March 9, 2023

What Are the 5 Key Elements of a URL and What Do They Do?

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Ever wondered what all those numbers and letters in your browser address bar mean?

We’ve all been there: You type a website’s name into your favorite browser’s address bar, or maybe you click the result of a Google search. Then suddenly, a string of seemingly random words and symbols appears at the end of the site URL. Of course, you have no idea why it’s there, but you’re happy to be safely viewing Amazon listings, Google search results, or whatever website you choose.

It can look like gibberish to the untrained eye, but every character in a URL serves a purpose. Let’s break down the anatomy of a website URL, from protocol to query string.

The 5 Key Components of a URL

A URL can be sliced into three main parts: the protocol, the domain name, and the path. You can then tack on a query string or get fancy with an anchor tag.

1. Protocol

The first component of a URL is the protocol. It is the method used to access a resource on the internet. The most common protocol for web browsing is HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). It sends a request from the user’s browser to the server hosting the website, and the server then sends back the requested resource as a response.

HTTP has a secure version called HTTPS (HTTP Secure), which uses encryption to add an extra layer of security. HTTPS is used when sensitive data, such as passwords or credit card information, is transmitted over the internet. Your website needs an SSL certificate to use the HTTPS protocol in its URLs.

2. Domain Name

The domain name is the unique identifier for a website on the internet. It comprises two parts: the top-level domain (TLD) and the second-level domain. The TLD indicates the website category, such as .com for commercial websites, .edu for educational institutions, and .org for nonprofit organizations. The second-level domain is the unique name chosen by the website owner.

For example, in the domain name www.MediaDownloader.com, ‘MediaDownloader’ is the second-level domain, and ”.com’ is the TLD. Domain names are registered with domain registrars and can be purchased for a set period, typically one year, but sometimes longer.

3. Path

The URL path specifies a resource’s location on a website. It typically comes after the domain name and starts with a forward slash (/). The path is used to organize content on a website and make it easy for users to navigate.

For example, in the URL www.example.com/blog/post1, ‘blog’ is the directory that contains the blog posts, and ‘post1’ is the specific blog post. The path can also be used for search engine optimization (SEO) by including relevant keywords.

4. Query String

The query string is part of the URL that starts with a question mark (?) and contains key-value pairs separated by an ampersand (&). It is used to pass data between web pages and can contain information such as search terms or user preferences.

For example, in the URL www.example.com/search?q=example&category=books, the query string contains two key-value pairs: ‘q=example’ indicates the search term is ‘example,’ and ‘category=books’ indicates the search is for books. You’ll commonly see query strings containing a stack of search parameters when browsing websites that allow you to filter your search results or websites that want to capture tracking data.

5. Anchor Tag

An anchor tag is a fragment identifier that comes after the URL and starts with a hash (#) symbol. It links to a specific part of a web page and can be used to create a table of contents or to link to a particular section of a long article.

For example, in a 5,000-word guide, the author might include a navigation menu to break up the content:

• Definitions
• History
• Industry Challenges
• FAQs

If you hover over one of those links, the URL might contain an anchor tag, such as ‘#definitions,’ which signals the browser to scroll down to the section with that ID in the HTML.

What Is URL Encoding?

URLs comprise characters from the ASCII character set, a subset of the Unicode character set. Unicode is an international encoding standard for characters in different languages and alphabets. When a character outside the ASCII character set is used in a URL, it must be encoded to ensure the browser properly understands it.

URL encoding is the process of converting characters outside the ASCII character set into their ASCII equivalent. For example, the Unicode character ‘é’ would be encoded as ‘%e9’. URL encoding is also used for special characters such as spaces, which are encoded as ‘+’ or ‘%20’.

Don’t worry about memorizing every possible encoding combination. The W3Schools URL Encoding Reference guide is a handy resource for this subject.

What Are URL Redirects?

Sometimes, when you enter a URL into your browser’s address bar, the web page will redirect to another web page. This is because there are several ways that URLs can be structured, and some of them may not work as expected. When this happens, the server responds with an HTTP status code indicating it should redirect to another URL (usually 301 or 302). The new location can then be specified in the response header.

The status codes and their meaning include:

• 200 – OK: The request was successful.
• 301- Moved Permanently: The requested resource has been permanently moved to a new location and should be retrieved from there in future requests.
• 302 – Found (temporary redirect): This indicates that the page is temporarily located at a different URL and should not be cached by search engines or used as an authoritative source of information on its content. It can also indicate server maintenance, where pages are redirected while updates are being performed or when landing pages need to serve up alternate URLs for tracking purposes such as A/B testing or split tests.

The above status codes are specific to the validity of the URL itself, and you likely won’t even know they exist while casually viewing a functional website.

However, when issues with the URL, the website, or the underlying web hosting provide crop up, you’ll see one of a different set of codes:

• 403 – Forbidden: This indicates that you are not authorized to view the web page. This could be due to incorrect permissions or a lack of authentication credentials.
• 404 – Not Found: This indicates that the requested resource does not exist on the server and should be removed from any bookmarks or search engine results pages (SERPs).
• 500+ – Server Errors: These indicate an error occurred while processing your request and is usually caused by an issue with server configuration, such as coding errors in scripts, database issues, etc.

Website errors can be annoying but aren’t the end of the world. First, try a force refresh of the webpage. Next, check your address bar for human-made errors. Did you add a letter? Does the brand spell one of the words unconventionally? Did your cat walk across the keyboard? If none of the above works, and it’s your website, contact your host. Unfortunately, if the website belongs to someone else, you’ll have to wait it out.

Understanding URLs From Protocols to Paths

A URL is made up of many components that each serve a purpose. By understanding the anatomy of a URL, you can more easily navigate websites and make the most of the features available. Whether looking up information or shopping online, understanding URLs can help you make the most of the web.

Reference: https://www.makeuseof.com/what-are-key-url-elements/

Ref: makeuseof

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