1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Web Search

What is a URL
URL Definition

By Wendy Boswell, About.com

Web sites are found by their addresses. Each web site has a URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, assigned to it. This is how a URL is broken down:
  • http://websearch.about.com/od/dailywebsearchtips/qt/dnt0526.htm is our example.
  • http://: type of file
  • domain name: location of the file's web server is at websearch.about.com.
  • backslash,then file name: path or directory on the computer to this file; which in our case is "od/dailywebsearchtips/qt". You're just basically moving from sub-directory to sub-directory here.
  • name of file: name of file, usually ending in .html or .htm. My file name is "dnt0526".

View the previous Web Search tip of the day

View the next Web Search tip of the day

More Web Search Quick Tips
Explore Web Search
About.com Special Features

Stay connected and entertained with reviews on tips on the latest HDTVs, cellphones and more. More >

Easy ways to connect two computers for networking purposes. More >

  1. Home
  2. Computing & Technology
  3. Web Search
  4. Web Search 101
  5. Web Search Tips
  6. What is a URL - Definition of URL

©2009 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company.

All rights reserved.