What Is a Website URL? The 3 Most Important Parts Explained

You’ve seen “URLs” a thousand times. They’re there in your browser bar, in every link you click, and every time you go to any WordPress website (including your own). Still, not everyone understands what it actually means, or why it matters.

This post is for new WordPress users who want to learn the basics. If you’re building a site or trying to improve one, knowing how URLs work can help you better understand the inner workings of your website.

What is a website URL?

In simple terms, a URL is an address on the web. It identifies websites and tells your browser where to go to find a specific one.

The full term is Uniform Resource Locator, but most people just say just URL.

Every URL has a few key parts. For example, https://themeisle.com/ takes you to the Themeisle homepage. Then, if you add more to the end – for example, /blog/what-is-a-website-url/ – you’ll go straight to this very post.

Most people don’t think much about URLs. But if you’re running your own WordPress site, it helps to know how they work. The way your URLs are built can affect your search rankings, and whether people trust your links enough to click them.

WordPress gives you a lot of control over your URLs (through permalinks most of all).

In the next section, I’ll break a URL into three simple parts. Once you understand these, you’ll see how to make better choices for your own site.

💡 Note: In case you’re still at the starting point of building your website, check out this in-depth guide of ours. We cover everything from how to register a domain name, pick a web host (we recommend Bluehost, by the way, it’s just $1.99 a month and has everything you might need), and how to pick a great design and get all the missing features for your site.

Your guide to understanding website URLs (3 key parts)

In the next few sections, I’ll look at the main parts of any URL. Each one serves a specific role, and, combined, they make it possible for users to find the web pages they’re looking for. We’ll cover:

1. The protocol
2. The domain name
3. The path

1. The protocol 🤝

https://themeisle.com/blog/what-is-a-website-url

The protocol is the first part of a URL. In most cases, it’s either http:// or https://. You’ve seen it a million times.

The protocol tells the browser how to connect to a website’s server. It sets the rules for how data moves back and forth.

Some older sites may still use HTTP. It gets the job done, but it’s not secure. Anyone could look at the data being passed between the site and the visitor. That’s why HTTPS is now the standard. The “S” stands for secure. It adds encryption through an SSL certificate, which keeps your information safe as it travels.

Today, most browsers show a little padlock icon when a site uses HTTPS. It’s not just about privacy. That padlock also builds trust. People are more likely to stay on your site, or buy from it, if they know it’s secure.

Luckily, if you run your site on WordPress, switching to HTTPS is easy. Most hosts will give you a free SSL certificate. Then, the only thing you need to enable it is a plugin like Really Simple Security.

👉 See our detailed guide on how to enable HTTPS on your WordPress site for more info.

2. The domain name 🌐

https://themeisle.com/blog/what-is-a-website-url

The domain name is the part most people notice first. It’s what you type into the address bar of your browser to visit a website – like themeisle.com, for example.

A domain name has two main parts:

• First is the name itself (themeisle).
• Then there’s the ending, called a Top-Level Domain or TLD – like .com, .org, or .net.

Together, they make up the full domain.

If you’re starting a WordPress site, picking the right domain name matters. It’s how people find you, remember you, and recommend you. Choose something clear, short, and easy to spell. Don’t overthink it, but don’t rush it either. You can use a tool like DomainWheel to help you come up with original name ideas.

If you ask me, sticking with .com is usually the safest bet. It’s the most familiar and trusted TLD. But if you’re running a niche site or targeting a local audience, other TLDs might fit better. Like, for example, if your site has anything to do with AI, you might want to go for .ai. There are hundreds of options, so you’ve got room to be creative if you want.

Once your domain is set, it becomes the base for every URL on your site!

3. The path 📍

https://themeisle.com/blog/what-is-a-website-url

After the domain name, the next part of a URL is called the path. It tells the browser exactly which page or file to load on a site.

For example, again, this post’s URL is https://themeisle.com/blog/what-is-a-website-url/, and the path is what starts after .com. It points to the blog section, then to a specific post – this very post.

In WordPress, you can control what these paths look like. They’re called permalinks. You’ll find the settings in your WordPress dashboard under Settings → Permalinks. Here’s our guide to permalinks.

Overall, clean, readable paths help people understand what your page is about before they even click. They also help with SEO. Google likes URLs that are short and clear.

Avoid messy ones with numbers or symbols. Instead, use plain words that match your page title. WordPress makes this easy. You can edit the path (called “slug” in WordPress) when you write or update a post.

Other URL components worth knowing

Okay, so I said that there are three main parts to any URL, but that was a slight simplification of the topic.

There’s more to a URL than just the protocol, domain, and path. Once you know the basics, it helps to spot the extra pieces you’ll run into, and especially if you’re managing a WordPress site:

Subdomains come before the main domain. For example, in en.wikipedia.org, “en” is a subdomain. It points to the English version of the site. You might use subdomains for things like an ecommerce store (shop.yoursite.com) or support area (help.yoursite.com).

Query strings show up after a question mark in a URL. They pass extra info through the URL. Most commonly, things like tracking codes from newsletters or filters in a shop. You’ll see something like ?utm_source=email at the end of a link. These don’t change the contents of the page, just add new context that the webmaster might find important.

Anchors use a hash symbol (#) to jump to a certain spot within a page. For example, a link like #contact might take you to a contact form – it’s a common use. But to show you something more practical, if you go to https://themeisle.com/blog/what-is-a-website-url/#the-protocol (you can do that by clicking here) you’ll actually scroll up to the section where we talked about protocol in this post.

Conclusion 🧐

URLs are everywhere, but most web dwellers barely notice them. Now you know better!

A URL is a structured set of instructions that form a web address. It tells your browser where to go and how to get there. For WordPress users, it also shapes how people find, trust, and move through a site.

To keep it simple:

• The protocol (http or https) handles the connection.
• The domain name points to your site.
• The path leads to a specific page or post.

You also learned about subdomains, query strings, and anchors. These extras aren’t always there, but they do important work nonetheless.

WordPress makes it easy to set up clean, secure, and useful URLs. You don’t need to be a developer to take control either. Everything is doable through the visual WordPress interfaces.

Now that you’ve seen how it works, take a look at your own site’s URLs. A few small changes can make a big difference for your visitors and your SEO!

Have questions or your own tips to share? Drop them in the comments.