Understanding URLs

Uniform Resource Locators, or URLs, are the addresses used to locate resources on the Internet. If you’ve searched online, you’ve likely seen URLs—they appear at the top of your browser in the location bar. Let’s look at an example:

The location bar shows the web page you're currently viewing. In this example, imagine you're visiting a news article on cnn.com.

While most Internet users recognize web addresses, not everyone knows what the different parts of a URL mean. Understanding these parts can help you learn more about the site you're visiting. While evaluating the content is still important, decoding the URL gives you useful context.

Let’s break down the parts of a sample URL and explore what each part means.
Part	Example	Description
Transfer Protocol	http:// or https://	The beginning of a web address—such as `http://` or `https://`—indicates the protocol your browser uses to connect to a website. HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol, a set of rules for retrieving and displaying web content. HTTPS adds encryption for secure communication, protecting personal data like passwords and form submissions. Other protocols include FTP (File Transfer Protocol) for downloading files, and News (NNTP) for accessing legacy discussion groups.
World Wide Web	www	The `www` prefix indicates that the resource is part of the World Wide Web. While not required, it's still commonly used.
Server Name and Domain	cnn.com	The server name identifies the website—here, `cnn`. The domain (.com) indicates the type of organization. Common domains include `.com` (commercial), `.org` (nonprofit), `.gov` (government), `.edu` (education), and `.net` (network services). Country codes like `.uk` (United Kingdom) or `.jp` (Japan) may also appear.
Directory and Subdirectory	world/2025/08/01	Directories organize content within a site. For example, `/world` might be a section for international news, and `/2025/08/01` could represent the date of publication. Think of directories as folders that help structure the site.
File Name and File Type	headline-news.html	The final part of the URL is often the file name and type. Common file types include `.html` (web page), `.jpg` or `.png` (images), `.pdf` (documents), and `.zip` (compressed files). Some URLs may not show a file name, especially for dynamic or database-driven sites.