Plain-Language Technology Guides
Tech Explained: Understand How Digital Technology Works
Learn the ideas behind modern digital products without unexplained jargon. Each guide starts with the basics, follows the important components or steps, and connects the concept to technology people use every day.
8 published explainers4 subject areas8–15 minute reads
Browse the Collection
All technology explainers
Start with any guide that interests you. The newest published article appears first, and every explainer can be read independently.
How DNS Works
Learn how the Domain Name System turns domain names into IP addresses, how a DNS lookup moves through resolvers and authoritative servers, and how records, caching, TTL, DNSSEC, and encrypted DNS work.
How Search Engines Work
Learn how search engines discover, crawl, render, index, retrieve, rank, and present webpages—and how SEO, AI answers, and privacy fit into the process.
What Happens When You Type a URL?
Follow a URL through parsing, DNS, TCP or QUIC, TLS, HTTP, server processing, caching and browser rendering until a webpage becomes interactive.
How Web Browsers Work
Learn how a browser turns a URL into an interactive webpage through networking, HTML parsing, CSS, JavaScript, rendering, processes, storage, and security.
How Websites Work
Learn how a URL becomes a webpage through DNS, HTTPS, servers, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, APIs, databases, browser rendering, hosting, and caching.
How Does the Internet Really Work?
Understand how the Internet connects independent networks and moves data using IP addresses, DNS, routing, packets, TCP, QUIC, TLS, HTTP, servers and physical infrastructure.
What is an API (Application Programming Interface)?
Understand what an API is, how requests and responses work, how REST, GraphQL, RPC and webhooks differ, and how authentication, errors, versioning and security shape reliable integrations.
What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
Understand what artificial intelligence is, how AI systems learn and produce outputs, how machine learning and generative AI differ, and how to assess their benefits and risks.
Learning Approach
A clear path from definition to context
The guides are structured to build understanding in stages, while leaving room for subjects that need a different order or level of detail.
Start with the meaning
A direct definition introduces the subject and the essential terms used throughout the guide.
Follow how it works
Smaller sections explain the components, requests, data, or steps involved in the process.
Connect it to real use
Familiar examples show where the concept appears in websites, apps, devices, or online services.
Educational scope
Tech Explained guides are introductory educational resources. Technology, standards, and product behavior can change, and implementations may differ. For security decisions, specifications, or production work, confirm details with current official documentation and primary sources.
FAQ