URL
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a string identifying the location of an Internet resource, comprising scheme, host, port, path, query, and fragment.
Purpose
It provides a uniform scheme for identifying and locating Internet resources.
Mechanism
Format: scheme://[user:pass@]host[:port]/path?query#fragment. Schemes include http/https/ftp. The host may be a domain name or IP. The query is a set of key-value pairs. The fragment identifies a position within the resource (never sent to the server). RFC 3986 defines the syntax.
Use cases
- Web pages and API endpoints
- Resource location and linking
- RESTful API routing
- File URIs
Examples
- Input
https://a.com:443/api?q=1#secOutputEach component parsed outRFC 3986
Common errors
- Leaving special characters unencoded in a URL
- Encode parameter values with encodeURIComponent
Related terms
URL Encoding
URL encoding (percent-encoding) converts characters not allowed in URLs into %HH form, so arbitrary data can appear safely in URL components. GLOSSARY
DNS
DNS resolves domain names to IP addresses, split into recursive and authoritative resolution, forming the foundation of Internet addressing. GLOSSARY
HTTP
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the application-layer protocol of the Web, built on a request-response model, stateless, and the foundation of web communication. GLOSSARY
Percent-Encoding
Percent-encoding is the mechanism that converts unsafe characters in URLs into %HH form, defined by RFC 3986. GLOSSARY
Related tools
URL Parser
Parse a URL into its components: protocol, host, path, query, hash, port, username, and password. Free, private, and 100% client-side. TOOL
URL Encoder
Percent-encode text for safe use in URLs. Free, private, and 100% client-side. TOOL
URL Decoder
Decode percent-encoded URL text back to readable characters. Free, private, and 100% client-side. TOOL