Glossary
API token
A long-lived bearer token for CLI, CI, MCP, and public API automation. API
tokens start with tfy_. An account token acts as the person who created it
and reaches every product they can access. A product token belongs to one
product, is refused on every other product, and keeps working when its
creator leaves. See
API authentication.
Branch
An isolated review workspace for spec, test, and component changes. A branch is open, merged, or closed. A branch a person closed keeps its changes and history, accepts no new changes, and is not reopened; a branch Tiden abandoned reopens on activity. See Closed branches.
Build SHA
The commit a test run tested, or the commit a release was built from. A release announced with a build SHA gets its Quality Gate from the runs with the same build SHA. See Build SHA.
Checkpoint merge
The automatic merge of a partly delivered intent branch. After 7 days without activity, Tiden merges the part that shipped and moves the open promises to a successor intent branch. See Branches.
Component
A product area used to group specs, tests, traceability, issues, and quality gate risk.
DSN
A product-scoped error tracking credential used by telemetry SDKs to send runtime events.
Environment
A deployment or runtime target such as staging, production, or a preview URL.
Generated branch
A branch created by automation, such as intent capture or an agent run.
Hold
A pause on the automatic merge of an intent branch. A person or an agent sets it with a reason and an end date: at most 7 days ahead for an agent, up to 30 days for a person. While a hold is active, every timer of the automatic merge stops, and when it ends the timers count again from that moment. See Hold an automatic merge.
Issue
A grouped runtime error in Tiden error tracking.
Main
The canonical product branch. Reviewed branch changes merge into main.
MCP
Model Context Protocol. tiden-mcp-server exposes Tiden operations as tools
for MCP-capable coding agents.
Planned spec
A spec in Backlog or Review. The Quality Gate does not count it as missing tests and reports how many planned specs it left out. See Spec statuses and Plan work as specs.
Product
The main quality container for one application, service, or delivery stream.
Quality gate
A verdict that evaluates readiness for main, a branch, or a release.
Release capture
The stored Quality Gate verdict of a release, taken from the test results of its build SHA, or copied from main when it has none. A release keeps every capture; the newest is current. While the build's results are not in, the release is pending. See Release captures.
Release
A product version record, usually created from CI or the CLI.
Requirement
What your team asks the product to do, written in your own tools: Jira, Linear,
Notion, or a PRD. Tiden reads your requirements, along with your code, and keeps
specs. Earlier versions of Tiden called its specs requirements, and the API still
names the spec resource requirement.
Signature
The identity a reporter gives an automated test case: a stable string built
from the test's package or file path and its name, without parameters. Results
reported under a signature attach to the case that carries it, and the merge
preview uses it to recognise a branch case that already exists on main. A
case written by hand or by an agent has no signature.
Source map
A build artifact that maps minified browser JavaScript stack frames back to original source.
Spec
A structured product behavior statement with content, status, priority, type, sources, and optional hierarchy. Specs are Tiden's own record of what the product does. Formerly called requirements; see Specs.
Test repository
The product's suites and test cases, including metadata, steps, and links to specs.
Traceability
The mapping between specs and test cases, grouped by component.
Workspace
A collaboration boundary inside an organization. Workspaces contain products and workspace-level credentials.