What is a URL? Definition, Meaning and Parts

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

What is a URL? Definition and Meaning

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of a resource on the web, such as a page, an image or a file. It tells the browser which protocol to use, which server to contact and which resource to fetch. URL meaning in one line: the address that locates a resource on the internet. It is sometimes written “universal resource locator”, but the correct name is Uniform Resource Locator. The location part of a URL identifies the server and the path to the resource, for example the domain name and the page path.

The parts of a URL

Take https://www.example.com/services/seo/?utm_source=newsletter#pricing:

Protocol (scheme): https, the secure version of HTTP.
Subdomain: www.
Domain name: example.com, made up of the name and the top-level domain (.com).
Path: /services/seo/, the page on the site.
Query string: ?utm_source=newsletter, parameters used for tracking, filters or searches.
Fragment: #pricing, a section of the page. Browsers don’t send it to the server.

SEO-friendly URLs

Short, readable and descriptive: /services/local-seo/ rather than /?p=123.
Lowercase words separated by hyphens.
One URL per page: redirect or canonicalize duplicates, such as www and non-www or HTTP and HTTPS.
Stable: changing URLs loses links and rankings unless you add 301 redirects.
Few parameters on pages you want indexed.

The words in a URL are only a very small ranking factor, but a clear URL helps people decide to click and shows where a page sits on the site.

URL structure example

Good	Poor
example.com/blog/local-seo-checklist/	example.com/index.php?id=4739&cat=12
example.com/services/seo/	example.com/Services/SEO_Page_NEW_final/
example.com/glossary/backlink/	example.com/p/2026/10/14/post-8842

URL best practices

Use lowercase words separated by hyphens.
Keep URLs short and descriptive, and include the main topic.
Avoid session IDs and unnecessary parameters.
Use HTTPS and one preferred version (with or without www).
Do not change URLs without a 301 redirect.
Do not use special characters, spaces or capital letters.

URL mistakes

Changing the URL structure of a site with no redirect plan.
Different URLs showing the same content, which creates duplicates.
Very long URLs full of keywords.
Dates in the URL of content that you want to keep evergreen.

URL FAQs

Do URLs affect rankings?

A little. A clear URL also helps users and sharing. See 301 redirects and canonical URLs.

What is the difference between a URL and a domain?

The domain is one part of the URL. See DNS, ccTLDs and camel case.