CSS is used to format the layout and define visual styles of web pages. AJAX allows for asynchronous updating of web pages by combining technologies like JavaScript, XML, CSS, and DOM to process user requests immediately. JavaScript is a programming language that runs in web browsers to make pages more interactive. Frameworks provide pre-built design structures to divide web pages into independent parts, while APIs provide standardized access to operating system resources for application development. Layout and templates determine the placement and structure of text, images, and other design elements on a page.