Whenever you visit a website or click a link, you’re using a URL. URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, and it works like a digital street address that guides your browser to the right place online. Let’s break down the main parts of a URL to understand how it works and what each part tells us.

1. Scheme

Every URL starts with a scheme. This tells your browser how to connect. For websites, you’ll mostly see:

  • http (HyperText Transfer Protocol)
  • https (Secure version of http)
Understanding URLs Scheme

Even if your browser hides it, the scheme is always there. You don’t have to type it—just enter the website name, and your browser fills in the rest.

2. Domain Name

The domain name is the main part of the web address. It usually stays the same across all pages of a website.

Example: In www.example.com, the domain is:

  • Top-Level Domain (TLD): .com
  • Second-Level Domain: example
  • Third-Level Domain (optional): www

Each piece has meaning. For example, .gov means a government site. news.google.com is a subdomain used just for news, and you can’t remove "news" and expect the same page.

Understanding URLs Domain Name


3. File Path

The path tells your browser which page to load.

Example: In example.com/about-us, the /about-us is the path.

If you only type example.com, the browser loads a default page, usually the homepage.

Understanding URL File path


4. Parameters

Parameters come after a question mark (?). They pass extra details to the server.

Example: In a YouTube link, ?v=abc123 tells the site which video to load.

These look messy, but they are useful for things like searches, filters, or settings.

Understanding URL File Parameters


5. Anchor

Anchors begin with a hashtag (#) and link to a specific part of a page.

Example: example.com/page#section2 jumps right to “section2” on that page.

Anchors don’t load new pages—they just scroll you to the right spot.

Understanding URL Anchor


Bringing It All Together

Here’s an example URL:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrito#Breakfast_burrito

  • Scheme: https
  • Domain: en.wikipedia.org
  • Path: /wiki/Burrito
  • Anchor: #Breakfast_burrito

From this, we know we’re on Wikipedia, looking at a page about burritos, and we’re jumping to the breakfast burrito section.

Understanding URL A whole URL

A URL may look complex, but it’s just made up of simple parts. Once you understand what each part means, you can get more from any web address you see. It’s a small skill that helps you browse smarter.