---
title: "Glossary"
description: "The preferred meaning of ShotOps terms such as project, Look, panel, strip, preview, ref, delivery URL, readiness finding and waiver."
canonical: "https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/concepts/glossary"
last_updated: "2026-09-07"
shotops_mcp_version: "0.9.6"
result_contract_version: "2.0.0"
---
# Glossary

The preferred meaning of ShotOps terms such as project, Look, panel, strip, preview, ref, delivery URL, readiness finding and waiver.

Use these terms when a workflow or result needs a precise ShotOps meaning. Each entry defines one thing and points to the page where you act on it.

## Artifact id

An opaque identifier for a retained screenshot, panel, bundle or other output in the result contract. It is neither a storage path nor a URL. Use it when a later tool needs to address the artifact; use the delivery URL to download bytes. See [Screenshots and assets](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/concepts/screenshots-and-assets).

## Delivery URL

A short-lived URL that grants access to an artifact's bytes. It does not identify the artifact and does not promise how long the artifact is retained. Request a fresh delivery URL when the artifact still exists but the grant expired.

## Hosted MCP

The ShotOps Cloud connection at the public MCP endpoint. ShotOps provides the compute and private account storage. Use it for ChatGPT, CI, browser sign-in or rendering without a local process. See [ShotOps Cloud · Hosted MCP](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/shotops-cloud).

## Local MCP

The ShotOps process an MCP client starts on your computer. It can read local screenshot paths and renders on your hardware. Account-backed tools still require sign-in when they read or write account state. See [Your computer · Local MCP](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/your-computer).

## Look

The versioned ShotOps styling object: device treatment, background, per-shot placement and related visual choices. A Look does not own shipping caption text. Use lowercase “look” for ordinary appearance. See [Looks and versions](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/concepts/looks-and-versions).

## Panel

One App Store-sized output image in a strip. A panel may contain one or more device mockups and its caption layers. A panel is an output unit; a screenshot is the raw app capture placed inside it.

## Preview

A low-resolution decision copy used to inspect and revise the complete strip before production. A preview is not watermarked and is never store-ready output, even when its composition is approved. See [Render your first preview](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/workflows/first-strip).

## Production operation

A durable Hosted render or rendering-bundle job that can outlive the client call that started it. Keep its operation id and use [`production_operation`](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/reference/production_operation) to read progress, request cancellation or collect the terminal result without starting and paying for the work again.

## Project

An editable ShotOps record containing strip structure, captions, styling and references to available screenshots. A project survives the conversation; a render alone does not. Capitalize the word only at the start of a sentence or in a literal interface label. See [Work on a saved project](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/workflows/saved-project).

## Readiness finding

A structured release concern reported against a specific output, such as a source fallback or composition risk. Preview reports findings for inspection. Store-ready output fixes fatal findings and requires an authenticated owner's explicit waiver for a waivable one.

## Ref

An opaque private handle to an uploaded or retained asset. Pass a ref between ShotOps tools instead of moving the bytes through the conversation. A ref is not a delivery URL and does not imply a public share link.

## Share link

A deliberately published URL that another person can open without the owner's account. It has its own access and retention behavior. Do not use “share link” for a private delivery URL or ref.

## Store-ready output

Full-resolution panels or any screenshot bundle that could be delivered to a store. Producing it requires the production entitlement. A preview is the separate decision copy. See [Plans and output](https://shotops.dev/docs/mcp/plans-and-output).

## Strip

The ordered set of App Store panels that tells one release story. The strip is the source of truth for exported pixels; a stage or individual screenshot is only an input or preview of it.

## Waiver

An authenticated owner's explicit acceptance of one waivable readiness finding for one exact output. Reuse the returned finding id, digest and policy version unchanged. A waiver does not cover a different finding or a future render.