URL
Definition
Uniform Resource Locator - the web address you type to visit a specific website. Like a postal address that tells your browser exactly where to go.
Use Cases
- Google: Directing users to Google Search and related services via a simple, memorable web address — Google uses the URL https://www.google.com as the primary entry point, with additional URLs and paths (for example, https://www.google.com/maps) routing users to specific applications. (Users can reliably reach the intended service quickly, and consistent URLs support discoverability, bookmarking, and sharing.)
- GitHub: Hosting and sharing code repositories through predictable, shareable web addresses — GitHub assigns each repository a unique URL (for example, https://github.com/<org-or-user>/<repo>) and uses URL paths to access issues, pull requests, and files. (Teams can collaborate efficiently by sharing direct links to code, reviews, and discussions, improving developer productivity.)
- Amazon: Providing stable URLs for e-commerce product pages and checkout flows — Amazon uses URLs to identify product pages and route users through browsing and purchasing steps, often using paths and query parameters to represent product identifiers and tracking information. (Customers can share product links easily, and the business benefits from measurable traffic attribution and streamlined navigation.)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What's the difference between a URL and a domain name?
- A domain name is the human-friendly name (like example.com). A URL is the full address to a specific resource and can include the protocol, domain, path, and more (like https://example.com/products?id=123). In other words, the domain is one part of a URL.
- When should I use a URL?
- Use a URL whenever you need to access or share a specific resource on the internet—such as a website page, a file download link, a cloud application endpoint, or an API route. In cloud computing, you commonly use URLs to reach web apps behind load balancers, call REST APIs, or access objects/files via HTTP(S) links.
- How much does a URL cost?
- A URL itself is just an address format and has no direct cost. Costs usually come from what the URL points to (like a hosted website, API, or storage object) and from related items such as domain registration fees (if you own the domain), DNS hosting, TLS certificates, bandwidth/egress, and the compute or storage services serving the content.
Category: networking
Difficulty: basic
Related Terms
See Also