Jul 31, 2024

Linda D.

8min Read

A URL (uniform resource locator) it’s a type of uniform resource identifier (URI) that provides a way to access information from remote computers, like a web server and cloud storage.

URLs play a vital role in web navigation and online communication by providing a structured way to locate and access various web resources and hyperlinks.

It contains various elements, including the network communication protocol, a subdomain, a domain name, and its extension.

Luckily, site owners can modify their URLs. A well-crafted URL can be a powerful tool to improve user experience, resulting in better search engine optimization (SEO) performance. Therefore, optimizing URLs can be a great way to boost your website’s rankings on search engine result pages (SERPs).

This article covers everything you need to know about what is a URL, from the definition to examples, its general structure, and how to custom-create URLs.

Download glossary for web beginners

A URL, short for a uniform resource locator serves as a web address that guides users to specific resources on the internet, including domain names, paths, and protocol identifiers.

Hostinger’s complete URL is https://www.hostinger.com/ and entering it in a browser’s address bar directs users to our website. The same rule applies to https://www.microsoft.com/ and https://www.linux.org/.

That said, URLs can get more specific.

For example, the /tutorials/ URL leads users to our Tutorials page, and /tutorials/how-to-make-a-website is a full URL for our How to Make a Website article on Hostinger Tutorials.

URLs can also send users to a particular section on a web page.

The above URL, for example, sends users to the tip number 6 in the How to Make a Website article.

Lastly, every uploaded image has its own URL, enabling users to access it directly. The following URL leads to the featured image of our How to Make a Website article

As you can see from the image, uniform resource locator (URL) contains multiple parts. To help you better understand, let’s dive deeper into the structure of a URL.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) are protocols for network communication between web servers and browsers. They transmit messages, retrieve information through the domain name system (DNS), and return it to the browser.

The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is that the latter encrypts the data transmission process. This security protocol protects a website better and is an essential factor in improving ranking on search results.

Another difference is that HTTPS uses the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) port number 443 encrypted by Transport Layer Security (TLS). Meanwhile, an HTTP URL uses TCP/IP port number 80.

Important! Web browsers can also process other protocols, including FTP and mailto. The former allows file sharing between different web hosts, either local or remote. The latter directs users to a specific email address.

A subdomain consists of any words or phrases that come before a URL’s first dot. Referring to the world wide web, www is the most common type. It indicates that a website is accessible through the internet and uses HTTP to communicate.

Furthermore, site owners can use any word as a subdomain for website organization purposes as it points to a specific directory from the primary domain. Some of the most popular options are “blog” and “news.”

For example, while hostinger.com uses www, the subdomain for our Knowledge Base page is “support.” Hence, the support.hostinger.com URL.

A domain name is what users type into their browser’s address bar to reach a website. It consists of a site name and an extension, for example, hostinger.com.

Every name is unique, and they represent their corresponding IP addresses. This unique IP address points to the website’s server. In other words, it helps users access websites easily.

Also called a top-level domain (TLD), is the bit following a website name. Used for around 53% of all websites, .com is the most popular extension.

Here are types of TLD extensions to consider using:

A path to the resource is the part to the right of the TLD. It’s often referred to as the folder structure of the website.

A path to the resource gives extra information to a web server, enabling it to lead users to a specific location. A series of paths to resources may point to a specific page, post, or file.

A URL can have more than one path to resources. When that happens, the forward-slash sign (/) will separate each of them. The more paths to resources a URL contains, the more specific the location is.

Parameters are query strings or URL variables. They’re the portion of a URL following a question mark.

Parameters contain keys and values separated by the equal sign (=). Furthermore, a URL can have multiple variables. In that case, the ampersand symbol (&) will separate each.

In terms of parameter use cases, here are some of the most common ones:

To better understand the web structure, check out our guide on what a website is.

Syntax refers to a set of rules. In the case of a URL syntax, it sets which component and symbol are allowed in a URL. Here’s what a URL’s general syntax looks like:

http://subdomain.domain-name.domain-extension/path-to-resource?parameters

Furthermore, uniform resource locators can only contain numbers, letters, and the following characters ()!$-‘_*+.

To use other characters, site owners should translate them into programming code. For example, as URLs can’t contain spaces, site owners often utilize the plus sign, hyphens, or %20 to replace them.

URLs can contain an anchor link, also called page jump or fragment identifier. The element is represented with the number sign (#), which bookmarks a specific part inside a resource.

With an HTML file containing a page jump, a web browser will go directly to the selected section. For a video or audio document, a modern web browser will find the timestamp on which the anchor represents and play accordingly.

In general, the most popular types of URLs are absolute and relative.

An absolute URL contains complete information, from the protocol to the path to resources or parameters. In comparison, a relative URL only includes the path to resources.

Based on the function, here are some other types of uniform resource locators:

A URL can usually be found in the address bar at the top of the web browser’s window. On laptops and desktop computers, a website URL will always be visible in the address bar as users scroll through the web page.

In the case of mobile devices, the default browser behavior causes a URL to disappear as soon as users start scrolling down. However, it will reappear when users scroll up.

If you know the complete website URL, typing it on the address bar is one of the easiest ways to open a URL. If not, here are several other ways to do it:

To create a unique URL, like hostinger.com, microsoft.com, or linux.org, find a credible registrar to register a domain name on your behalf.

A registrar is an ICANN-accredited company for managing domain reservations and renewals. Google Domains, CloudFlare, and Domain.com are some of the most popular registrars. People can also obtain a custom name from a hosting company offering registration services.

Here is a general step-by-step guide on how to buy a domain:

As the registration isn’t a one-time purchase, every owner should keep track of their domain expiry dates.

A uniform resource locator (URL) is a complete web address pointing to a specific file on the internet. For example, a URL can lead users to a website, a web page, or an image.

Structure-wise, a URL consists of several elements:

To create and modify a site’s URL, users will need to register a domain through a credible registrar. Alternatively, you can go with a reliable hosting provider offering this registration services.

What is URL BlacklistURI vs URL

This section will answer some of the most common questions about a uniform resource locator (URL).

You can obtain a custom domain name from a registrar or a hosting provider offering this registration services. Generally, the process includes:1. Creating a unique name.2. Running a name search.3. Registering the chosen name.

Here are four ways to block a URL:Edit the hosts file. Redirect a domain name to your localhost IP address to block a website. Use a Google Chrome extension. Windows and Mac users can install a site blocker extension, like BlockSite. Install a site blocker on iOS and Android. After the installation, users can add websites and apps to their block list by tapping the green plus icon. Utilize built-in parental controls. On Windows 10, parents can create a child account to add a block list. 

In short, no. An IP address refers to a string of numbers pointing to a computer or web server on a network. Meanwhile, a website address is a user-friendly substitute for an IP address. It’s what users type on their browser to reach a website. For example, hostinger.com is a domain name and a full URL to access our website. On the other hand, hostinger.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-website is not a website address. It’s a complete URL to access our How to Make a Website article.

Linda Dwiastuti

Linda is a seasoned Content Writer specialized in website creation. With her passion for the written world and obsession with helping others, her goal is to deliver resourceful content pieces for all skill levels. When she’s not writing, Linda likes to cross stitch and watch films. Follow her on LinkedIn.