Terminology Standards

Avoid using the term service. Research shows that different folks understand different things under that term. The following table shows acceptable alternatives that provide greater specificity and clarity to readers:

We prefer to use “Envoy” as it’s a more concrete term than “proxy” and resonates if used consistently throughout the docs.

• “Envoy sidecar” - ok
• “Envoy proxy” - ok
• “Sidecar” – mostly restricted to conceptual docs
• “Proxy” – only if context is obvious

Related Terms: