What Is a URL? Website Addresses Explained
A friend tells you, “The worksheet is on our class website.” You open a browser—but how does your device know which page to visit? A URL gives it an address.
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The words sound complicated, but the idea is simple: a URL identifies where a resource can be found and often tells a browser how to request it. Webpages, images, and downloadable files can all have URLs.
Let's take a URL apart
Here is an example created for this lesson:
https://www.example.com/kids/animals?type=birds#quiz
https://— the scheme. It tells the browser which communication method to use. HTTPS protects information while it travels between the browser and site.www.example.com— the host. It identifies the website's location by name.example.comis its domain name;wwwis a subdomain./kids/animals— the path. It identifies a section or resource at that host.?type=birds— the query. It supplies extra information, such as a filter or search term.#quiz— the fragment. It can point the browser to a particular part of a page.
Not every URL uses all these parts. Some are much shorter.
A domain name is not the entire URL
Think of the domain as a school building and the path as a particular classroom. Two pages can belong to the same site but have different paths. For example, lfthq.com/learn/ and lfthq.com/books/ belong to LFTHQ but lead to different collections.
The browser can use DNS to help find the server for a domain name. The URL's path then tells the website which resource is wanted. That is a simplified description: real sites sometimes create pages dynamically instead of finding a matching physical file.
Can a URL help you spot scams?
It can provide clues, but an attractive URL is not a safety guarantee. Look carefully at the actual domain, not just a familiar brand name hidden in a longer address. example.com.fake-site.test would be part of fake-site.test, not example.com.
Also, HTTPS means a connection is protected while data travels. It does not mean the website's claims are true or that its owner is trustworthy.
Before opening a strange link, pause and ask a parent or trusted adult, especially if it asks for passwords, payment details, or personal information.
Try it: URL detective
Write these imaginary URLs on three cards:
https://example.com/games/https://example.com/games/?level=2https://example.com/games/#rules
Circle the domain in each. Underline the path. Then point out what changes in cards 2 and 3. Can you explain why all three are connected to the same site?
Quick questions
Is a URL the same as a link? A URL is an address. A link is something you can click or tap that uses an address to take you somewhere.
Does the text after # always send you to another webpage? Not necessarily. It often identifies a section of the same page.
Do all websites start with www? No. Many websites work without that subdomain.
Keep exploring
Read How Does the Internet Work for Kids? to understand DNS and servers, and Internet Safety for Kids for safer clicking habits. The How the Internet Works for Kids book takes the explanation further.