In computing, text-based user interfaces (alternately terminal user interfaces, to reflect a dependence upon the properties of computer terminals and not just text), is a retronym describing a type of user interface common as an early form of human–computer interaction, before the advent of bitmapped displays and modern conventional graphical user interfaces (GUIs).

A text game or text-based game is an electronic game that uses a text-based user interface, that is, the user interface employs a set of encodable characters,

A text-based web browser is a web browser that renders only the text of web pages, and ignores most graphic content.

An online text-based role playing game is a role-playing game played online using a solely text-based interface.

A text-based email client is an email client with its user interface being text-based, occupying a whole terminal screen.