---
title: "URL"
description: "A URL is the web address that identifies and locates a resource online. See how its parts — scheme, domain and path — direct a browser to a page."
url: "https://nodea.io/en/glossary/url"
lang: "en"
updated: "2026-07-13"
---

# URL

> A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address that uniquely identifies and locates a resource, telling the browser how and where to reach it.

A **URL** (Uniform Resource Locator) is the web address that uniquely identifies and locates a resource on the internet, such as a page, image or file. When you type an address or click a link, the browser reads the URL to determine how to connect, which server to reach and which resource to request. It is the fundamental addressing system that makes the web navigable.

## The parts of a URL

A URL is made of several components. The scheme, such as https, specifies the protocol used — with [HTTPS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/https) adding encryption. The domain names the site and is translated into a server address through [DNS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns) by a [DNS server](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns-server). The path identifies the specific resource on that server, and an optional query string carries parameters, while a fragment can point to a section within the page. Together these parts tell the browser exactly how and where to fetch what you asked for.

## Why URLs matter

Beyond simply locating resources, URLs play a role in usability and search. Clean, descriptive, human-readable URLs help users understand where a link leads and are a modest but real [SEO](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/seo) factor, since a clear path reflecting the page's topic is easier for both people and search engines to interpret. Consistency matters too: the same content should live at one canonical URL rather than several variants, to avoid duplication. URLs are also the anchor for links across the web, so keeping them stable — and redirecting when they must change — preserves accumulated value. A well-structured URL is a small detail with outsized importance: it is at once a technical address, a navigation aid and a signal of what a page is about.

### What is the difference between a URL and a domain?

The domain is just the site's name, such as example.com. The URL is the full address, including the scheme (https), the domain and the path to a specific page, so every page has its own URL under one domain.

## Related

- [DNS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns)
- [DNS Server](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/dns-server)
- [HTTPS](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/https)
- [SEO](https://nodea.io/en/glossary/seo)

---

Languages: [pl](https://nodea.pl/pl/slownik-pojec/url.md)  
Site index: [llms.txt](https://nodea.io/en/llms.txt)