Overview
Whether you're new to Purple or looking up a specific term, this glossary covers the key terminology, metrics and technical concepts used across the Purple WiFi platform, Partner Portal, Analytics and CRM/Marketing tools.
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A
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Access Control List (ACL) | A list which determines which network traffic is allowed access. |
| Access Journey | The published orchestration that binds a splash page and any optional logic (terms, LogicFlow, redirects, paid WiFi) to a venue. |
| Access Point (AP) | Any item of access hardware (including signal boosters and repeaters) at a venue, through which a user may access the internet. |
| Ages | Age categories of WiFi users/visitors in the Purple Portal: <18, 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+. |
| Analytics | The interpretation, discovery and communication of meaningful patterns in data. Purple Analytics relies on the application of statistics and data processing to quantify performance and guide business decisions. |
| Analytics and Location Engine (ALE) | A smart WiFi location solution that uses Aruba wireless technology to detect and locate users' mobile devices. |
| API (Application Programming Interface) | A set of rules, methods, tools and protocols that allows different software components to interact with each other. |
| Authenticated Data | The dataset collected for users/visitors who connect to WiFi through any of the supported authentication methods. Stored in the Portal Database. |
| Authenticated Device | Any device that has been verified, identified and linked to a user/visitor upon connecting to WiFi at a venue through one of the available authentication methods. |
| Authentication | The process by which a user verifies their identity before accessing a WiFi network. Authentication may require a username and password or a pre-shared key. |
| Authentication Method | A method of verifying the identity of a user, device, or entity connecting to WiFi. Purple WiFi authentication methods include Form, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and WeChat. |
B
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bandwidth | The amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period (usually a second). |
| Bounce Rate | The percentage of devices that entered a venue and left within a short period of time (default of less than 3 minutes / 180 seconds). Distinct from Passerby, which is less than 1 second. |
| Business Intelligence (BI) | The general term used for the identification, extraction and analysis of data. |
C
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Campaign Data | Data such as campaign classifications and variations in addition to standard analytics campaign tracking parameters. |
| Canonical Name Record (CNAME) | A DNS resource record that points one domain or subdomain to another domain name. |
| Captive Network Assist (CNA) | A configuration within a captive portal that helps a device gain internet access, usually set on a network controller. |
| Captive Portal | A process running on an access point that redirects users who have associated to a web page so they can agree to terms of service, purchase access or enter a password. |
| Cisco WLC | Cisco Wireless LAN Controller - a device that assumes a central role in managing Cisco's large-scale wireless deployments, handling association, authentication and configuration. |
| Client | An organisation, company or person using the Purple WiFi network. Includes white labels, resellers and companies. |
| Client MAC | A Purple media access control device installed at a client's venue for connecting devices to the WiFi network. Each client MAC has a unique identifier assigned to its network interface. |
| Connect / Capture / Engage | The three primary license tiers. Connect provides free essentials, Capture adds WiFi Visitors and connectors, and Engage unlocks LogicFlow v2, gated analytics, Portal API and the SecurePass SDK. |
| Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) | A smart WiFi location solution that uses Cisco wireless technology to detect and locate users' mobile devices. |
| Conversion | The number of visitors who accessed WiFi and were able to complete their intended purpose without connectivity or technical issues. |
| Conversion Rate | The percentage of visitors who connected to WiFi and completed their desired goal out of the total number of visitors. |
| COPPA | Children's Online Privacy Protection Act - US legislation requiring age verification. |
| CRM / Marketing Product | Standalone application at crm.purple.ai. Requires the CRM bolt-on plus a Capture or Engage license; separate from WiFi Visitors. |
| Cumulative | Cumulative growth in total WiFi users (unique records for the company) with an additional line for cumulative sessions over a time period. |
| CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) | US state privacy law. Alongside GDPR, the Purple platform is designed for alignment with CCPA on consent, data access and deletion requests. |
| CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) | A notation for specifying IP address blocks. Used in Purple Shield when adding a venue's hardware IP ranges for policy enforcement. |
| Cloud RADIUS | Purple's globally distributed, high-availability RADIUS infrastructure for the 802.1X Staff WiFi strand, removing the need for on-premise FreeRADIUS or NPS servers and their single points of failure. |
| Connectors | Packaged integrations to third-party platforms (400+ supported), configured under Management > Connectors at Customer, Group or Venue scope. Covers payment gateways, SMS, SAML/Staff SSO and CRM sync. |
D
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Dashboard | An information management tool that visually tracks, analyses and displays key performance indicators, metrics and data points to monitor performance. |
| DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) | A network protocol that allows a server to automatically assign an IP address to a computer from a defined range of numbers. |
| DNS (Domain Name System) | Enables user access to websites using domain names rather than IP addresses. |
| Domain | A naming convention used and applied to resources on the Internet. |
| Duration | The period of time a user/visitor's device stays connected to WiFi at a venue. |
| Dwell | The actual length of time a WiFi user/visitor spends on the WiFi or at a location. On the Purple captive portal, dwell time has a default threshold of more than 3 minutes (180 seconds). |
| DPSK (Dynamic/Distinct Pre-Shared Key) | The industry name (Ruckus/CommScope) for what Purple markets as EasyPSK: a unique key per person or group, validated by RADIUS, that solves MAC randomisation by isolating each resident or tenant onto their own network without device tracking. Some vendors group it with iPSK under the umbrella term MPSK. |
E
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| E-shot | Individual messages or large-scale text marketing campaigns sent from the Purple Portal to enable businesses to engage with their customers. |
| Encryption | The encoding applied to a resource to make it private. |
| End Customer Access Page | The access page (whether or not branded by the end customer) through which a user logs on to access the internet. |
| Engagement | User/visitor connectivity and WiFi activity thresholds based on duration. Defaults: Not Engaged = less than 15 minutes, Partially Engaged = 15-30 minutes, Fully Engaged = above 30 minutes. |
| Exits | The number of visits that ended on a specific visit after the user signed out or logged out of Purple WiFi. Distinct from Bounces: Exits occur after a certain dwell time, while Bounces occur before it. |
| EAP-TLS / EAP-TTLS | The two 802.1X authentication methods used by SecurePass and Staff WiFi: EAP-TLS is certificate-based, EAP-TTLS is tunnel/credential-based. Both create encrypted per-device tunnels with evil-twin and rogue-AP protection. |
F
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Firewall | Software or hardware that restricts certain types of Internet traffic. |
| Firewall Port | A setting within a firewall that restricts or allows traffic over a specific port number. |
| Firmware | The software layer that provides direct interaction with hardware below the level of an operating system. |
| Frequency of Site Visits | A metric indicating the overall number of visits made by each user at a venue when connected through WiFi. Used to assess the percentage of new users and the behavioural visit pattern of returning users. |
G
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Gender | The recorded gender classification of WiFi visitors/users. In the Purple dataset the available classes are Male, Female and Unknown. |
| GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) | EU data protection law. Purple's onboarding is consent-based under GDPR: visitors accept terms while authenticating, and marketing opt-in is mandatory in GDPR regions. |
H
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hotspot | A WiFi network, or the hardware or system providing a WiFi network. |
| HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) | A series of symbols or codes which instructs a web browser how to display web content. |
| HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) | The underlying protocol used by the World Wide Web defining how messages are formatted and transmitted. |
| HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure) | The secure version of HTTP, whereby communication between a user's browser and the website is encrypted. |
I
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Impersonation | Partners assume a customer's scope via the eye icon in the Portal. First impersonation of a new customer can take approximately 30 seconds to provision. |
| IP (Internet Protocol) | The method by which data is sent from one computer to another over the Internet. |
| Identity Provider (IdP) | The corporate identity system (e.g. Google Workspace, Microsoft Entra ID, Okta) that a SAML/Staff Connector syncs to; deactivating a user in the IdP immediately revokes their wireless rights. Purple also acts as the IdP for OpenRoaming. |
| iPSK (Identity Pre-Shared Key) | A per-device pre-shared key for equipment with static MAC addresses (printers, IoT, smart TVs), each carrying its own VLAN and security policy for true micro-segmentation. Vendor naming: Cisco Identity PSK; Aruba/Extreme PPSK; MPSK as a catch-all. |
J
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| JML (Joiners / Movers / Leavers) | The staff lifecycle administration process that Purple Staff WiFi automates: onboarding new joiners, handling role changes, and instantly revoking network access for leavers via the corporate IdP. |
K
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| KPI (Key Performance Indicator) | Key performance indicators simplify data reporting so that only relevant information is presented in an easily understood and actionable format. |
L
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| LAN (Local Area Network) | A small network confined to a local area, such as a home or office. |
| Languages | The languages available for WiFi users/visitors to connect with through the authentication method. Examples include English, Spanish and Mandarin. |
| Lapsed Customers | Users/visitors who have not used the WiFi or returned to a venue for a certain period, with a high possibility they will not return. |
| Launchpad | App switcher (top right of the Portal) that hosts user management, invites, company details and permission profiles at customer level. |
| Location Analytics | Mapping and map-driven analytics applied to enterprise business systems, allowing you to associate geospatial information with datasets. |
| Location Based Services (LBS) | Services that use real-time geodata from a device to provide information. The Purple platform helps you understand how people move around a venue - routes, entry/exit points and queue lengths. |
| LogicFlow v2 | Engage-gated decision engine. Combines Decision and Action nodes with a mandatory End node; assigned per event type (Pre-auth, Post-auth, Online). |
M
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| MAC Address | A media access control address - a unique identifier assigned to a network interface controller for communications at the data link layer. |
| MAC Auth | Authentication based on the MAC address a client device presents to the network. |
| Metric | Quantitative information about visitor activity, such as views, click-through rates, average time spent and revenue. Metrics are the foundation of reports. |
| Micro Survey | A small survey provided on the access journey. |
| MDU (Multi-Dwelling Unit) | Apartment blocks and similar multi-resident properties - a core deployment case for Multi-Tenant WiFi, alongside student housing, managed offices and hospitality estates. |
| Multi-Tenant WiFi (PAN) | Private, encrypted, home-like wireless environments (Private Area Networks) delivered across a single shared physical network, using EasyPSK (DPSK) for randomised-MAC personal devices and iPSK for fixed-MAC equipment. |
N
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| New User / Visitor | A WiFi user connecting to Purple WiFi for the very first time through a device. |
| NAC (Network Access Control) | Traditional dedicated-staff, per-device-agent security systems for managing network access. Purple Staff WiFi is positioned between cheap-but-insecure shared passwords and secure-but-complex traditional NAC. |
| NPS Survey | A Net Promoter Score survey, available under Marketing on the Capture and Engage tiers, distinct from the shorter Micro Survey. |
O
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Operating System (OS) | The operating system within which applications run. |
| OpenRoaming | A global federated roaming ecosystem (Wireless Broadband Alliance) of 80,000+ venues that SecurePass is federated with, letting enrolled devices connect automatically without SSID selection or a password. |
| OTP (One-Time Passcode) | A single-use code sent by SMS, used as an authentication vector on the Logins Tracker report and by the Verify add-on for SMS identity verification. |
| Ownership Scope | The setting that fixes where a scoped object (splash page, journey, LogicFlow, connector, plan) lives, who can see it, and where it inherits. Configuration cannot "reach down" to consume content owned at a lower scope. |
P
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Paid WiFi | Charges guests by Time, Speed or Usage. Plans are configured at Management Paid WiFi, activated on the Access Journey, and require a PayPal, Windcave or Worldpay connector. |
| Passerby | A device seen by the captive portal at a venue but not connected to the WiFi. In the dataset, passerby devices have a duration period of less than 1 second. |
| POE (Power over Ethernet) | A technology that lets network cables carry electrical power. |
| Purple Shield | Content-filtering add-on (the former Protect license is auto-upgraded to Shield). Policies apply per venue with scheduled slices. |
| Partner Portal | The administrative foundation where partners register, manage and scale customer estates; add customers, create venues, assign users and permission profiles, and register deals. |
| Passpoint (Hotspot 2.0) | A Wi-Fi Alliance standard, functioning similarly to cellular roaming, that SecurePass is built natively on so devices authenticate automatically with no SSID selection or password. |
| Permission Profiles | Granular Read Only / Read-Edit access controls across Onboarding, Marketing, Analytics and Management, including the toggles that govern PII and device MAC visibility. |
| PII (Personally Identifiable Information) | Personal visitor data whose visibility on profile cards, downloads and the WiFi Visitors CSV is governed by Permission Profiles. In the CRM/Marketing product, custom properties default to PII and are wiped on anonymisation unless marked non-PII. |
| Portal API | The Company API that queries raw user data from the portal to populate external systems such as a CRM. Keys are not self-service and must be requested from Purple Support. |
| Presence | The analytics dashboard and license covering authenticated plus unauthenticated device detections, conversion and dwell distribution, manually assigned to specific access points. |
R
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| RADIUS | Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service - the server that provides the authentication service. |
| Recency | An indicator of visitor loyalty based on the days between the last and current visit. Low recency indicates frequent returns; high recency suggests a need for improvement. Default setting is 24 hours (86,400 seconds) between visits. |
| Region | Purple WiFi's regional categories: Region 1 (United States), Region 2 (Europe), Region 3 (Asia and Africa). |
| Repeat User | Any user/visitor who revisits a venue 24 hours or more after their first visit. |
| Reputation Pressure | Real-time sender-reputation risk score in CRM/Marketing based on spam complaints, hard bounces, volume spikes and unsubscribes. |
| Return Rate (by User) | The percentage of repeat users/visitors who revisited and connected to WiFi at a venue after their first visit. |
| Return Rate (by Visit) | The percentage of return visits recorded for authenticated devices after the first visit at a venue. |
| Revisit | The number of visits an authenticated device is recorded at a venue after its very first visit. |
| Router | A network device that forwards data packets from one network to another. |
| Ruckus SPoT LBS | Ruckus Smart Positioning Technology - a user positioning suite delivering a range of Location Based Services. |
| RadSec | RADIUS over TLS, run on port 2083 for SecurePass and Staff 802.1X SSIDs. Requires Purple's RadSec certificate to be installed on the controller. |
| RTLS (Real-Time Location System) | Vendor location-tracking integrations supported alongside Purple hardware, including Cisco CMX/DNA, Ruckus SPoT and Aruba ALE/Central. |
S
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| SAML | The protocol behind the SAML/Staff Connector, providing enterprise SSO on the captive portal by mapping SSO URL, Entity ID and certificate values from IdPs such as Google Workspace and Microsoft Entra ID. |
| SDK (Software Development Kit) | The SecurePass SDK embeds enrolment directly into a branded app; it is one of the three SecurePass enrolment paths and is gated to the Engage license tier. |
| Seamless Login | A technology which allows devices to maintain connectivity when roaming between associated WiFi networks. Users are authorised via credentials held on their device rather than having to log in again. |
| SecurePass (iPSK) | Certificate/iPSK-based persistent recognition. Profile enrolment (via Purple App, Portal, URL, or QR) is available on all three license tiers; only the SDK is Engage-gated. |
| Segmentation | Custom subsets of data filtered by rules you create. Segments can be based on hits, visits and visitors. |
| Session | An interactive information interchange between communicating devices, or between a computer and user, for a period of more than 5 minutes during a visit. |
| Splash Access | A specialised Cisco Meraki WiFi platform that merged with Purple in November 2025, bringing advanced captive portal, iPSK/EasyPSK and MDU capabilities into the Purple product family. |
| Splash Page | The branded page presented during the access journey. Offline (pre-login) is shown in the walled garden and is always required. Online (post-login) is shown as a redirect after authentication. Out of hours blocks logins outside business hours. |
| SSID (Service Set Identifier) | The defined name of the WiFi that is broadcast from a WiFi-enabled router or access point. |
| SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) | A networking protocol that creates a secure connection for transfer of information between a client and server using encryption. |
| SSO (Single Sign-On) | Authentication that lets staff log in once with corporate credentials, after which their devices connect automatically thereafter; delivered via the SAML/Staff Connector. |
| Staff WiFi | SAML/SSO-authenticated employee WiFi with an iOS CNA exit connector; designed to reduce WiFi-related helpdesk requests. |
T
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) | An Internet Protocol providing layers of data checking to maintain integrity. |
| TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) | A method of file transfer utilised to set firmware to a router. |
| Top Users | The rating of users per venue based on their WiFi frequency and usage over time. |
U
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| UDP (User Datagram Protocol) | A low-latency and loss-tolerant Internet Protocol providing connections between applications on the Internet. |
| Unauthenticated Data | Purple WiFi data collected from users and stored in the Location Database. Includes fields such as date, start/end time, duration, client MAC, RSSI min/max, seen count and venue. |
| Unique Visitors | The number of deduplicated (counted only once) visitors over a specified time period. |
| URL (Uniform Resource Locator) | A commonly used term for a web address. |
| User (Visitor) | Anybody whose device is connected to Purple WiFi at a client's venue for a period of time. |
| Users at Risk | Users/visitors who still use the service but with a constant reduction in their number of visits. Without intervention, they may eventually become lapsed customers. |
V
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Venue | Any location where Purple WiFi is available for user access through client MAC. Examples include offices, shopping centres, stadiums, cinemas, public transport and hotels. |
| Venue Tagging | A method of organising data from venues for review in Purple Portal systems. |
| Visit | The time a user/visitor device is seen connected to Purple WiFi through the client MAC at a venue. A visit is a distinct amount of time between a device being seen at a venue, with a default configuration of 2 hours. |
| VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) | A logically segmented network. Used to isolate guest VLANs from Staff WiFi and to give each iPSK its own micro-segmented policy. |
| Voucher | A Paid WiFi code generated in batches of up to 500, optionally reusable with a valid-until date, emailed in plain text to redeem a plan. |
W
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Walled Garden | The list of domains reachable pre-authentication. Gaps in the walled garden are the most common Paid WiFi failure - Apple Pay and Stripe require the exact vendor domain syntax. |
| WAN (Wide Area Network) | The link to wider Internet access. Typically consists of two or more local-area networks (LANs). |
| WiFi Visitors | The visitor record database inside the WiFi Portal (Marketing WiFi Users). Renamed from 'CRM' in April 2025. |
| Webhook | A real-time HTTP POST fired on every authentication to a validated listener URL, configured via an Online LogicFlow Webhook Action Node; the packaged alternative is a Connector. |
| White Label | The topmost tier of the account hierarchy (Partner/White Label Customer Group Venue), with its own branding configuration and License Management access. |
| WiFi Solution Finder | An interactive scoping wizard that recommends a Multi-Tenant WiFi configuration based on audience type, RADIUS availability, hardware vendor, device counts, and static versus randomised MAC populations. |
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