The easiest way to access a website is to write the desired address into the address bar located in the browser. This address is known as a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and every webpage can be reached with its own individual URL (web address). A URL is made up of several sections; all of which have their own functions. Here is a generic example of a webpage URL:
Protocol | Third-level domain | Second-level domain | Top-level domain | (Path) | (File) |
http:// | www. | exampledomain | .com | /directory | /index.html |
The World Wide Web (WWW) is a system of electronically stored hypertext documents. The hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is used in the World Wide Web in order to transfer webpage data from the web server to the browser. In addition to HTTP, there’s also an encrypted version of the protocol: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS). The HTTP protocol header is followed by the hostname, which consists of a second-level and top-level domain (in this order). In the web, we usually see “www” as third-level domain, but there are other subdomains. If a URL points to a specific directory or file, the relevant information will be placed after the hostname.
URLs are generally comprised of letters, meaning that people can easily remember them. Computers, on the other hand, work with combinations of numbers (known as IP addresses) to find a server on the internet. An additional step is required in order to access content from the web browser. This step requires translating a webpage’s URL into the corresponding IP address. The task is carried out by DNS servers, which are responsible for managing the Domain Name System.