secret, or password). When referenced in workflows, secret values are automatically masked with `[REDACTED]` in execution logs. Learn more in Secrets and Variables → Starting Point Canvas Testing The specific trigger or step selected in the canvas dock when performing manual test runs on multi-trigger workflows. Step Core Concept The fundamental building block on the Glow canvas. Every trigger, action, AI model, and flow control element is a Step identified by a permanent step number. Learn more in Steps and Connections → Step Credit Billing & Execution The execution unit in Glow. Each executed non-AI step consumes 1 Step credit. Control steps (Wait, Human Review, Do Nothing) consume 0 credits. If a step fails prior to external work, the reservation is released. Learn more in Step Credits, Tokens & Storage → Subflow Modular Automations A canvas step that executes another workflow as a modular child routine and waits for its return payload before continuing. Learn more in Calling Another Workflow (Subflow) → Summarize Data Tools A data step that aggregates arrays into grouped statistical summaries (count, sum, average, min, max) under `{{ N.groups }}`. Learn more in Summarize Step → Switch Flow Control A routing step that evaluates ordered cases against an input value and executes the first matching route (or a fallback branch). Learn more in Switch Step → --- ## T Team / Workspace Collaboration The shared organizational unit in Glow. Workflows, connections, secrets, files, and execution logs belong to the workspace rather than individual user accounts. Learn more in Setting Up Your Team → Template Marketplace A pre-built workflow blueprint from the public Marketplace or your team library that can be forked into a canvas to accelerate development. Learn more in Templates and Reuse → Trigger Canvas Entry The initial step that starts a workflow run (e.g. inbound Webhook, Scheduler timetable, App event, or Chat trigger). Workflows can feature multiple triggers. Learn more in Triggers and Actions → --- ## V Variable Data & State A named data value referenced across workflow steps using `{{ N.field }}` placeholders. Ephemeral variables exist within a single run, while persistent variables live in workspace settings. Learn more in Secrets and Variables → --- ## W Wait Flow Control A flow control step that suspends workflow execution for a defined duration (up to 13 days), resuming automatically when the timer elapses. Learn more in Wait (Delay) Step → Webhook Triggers & REST A trigger step that exposes an unguessable HTTPS endpoint to ingest real-time JSON payloads from external applications, with optional cryptographic HMAC signature verification. Learn more in Webhook Trigger → Workflow Core Architecture An end-to-end automation graph created on the canvas, composed of one or more triggers, action steps, data transformations, and flow controls connected in sequence. Learn more in What Is a Workflow? → Workflow data panel Canvas Data Picker The interactive data picker opened from the icon beside any step field, listing exact outputs produced by earlier steps to insert verified variable tags into your configuration. Learn more in Workflow Data → Workspace Administration The active organizational tenant context you are currently operating in, isolating workflows, connections, variables, files, and billing. Learn more in Administer a Workspace → ## What's Next? - See how these terms fit together in practice in [What Is a Workflow?](/build/core-concepts/what-is-a-workflow). - Build something using them in [Quickstart: Your First Workflow](/getting-started/tutorials/your-first-workflow). - Explore system boundaries in [System Limits & Quotas](/reference/system-limits).