Web Analytics Key terms

What is a uniform resource locator?

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Published on Mar 31, 2023 and edited on May 4, 2023 by Iron Brands

A Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a string of characters used to identify and locate a specific web page or resource on the internet. URLs are typically composed of several parts, including a scheme, a domain name, a path, and query parameters. They are used by web browsers and other internet-based applications to access and retrieve web pages and other resources from the internet.

The scheme of a URL specifies the protocol that is used to access the resource, such as "HTTP" or "HTTPS" for a web page or "FTP" for a file transfer. The domain name of a URL specifies the internet address of the server or network that hosts the resource, and it typically includes the top-level domain (TLD), such as ".com" or ".org," and the second-level domain (SLD), such as "google."

The path of a URL specifies the location of the resource on the server or network and typically includes a series of directories and file names separated by forward slashes (/). The query parameters of a URL are a set of key-value pairs that are used to pass additional information or instructions to the server or application that serves the resource. They are typically indicated by a question mark (?) at the end of the URL.

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