Quick answer

A URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is a web address. It can identify where a resource is located and which protocol a browser should use to access it.

Original example

Read a URL from left to right

In https://example.com/learn?topic=images#example, https is the protocol, example.com is the hostname, /learn is the path, topic=images is the query, and #example is the fragment.

Local structure tool

URL explorer

Private by design: this tool parses text in your browser. It does not visit, verify, store, or upload the address.

Browser-normalized components

URL structure

Protocol
https:
Hostname
example.com
Port
Protocol default
Origin
https://example.com
Pathname (encoded)
/learn
Raw query
?topic=images&level=beginner
Fragment (encoded)
#example

Decoded query entries

NameValue
topicimages
levelbeginner

Decoded entries are not a lossless copy of the raw query. Repeated names remain separate and ordered.

Which parts are optional?

A complete HTTP or HTTPS URL needs a scheme and hostname. Paths, queries, and fragments are optional and serve different purposes.

Parsing a URL explains its structure. It does not prove that the destination exists, belongs to a particular person, or is safe to visit.

Common misunderstandings

  • A domain name is one part of many URLs, not always the complete address.
  • HTTPS protects a connection but does not by itself prove that a site is trustworthy.

Related answers

Sources

  • URL API - MDN Web Docs, accessed 2026-10-29

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