{"id":3225,"date":"2025-04-12T17:11:25","date_gmt":"2025-04-12T15:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mijn.host\/blog\/what-is-a-url-complete-explanation\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T16:27:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T14:27:59","slug":"what-is-a-url-complete-explanation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/what-is-a-url-complete-explanation\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a URL? A complete explanation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">URLs appear every time you browse the internet, but what exactly is a URL? Whether you&#8217;re surfing, reading a blog, or shopping online &#8211; URLs are the addresses that help us find specific places on the internet. In this article, I will tell you everything about URLs, from their structure to their importance for SEO and user experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-a-website-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is a website URL?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is simply the address of a webpage or file on the internet. Just like a physical address helps you find a specific building, a URL helps your browser find a specific webpage or file on the web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every time you visit a website, you type in a URL or click on a link that refers to a URL. These addresses allow you to access everything on the internet, from web pages and images to videos and downloadable files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"884\" height=\"274\" sizes=\"(max-width: 884px) 100vw, 884px\" src=\"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/url-voorbeeld.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/url-voorbeeld.png 884w, https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/url-voorbeeld-300x93.png 300w, https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/url-voorbeeld-768x238.png 768w\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here is an example to clarify:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you type <em>https:\/\/my.host\/<\/em> into your browser, you land on the homepage of our website. <em>https:\/\/my.host\/webhosting\/<\/em> on the other hand, specifically takes you to the pages showing the shared hosting packages. Both are URLs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"urls-explained-5-components\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>URLs explained (5 components)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A URL consists of various components, each serving a specific function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"1-the-protocol\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. The protocol<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The protocol is the first part of the URL and indicates how your browser should communicate with the webserver. It ends with a colon and two slashes (:\/\/).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common protocols are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>HTTP<\/strong>&nbsp;(HyperText Transfer Protocol): The basic protocol for transferring web pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wat-is-https\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2173\">HTTPS<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0(HTTP Secure): A secure version of HTTP that uses data encryption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>FTP<\/strong>&nbsp;(File Transfer Protocol): For uploading and downloading files.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>mailto<\/strong>: For opening an email program to send an email.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nowadays, almost every website uses HTTPS to ensure a secure connection. When you see &#8220;https:\/\/&#8221; at the beginning of a URL, you know that the connection to this website is encrypted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"2-the-domain-name\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. The domain name<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The domain name follows directly after the protocol and is the address of the website itself. It&#8217;s what most people remember when talking about a website. For example, in the URL &#8220;https:\/\/my.host&#8221;, &#8220;my.host&#8221;&nbsp;is the domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A domain name often consists of two or more parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Subdomains&nbsp;(optional).<\/strong> such as &#8220;www&#8221; or &#8220;blog&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Main domain name.<\/strong> the unique part you register, such as &#8220;yourwebsite&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Top-level domain (TLD).<\/strong> the suffix such as &#8220;.com&#8221;, &#8220;.nl&#8221; or &#8220;.org&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The domain name is unique to each website and <a href=\"https:\/\/my.host\/domeinnaam\/\">must be registered<\/a> before it can be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-border-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-2598761d wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-color:#81d2f740;border-style:solid;border-width:2px;border-radius:8px;background-color:#81d2f740;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\">\n<p class=\"has-secondary-color has-text-color wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\"><strong>TIP:<\/strong> at my.host you can register a .nl domain name from <a href=\"https:\/\/my.host\/domeinnaam\/\">\u20ac4.99 per year<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"3-the-path\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. The path<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The path follows the domain name and usually starts with a forward slash (\/). It indicates where on the website the specific page or file is located. In the URL &#8220;https:\/\/my.host\/e-mail-hosting\/&#8221;, &#8220;\/e-mail-hosting\/&#8221; is the path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The path often reflects the folder structure of the website and can be several levels deep. Each part of the path between the slashes represents one level deeper in the structure of the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"4-parameter\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Parameter<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parameters appear after the path and are preceded by a question mark (?). They provide additional information to the web server and are often used to retrieve specific content or apply filters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the URL &#8220;https:\/\/www.exampleurl.nl\/search?q=webdesign&amp;sort=recent&#8221;, &#8220;q=webdesign&#8221; and &#8220;sort=recent&#8221; are parameters. The first parameter is separated from the path by a question mark, and additional parameters are linked with an ampersand (&amp;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Parameters are widely used for passing search queries, filter options, sorting orders, and other dynamic data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"5-anchor\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5. Anchor<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The anchor (or fragment) is the last part of a URL and starts with a hash (#). It refers to a specific section within a webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the URL &#8220;https:\/\/www.exampleurl.nl\/guide#chapter-3&#8221;, the anchor &#8220;#chapter-3&#8221; refers to a specific section of the page. When you click on a link with an anchor, your browser takes you directly to that part of the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anchors are particularly useful for long pages where you want to navigate directly to a specific part without scrolling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"toplevel-domain\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Top-level domain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of a domain name, directly after the last dot. It often indicates what type of organization the website represents or in which country it is registered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TLDs are managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). There are different types of TLDs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Generic TLDs (gTLDs)<\/strong>: Such as .com, .org, .net<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Country Code TLDs (ccTLDs)<\/strong>: Such as .nl for the Netherlands, .be for Belgium, .de for Germany<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New gTLDs<\/strong>: Such as .blog, .shop, .app, .host<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common TLDs worldwide are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>.com<\/strong>: Originally intended for commercial websites, but now commonly used<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>.org<\/strong>: Originally for non-profit organizations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>.net<\/strong>: Originally for network-related organizations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>.edu<\/strong>: For educational institutions (especially in the US)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>.gov<\/strong>: For government agencies (especially in the US)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the Netherlands, .nl is the most commonly used country-specific TLD, while .be is in Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">my.host has chosen the TLD .host because it is part of the company name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"what-is-the-difference-between-an-absolute-and-a-relative-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is the difference between an absolute and a relative URL?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">URLs can be categorized into two main types: absolute and relative URLs. Let&#8217;s look at the difference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"absolute-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Absolute URL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An absolute URL contains all elements of a URL, including the protocol, domain name, and path. It is a full web address that provides direct access to a specific resource, regardless of where the link is located.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Example of an absolute URL:&nbsp;https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wat-is-url<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advantages of absolute URLs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They always work, regardless of where they are called from<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are clearer for external links<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They help prevent duplicate content in search engines<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"relative-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Relative URL<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A relative URL contains only the path (and optionally parameters and anchors) relative to the current page. The protocol and domain name are omitted because they are assumed to be the same as the current page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Example of a relative URL:&nbsp;\/blog\/what-is-url&nbsp;or&nbsp;what-is-url&nbsp;(if you are already in the \/blog\/ directory)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advantages of relative URLs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They are shorter and simpler<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They make it easier to test a website locally or move to another domain<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They are more efficient for internal links within the same website<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The choice between absolute and relative URLs depends on the specific application. For internal links, relative URLs are often used, while absolute URLs are necessary for external links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"is-a-url-the-same-as-a-domain-name\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Is a URL the same as a domain name?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although the terms &#8220;URL&#8221; and &#8220;domain name&#8221; are sometimes used interchangeably, they are not the same. A domain name is just a part of a URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The domain name is only the address of the website, like &#8220;example.com&#8221;, while a URL is the complete address that can contain the protocol, domain name, path, parameters, and anchors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To illustrate the difference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Domain name: my.host<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL:&nbsp;https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/what-is-url\/<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A domain name is what you register with a domain registrar and what you need to renew to remain the owner. A URL, on the other hand, can refer to any location within that domain and often changes depending on which page you visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"can-you-just-change-your-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Can you just change your URL?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing URLs on an existing website is possible, but it involves risks, especially when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO). Here are some key considerations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"seo-complications\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SEO complications<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When you change a URL, several SEO issues may arise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Loss of ranking position. <\/strong>Search engines need time to index the new URLs, which can temporarily lead to a drop in rankings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lost link value.<\/strong> External links to your old URLs lose their value if you do not set up <a href=\"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/how-to-set-up-a-redirect-to-another-website\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"1286\">301 redirects<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>404 errors.<\/strong> Without a proper redirect policy, visitors following old links will see a 404 error page, leading to a poor user experience.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Loss of social signals.<\/strong> Shares and likes on social media are tied to the original URL and are lost with a change.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"best-practices-for-changing-urls\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Best practices for changing URLs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Use 301 redirects.<\/strong> Ensure that old URLs permanently redirect to the new equivalent pages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Update internal links.<\/strong> Adjust all internal links on your website to point to the new URLs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inform Google.<\/strong> Use Google Search Console to notify a change in URL structure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Monitor your traffic.<\/strong> Keep an eye on your analytics after a URL change to spot issues quickly.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phase large changes.<\/strong> If you need to change many URLs, do it gradually rather than all at once.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Changing URLs requires planning and a careful approach and is best avoided unless absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-importance-of-a-semantic-or-friendly-url\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The importance of a semantic (or, friendly) URL<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A semantic or friendly URL is a URL that is understandable to humans and relevant to the content of the page. Instead of using incomprehensible codes or parameters, semantic URLs contain clear words that describe the content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"userfriendliness\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>User-friendliness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Semantic URLs offer several benefits for users:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Easy to remember.<\/strong> URLs with clear words are easier to remember than cryptic strings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Trustworthy.<\/strong> Users are more likely to trust a link that clearly indicates where it leads.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Easy to share.<\/strong> Friendly URLs are easier to pass on verbally or share via channels where hyperlinks are not possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Expectation management.<\/strong> A clear URL gives users an idea of what to expect when following the link.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"seo\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>SEO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Semantic URLs are also beneficial for search engine optimization:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Relevant keywords.<\/strong> By including relevant keywords in the URL, you help search engines better understand the content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Higher click-through rate (CTR).<\/strong> URLs containing keywords can generate a higher CTR in search results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Improved crawling.<\/strong> Search engine crawlers can interpret semantic URLs more easily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relevance signals.<\/strong> Keywords in URLs are used by search engines as a relevance signal for ranking purposes.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"accessibility\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Accessibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Semantic URLs also contribute to website accessibility:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Help for screen readers.<\/strong> Clear URLs help screen reader users better understand where a link leads before clicking it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Context understanding.<\/strong> For people with cognitive disabilities, clear URLs can help understand the structure of a website.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Navigation support. <\/strong>Users can often understand where they are in the structure of a website by looking at the URL.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Alternative access<\/strong>: In situations where styling is not available, clear URLs provide an alternative way to understand content.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A good example of a semantic URL is&nbsp;https:\/\/my.host\/webhosting\/&nbsp;instead of&nbsp;https:\/\/my.host\/p?id=12345&amp;cat=987.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You encounter URLs every time you browse the internet, but what exactly is a URL? Whether you&#8217;re surfing, reading a blog, or shopping online \u2013 URLs are the addresses that help us find specific places on the internet. In this article, I will tell you everything about URLs, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"hide_cta_migrate_site":false,"hide_toc_block":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[220,228],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-domain-names","category-tips-tricks"],"lang":"en","translations":{"en":3225,"nl":2179},"pll_sync_post":{},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3225"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3341,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3225\/revisions\/3341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2181"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/my.host\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}