Certified Backstage Associate key terms

A YAML-defined recipe stored in the catalog that Backstage uses to scaffold a new project, combining parameters, steps, and skeleton files so developers can create repositories without leaving the portal.

A reusable function registered with the scaffolder that performs one step in a template run, such as fetching a skeleton, publishing a repository, or registering the result in the catalog.

The input schema declared in a template's YAML that renders a form for the user and passes validated values into scaffolder actions during execution.

The directory of placeholder files a template fetches and copies into a new project, with template variables substituted so generated code compiles and runs immediately.

The persisted record of a scaffolder run, showing each step's status and output so developers can debug failed template executions after the fact.

A scaffolder execution mode that evaluates template steps and reports what would happen without actually publishing repositories or writing to external systems.

Backstage's documentation system that builds Markdown stored beside code into a browsable site, so docs live with the service and render inside the portal.

The local or CI process that converts a repository's Markdown and mkdocs configuration into static HTML stored in a docs bucket for the portal to serve.

The configuration file in a docs directory that controls TechDocs navigation, site name, and Markdown extensions; Backstage reads it to build the documentation site.

A catalog module that transforms or enriches entities during ingestion, for example resolving placeholders, adding default fields, or emitting additional related entities.

The recurring cycle in which the catalog reads entities from providers, runs processors, validates results, and writes the final state to its database.

A catalog extension that supplies entities from an external source, such as a Git repository, Kubernetes cluster, or cloud API, on a schedule or on demand.

The catalog stage that merges an entity with its relations, such as owners and systems, so API responses include resolved references rather than bare names.

A typed link between catalog entities, like owns or partOf, declared in YAML and used for graph queries, ownership views, and dependency navigation.

The visual and queryable network of entities and their relations, letting users explore ownership, systems, components, and dependencies from a single entity page.

The YAML file, conventionally catalog-info.yaml, that declares an entity's kind, metadata, spec, and relations for ingestion by the catalog.

The top-level type of a catalog entity, such as Component, API, System, Domain, Resource, Group, User, or Template, which determines its allowed spec fields.

A metadata key-value pair on an entity, often namespaced like backstage.io/techdocs-ref, that integrations and plugins read to locate docs, source code, or other resources.

A registered pointer to where entity descriptors live, such as a repository URL or file path, that the catalog polls to keep entities current.

A logical partition for catalog entity names, letting teams reuse the same entity name in different namespaces without collisions; default is usually the org name.

The canonical string identifying an entity, written as kind:namespace/name, used in relations, URLs, and API calls across Backstage.

The backend service exposing catalog entities and relations over HTTP, which frontend plugins query to render pages, search results, and ownership views.

The frontend application assembled from a create-app scaffold, where plugins are registered, routes defined, and the theme and sidebar configured.

A self-contained package adding a feature, such as a catalog page or CI dashboard, that is installed, registered in the app, and optionally paired with a backend plugin.

A server-side package exposing an API through the Backstage backend, registered in the backend index and often paired with a frontend plugin.

The Express-style router a backend plugin mounts under a path prefix, handling requests for its API within the shared Backstage backend process.

The YAML files, such as app-config.yaml and environment-specific overrides, that define integrations, base URLs, auth settings, and plugin options at startup.

A mechanism where an environment variable named for a config key, using the APP_CONFIG prefix pattern, replaces or supplies values without editing YAML files.

The CLI command that scaffolds a new Backstage instance, generating frontend and backend packages, configuration, and a local development setup.

A UI contribution registered into a plugin's extension points, such as a page, card, or tab, letting apps compose features without forking plugin code.

A named slot declared by a plugin where other code can attach extensions, enabling customization and composition across plugin boundaries.

A frontend extension that renders a custom input widget for scaffolder template parameters, registered so templates can reference it by name.

A per-route rule in the backend deciding whether a request is allowed, using the authenticated identity and optionally delegating to external authorization services.

A backend module that verifies user or service identity, such as GitHub OAuth or an OIDC issuer, and supplies the credentials used by auth policies.

The practice of supplying integration tokens, database passwords, and signing keys through environment variables or secret stores rather than committed config files.

Running the Backstage frontend and backend as containers in a cluster, typically with a Helm chart, ingress, and external database, replacing local development setup.

The production database backing the catalog and other backend plugins, configured by connection settings and required for durable state across restarts.

The backend search engine that crawls catalog entities and TechDocs content into a queryable index powering the portal's global search box.

Backstage's policy system that evaluates whether a user may perform an action, such as viewing an entity, by consulting a configured permission policy.