# The words we use

> Plain-English meanings for Chirp, workspace, Collection, OpenRouter, key, model, token, MCP, Action and more.

Source: https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/glossary  
Plans: Everyone  
Last checked: 2026-10-26

The words you'll meet in Chirp Builder and in these guides, in alphabetical order. Most of them are
also places in the menu on the left of your dashboard.

![The dashboard menu: Dashboard, Chirps, Collections, Templates, Import, Analytics, Leads, Billing, Settings and Help.](https://mjmtbasmrtksluvlnema.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/help-media/web-optimized/start-here/glossary/SS-START-005-01__menu__essentials__detail__v01.webp?v=7d4f803c59)

## A to K

- **Access code:** a simple shared code visitors type before they can chat with a Chirp. Handy for
  members-only Chirps. It's not a password; the Creator, Business and Academy plans add real password,
  invitation and email access.
- **Action:** a connection that lets a Chirp read or change data in another app, like a Custom GPT's
  Actions. By default, visitors confirm before a Chirp changes anything in the other app; you can turn
  that off for a change, except risky ones, which always ask.
- **Chirp:** an AI chat helper you build, with its own instructions, files, AI model and web address.
  See [What is a Chirp?](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/what-is-a-chirp)
- **Collection:** one public page that shows several of your Chirps together. Collections come with
  the Creator, Business and Academy plans.
- **Conversation starters:** questions visitors can tap to start a chat.
- **Credit:** money you've added to your OpenRouter account. Your Chirps' answers are paid from it.
- **Dashboard:** the signed-in part of Chirp Builder where you build and manage everything.
  See [Find your way around the dashboard](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/dashboard).
- **Draft, Unlisted, Public:** who can open a Chirp. Draft is only you, Unlisted is anyone with the
  link, and Public is anyone, and it's listed on your profile.
- **Embed:** putting a Chirp's chat on your own website with a short piece of code you copy.
- **Image generation:** a switch that lets a Chirp create pictures in the chat.
- **Instructions:** the text that tells a Chirp what to do and how to talk. A Custom GPT's
  instructions work here as they are.
- **Key (API key):** a long, password-like code that lets Chirp Builder use your OpenRouter account
  for your Chirps. OpenRouter keys start with `sk-or-`. Chirp Builder never shows yours again after
  you save it. See [Connect your OpenRouter key](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/openrouter/connect-key).
- **Knowledge files:** documents a Chirp answers from, such as PDFs, Word documents and spreadsheets.
  Adding them doesn't retrain the AI: with each question, Chirp Builder gives the model the files'
  text, all of it when it's short, or the most relevant passages when it's long.

## L to Z

- **Lead form:** a short form that asks visitors for their name and email. What they enter appears
  under **Leads**.
- **MCP:** a standard way for AI apps such as Claude and ChatGPT to use other services. With it, your
  AI app can build Chirps and move your Custom GPTs for you. See
  [What MCP is, and moving GPTs with Claude or ChatGPT](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/start-here/what-is-mcp).
- **Model:** the AI that writes a Chirp's answers, such as Claude, GPT or Gemini. Each Chirp has its
  own. See [Choose your Chirp's AI model](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/openrouter/choose-a-model).
- **OpenRouter:** the service that runs the AI models. You pay it directly for your Chirps' answers.
  See [What OpenRouter is, and who pays for what](https://www.chirpbuilder.com/help/openrouter/what-is-openrouter).
- **Owner:** the person whose account a Chirp belongs to. On the Creator, Business and Academy plans, owners
  can invite others to help build.
- **Preview:** the chat beside the editor where you try your Chirp before sharing it. It uses your
  OpenRouter credit like any chat.
- **Temperature:** how varied a Chirp's wording is. Lower is more focused, higher is more creative.
- **Token:** the small pieces of text AI models read and write, about four letters each. AI prices and
  the longest answer a Chirp may give are counted in tokens.
- **Visitor:** someone who chats with your Chirp on its public page or your website. Visitors never
  see your dashboard, instructions or files.
- **Web search:** a switch that lets a Chirp look things up online and show the pages it used.
- **Workspace:** a separate set of Chirps, for example one per brand or client. Essentials has one
  workspace, Creator three and Business ten.