For every Internet user, the URL is an indispensable tool that facilitates almost all online tasks and activities. Whether you are a heavy Internet user or you only go online occasionally, chances are you would have come across the term “URL” while surfing the web.
For anybody who is not familiar with the huge list of online terms, the word URL may sound confusing. Questions like “What is a URL” and “How does it work” keep running through their head. This may turn out to become a serious issue most especially when you need to complete urgent URL-specific tasks online.
The complex and technical nature of a URL requires establishing a clear structure that will give you a basic understanding of the functions and applications of the term.
With that in mind, here is a short and simple guide to help wrap your head around the basic features and functions of a URL.
What is a URL?
According to Wikipedia, the word URL stands for Universal Resource Locator. It is a unique text that is usually input into a web browser to denote a specific web address.
Additionally, a URL also represents an online file or resources like a command output and database queries. Whenever you type a URL into your web browser, the browser automatically matches the information with the appropriate web address. Afterward, it connects with the server and renders the HTML content of the web page in a specified order.
For blog and online business owners, a URL is a gateway by which your friends, families, customers can reach you. 256 Kilobytes further explains that URLs work collaboratively with other Internet modules like XFN frameworks to represent human relationships using hyperlinks.
This is particularly useful for online retailers and bloggers looking to increase their Search Engine traffic by linking to other high-authority URLs.
How Do URLs Work?
For every human user, an ideal URL is precise, specific and easy to use. However, web browsers process information differently. This means a URL must follow some particular pattern to achieve the best results.
Your web browser uses an Internet Protocol to navigate through web pages and determine the flow of data and information. The Internet Protocol(IP) is a unique numerical string that comes with any device that operates through the Internet Protocol.
Unlike word-based URLs, it is practically impossible to remember the IP address of every website, especially for dynamic IP-based websites. URLs offer great simplicity that helps to translate the word-based address into their corresponding IP via a Domain Name Server.
Now, let’s briefly touch upon all the major components of a URL and how they impact our online browsing experience.
Scheme
In a very simple term, there is no URL without a scheme. It precedes every URL and helps your web browser to determine the type of address you are trying to access. There is a wide variety of schemes available on the Internet, and each scheme serves a unique purpose. For basic online browsing, most web browsers adopt HTTP and HTTPS while conveying information and communicating with various web servers.
https://www.yourfriend.com/en/internetbasics/
Domain name
This is the most important part of a URL. VeriSign describes a domain name as a set of guidelines and direction to an online webpage.
Usually, a website adopts the same domain name for all its web pages. Domain name exists in segments, and each section is set apart from the other by a period known as a domain.
https://www.yourfriend.com/en/internetbasics/
File path
Most times, your website loads up a particular page whenever you enter a domain name without a corresponding file path. A File path enables your web browser to load an index page that will redirect you to some specific pages on the website.
Whenever you forget to input the file path for a specific web page, the browser automatically loads up the domain’s homepage. From the homepage, you can navigate through the web pages until you get to the exact page you are looking for.
https://www.yourfriend.com/en/internetbasics/
In conclusion, a URL has many other components which are far beyond what we have on this article. Notwithstanding, these are the most popular URL modules that will give you a basic but standard knowledge of a URL.