@mention
To notify a person on GitHub by using @ before their username. Users in an organization on GitHub can also be a part of a team that can be mentioned.
access token
A token that is used in place of a password when performing Git operations over HTTPS with Git on the command line or the API. Also called a personal access token.
API preview
A way to try out new APIs and changes to existing API methods before they become part of the official GitHub API.
appliance
A software application combined with just enough operating system (JeOS) to run optimally on industry-standard hardware (typically a server) or in a virtual machine.
assignee
The user that is assigned to an issue.
authentication code
A code you'll supply, in addition to your GitHub password, when signing in with 2FA via the browser. This code is either generated by an application or delivered to your phone via text message. Also called a "2FA authentication code."
base branch
The branch into which changes are combined when you merge a pull request. When you create a pull request, you can change the base branch from the repository's default branch to another branch if required.
basic authentication
A method of authentication where the credentials are sent as unencrypted text.
billing cycle
The interval of time for your specific billing plan.
billing email
The organization email address where GitHub sends receipts, credit card or PayPal charges, and other billing-related communication.
billing manager
The organization member that manages billing settings for an organization.
billing plan
Payment plans for users and organizations that include set features for each type of plan.
bio
The user-generated description found on a profile: Adding a bio to your profile
blame
The "blame" feature in Git describes the last modification to each line of a file, which generally displays the revision, author and time. This is helpful, for example, in tracking down when a feature was added, or which commit led to a particular bug.
block
To remove a user's ability to collaborate on an organization's repositories.
branch
A branch is a parallel version of a repository. It is contained within the repository, but does not affect the primary or main branch allowing you to work freely without disrupting the "live" version. When you've made the changes you want to make, you can merge your branch back into the main branch to publish your changes.
branch restriction
A restriction that repository admins can enable so that only certain users or teams can push or make certain changes to the branch.
Business plan
An organization billing plan where you can collaborate on unlimited public and private repositories, allow or require organization members to authenticate to GitHub using SAML SSO, and provision and deprovision access with SAML or SCIM.
CA certificate
A digital certificate issued by Certificate Authority (CA) that ensures there are valid connections between two machines, such as a user's computer and GitHub.com and verifies the ownership of a site.
card
A movable square within a project board associated with an issue or pull request.
check
A check is a type of status check on GitHub. See "Status checks."
checkout
You can use git checkout on the command line to create a new branch, change your current