A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the precise address of a webpage within a domain, whereas a domain is the distinctive name that identifies a website on the internet.
While the URL contains extra information like the protocol (http or https) and the particular webpage or resource being viewed, the domain is the primary portion of a website’s address, such as google.com or amazon.com.
Put more simply, a domain is like a house’s street address, whereas a URL is like a particular room or place inside that house.
What is a URL?
Each object on the internet is identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), which is a string of characters that enables the server to show the user a particular resource.
All online content, including photographs, videos, and articles, has a unique URL address for convenient access. Although a domain name and a URL are similar, a URL is more descriptive. It includes the domain name and enables servers to identify and display distinct online content. For instance, the URL below:
https://goworldwideweb.com/website-designing-company-in-ludhiana
You can go straight to a Go World wide webHelp page that walks you through the process of creating a new domain by using this URL.
The domain name Goworldwideweb.com is contained within the Help URL. As a result, we can see that the domain name is only one component of a URL. While the URL points you to certain pages or resources on a website, the domain name acts as the principal address (or homepage) for that website.
What are the parts of a URL?
A Uniform Resource Locator, or URL, is made up of various parts. “http://” or “https://” are examples of protocols that specify how a resource should be accessed.
The domain name, which specifies the particular website or server that is hosting the material, comes next. The path, which indicates the resource’s placement within the website’s directory structure, comes after the domain name. An anchor tag, query parameters, and port number are examples of optional components in a URL.
Let us look at each element in the following diagram:
The URL protocol
The URL protocol dictates how the browser should request access to a specific resource. Most web addresses use either HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) or HTTPS (HTTP with SSL). The difference between HTTP and HTTPS is the “S” — which refers to security. HTTPS websites have SSL security, an encryption that protects users’ sensitive data. If your site lacks an SSL certificate, it’s highly recommended to add one because visitors are increasingly cautious abouttheir personal data online, and 85% of online shoppers will avoid an unsecured website.
The subdomain
A subdomain is an optional part of a URL that creates a separate section of your website. If a URL includes a subdomain, it precedes the domain name with a period. Websites might use subdomains to test or stage web development (test.example.com), to indicate a specific geographic location (uk.example.com), or to organize unique segments of their website to the end user (blog.example.com).
The domain name
Following the protocol and subdomain is the domain name, which includes the top-level domain (TLD) and second-level doman (SLD). In our example, the domain name is the GoDaddy.com section.
The subdirectory or subfolder
The subdirectory or subfolder appears directly after the domain name and functions as a folder within the main website that contains specific resources. In our example, /help/ is the subdirectory. Some URLs have additional subfolders within subdirectories.
The path or file name
The URL path follows the top-level domain and defines the exact resource for the web server to display. In our example, the path is /help/set-up-my-domain-40634. The path begins with a forward slash and is case-sensitive. The path can also specify a file name, such as .pdf, .png or .html, although most websites automatically remove the HTML extension from URLs.