What is URL (Uniform Resource Locator)?

A URL is the address you see in the browser bar. Like a postal address, it says exactly where a resource is located and how to reach it.

Parts of a URL#

For example:

Code

https://example.com/blog/post?id=5#comments

https protocol: the secure way of communicating with the server
example.com domain: the name of the site
/blog/post path: the page or file on the site
?id=5 parameter: extra information the page receives
#comments fragment: a jump to a specific part of the page

Why it matters#

A readable, short address is easier for users to understand and also for search engines
In WordPress the path part is called the "permalink", and it is better for it to use the title rather than a number
Changing a page's URL without a redirect leads to a 404 error and lost rankings

A note on non-English characters#

An address can contain non-Latin letters. Browsers display them nicely, but they are actually percent-encoded, so a copied link can look long and unreadable in messaging apps. For many sites a short Latin address is the safer choice, though non-Latin addresses are fully valid.

Difference from a domain#

A domain is only one part of a URL. A URL is the full address of a specific page, whereas the domain is the general name of the site.

Frequently asked questions about URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

Are a URL and a link the same?

In practice, yes. A link is a URL you can click; a URL is the address of a resource itself, whether or not it is clicked.

Which URL is better for SEO?

One that is short, readable, free of extra parameters and contains the main keyword of the page. If you change it later, handle that with a redirect.