Whether you are a casual internet user or a person who manages your website, you will need to have a clear understanding of what is URL. This understanding will help you get the most out of your work on the internet. Continue to read the article, and we will share more details with you on what is URL address is all about.
What Is URL?
It refers to an address of a specific resource on the internet. The resource can be a web page made out of HTML, an image, a video stream, or even a CSS document. It is the responsibility of the owner of a web server to manage the URL and indicate what is represented by it.
Some people wonder whether an IP address is the same as a URL. An IP address is a unique number. A domain name points to an IP address to easily remember the domain instead of a series of numbers. When you enter a domain in your browser’s address bar, the Domain Name Server, or DNS, will transform that into the respective IP address. Then your browser will connect to the server that the IP address points to. in another article ” what is ip address” you can read all about it.
We can still see situations where people use IP addresses. However, they are pretty much limited to technical people. Average internet users enter URLs or domain names on the web browser to access different resources or web pages available on the internet.
For example, it is pretty easy for you to remember the domain name “Mydomain.com” instead of placing an IP address such as “178.95.22.333”.
What does URL stand for?
What is URL stand for? URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. In simpler terms, it is a web address that identifies the location of a specific webpage or file on the internet. The URL structure includes various elements, such as the protocol used to access the resource (such as HTTP or HTTPS), the domain name of the website, and the specific path to the resource being accessed. URLs play a critical role in the seamless functioning of the internet by enabling users to navigate to the web content they are looking for easily. Knowing what URL stands for is fundamental for anyone who uses the internet, whether they are casual users or professionals.
What is URL Example?
A URL can refer to a specific webpage or website, and it typically begins with “http://” or “https://”. It can also include subdomains, directory paths, and parameters, which indicate specific pages or sections within a website. For instance, an example of a URL might be “https://www.example.com”. In this example, the “https://” indicates a secure connection, and “www.example.com” represents the website’s domain. In essence, URLs serve as the unique identification codes that allow users to access any website or page online.
Different Parts of the URL
Now you know what is URL address all about. The next step would be to identify the part of URL.
1- Scheme
The first part of the URL that you can discover is a scheme. The word URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. As mentioned earlier, it is the address associated with a specific resource available on the internet. When you look at a URL, the scheme is the first thing you will notice. It will identify the protocol, which is being used to access the specific resource that is available on the internet. For example, HTTP is a perfect example of a scheme. If an SSL certificate is installed on the website, this scheme will change to HTTPS. You always don’t have to enter the scheme when visiting a domain. That’s because the web browsers would automatically pick the scheme by connecting with the web server after you enter the domain name and hit on the enter button.
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2- Domain
Domain is the next part of the URL. It includes the name of your website. For example, let’s assume that you have a website named www.yourdomain.com. In here, “yourdomain” would be the domain name. The domain identifies the Web server that is being accessed. This is usually a domain name, although it might also be an IP address.
it’s best to read out article about difference between domain and website.
3- Port
You can refer to the port as the technical gate, which provides you with access to the web server’s resources. There are two main ports used for accessing websites on the internet. They include port 80, used for HTTP requests, and port 443, used for HTTPS requests.
4- Path
Path is another essential part of URL. Path refers to the exact resource you want to locate on the server. During the old days, path referred to the same physical location of files, which can be found on the web servers.
5- Parameters
Multiple additional parameters are present in the parameters. For example, they will be visible to you in the URL as keyOne=valueOne&keyTwo=valueTwo. These are optional parameters in a URL. These optional parameters would ask to pass some information to the webserver. For example, if you enter the username on a website, it will be taken as a value in the parameter to the webserver. Then the webserver will handle the parameter accordingly.
6- Anchor
#SectionOfWebpage is something that you can see in a URL. This is an anchor playing the role of a bookmark within the URL. The anchor can inform the web browser to display details that are available in the bookmarked location. Then you can see how your internet browser will scroll down to the specific place, where you can see the anchor in the web page. If you want to direct a visitor to a particular part down in the page, you need to use an anchor. The sign # usually follows up the anchor. This will not send out any information to the webserver. Instead, it will just tell the browser to navigate to a specific section.
How Can I Create My Own URL?
You have multiple options to consider when you are trying to create your own URL. For example, you will be able to create a URL on social media channels. When you create a Facebook fan page, you can generate a URL for it. it will also be possible for you to customize the URL based on the availability.
In case if you want to get a custom URL, you will need to buy your domain and web host. Then you should develop your website. Then you will have the freedom to customize the URL based upon the domain name you selected. GoDaddy and Namecheap are two places where you can buy a domain name.
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As you continue to learn more about URLs, you will come across the concept named Semantic URLs. The URLs are technical. However, they can deliver a convenient gateway to a website, which a human can read. On the other hand, it is possible to remember and type the URL in the address bar of a web browser by anyone as well. Creating Semantic URLs is something that you should be mindful of as a website owner. Then you can add meaningfulness to the URL that you are creating. If your URL has a collection of symbols, you will not be making it user friendly. This is why you need to focus on creating Semantic URLs.
What Characters Are Not Allowed in a URL?
When creating a URL, you will not be allowed to include some of the characters. There are some restricted alpha-numeric characters based upon RFC 1738 encoding. They include $. -, +, *, ‘, and (). Any extra characters in the URL that are required must be encoded.
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Conclusion
Now you have answers to the question of what is URL. When creating a URL, you will need to make sure that it is user-friendly as much as possible. Then you will be able to impress people who are visiting your website. The URL of a website home page and even sub-pages can create a significant positive impact on the overall success.