Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifies a resource and describes how to access it.

Format
Web & Development
Updated
Updated
Glossary Web & Development
Uniform Resource Locator Also known as URL.Aliases: web address, link address.

Definition

A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifies a resource and describes how to access it.

How it works

A full web URL packs in a scheme like https, a hostname, and a path, with an optional port, query string, and fragment. The hostname is resolved through DNS to find the server; the rest tells that server precisely what is being requested. Change any component and you are pointing at something different.

Example: https://example.com/guides?topic=dns includes an HTTPS scheme, hostname, path, and query.

Often confused: The domain name is one ingredient of a URL; the URL is the complete recipe for reaching a specific resource.

Sources

Last reviewed 2026-07-19.