If you're new to Make.com (or automation in general), the terminology can be a bit confusing. Here's a quick breakdown of the key terms you'll hear me use:
Scenario
This is just Make's fancy word for an automation. A scenario is the entire workflow from start to finish. For example, "when a new lead comes in, add them to the CRM, send a welcome email, and create a task" would be one scenario.
Module
Think of modules as the building blocks of a scenario. Each module represents one action or app in your workflow. So in the example above, you'd have three modules: one for the CRM, one for email, and one for tasks.
Operations
This is how Make measures usage and billing. Every time a module runs, it counts as one operation. So if your scenario has 5 modules and runs 10 times in a month, that's 50 operations total. The more operations you use, the higher your Make.com bill.
Trigger
This is what kicks off your scenario. It's the "when this happens" part of your automation. Common triggers include things like "when a new form is submitted" or "every day at 9am" or "when a new row is added to a spreadsheet."
Connection
This is how Make talks to your apps. When you connect Make to Gmail, Airtable, Slack, or whatever else, you're creating a connection. You'll need to authorize Make to access these accounts, which is why we talked about handling sensitive information earlier.
Router
This lets your scenario branch off in different directions based on conditions. For example, "if the lead is from Canada, do this; if they're from the US, do that." It's basically an "if/then" split in your workflow.
Filter
This determines whether a module should run or not. Filters let you say things like "only continue if the email address is valid" or "skip this if the order total is under $100." They help you avoid wasting operations on stuff that doesn't matter.