{"id":14167,"date":"2018-06-18T12:53:54","date_gmt":"2018-06-18T09:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/?p=14167"},"modified":"2025-05-05T21:15:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T18:15:34","slug":"what-is-a-website-url","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-a-website-url\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Website URL? The 3 Most Important Parts Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I’ll show you what a website URL is, break down the parts that make it work, and explain how each one connects to the way WordPress handles your site links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s start simple. No fluff; only the pieces that matter and how they fit together:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t \t\tWhat is a #website URL \ud83d\udc68\u200d\ud83c\udf93 important parts explained, plus how they apply to #WordPress<\/a>\n\t\t \t<\/div>\n\t\t \t
\n\t\t \tClick To Tweet \n\t\t \t\t<\/span>\n\t\t \t<\/a>\n\t\t <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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What is a website URL?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The full term is Uniform Resource Locator<\/strong>, but most people just say just URL<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WordPress gives you a lot of control over your URLs (through permalinks<\/a> most of all).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83d\udca1 Note<\/strong>: In case you’re still at the starting point of building your website, check out this in-depth guide of ours<\/a>. We cover everything from how to register a domain name, pick a web host (we recommend Bluehost<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Your guide to understanding website URLs (3 key parts)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The protocol<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The domain name<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The path<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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    1. The protocol \ud83e\udd1d<\/h3>\n\n\n
    TL;DR:<\/span><\/div>
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    Consider the following URL:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    https://themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-a-website-url<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    https<\/code> is the protocol<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    The protocol is the first part of a URL. In most cases, it’s either http:\/\/<\/code> or https:\/\/<\/code>. You’ve seen it a million times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    The protocol tells the browser how to connect to a website’s server. It sets the rules for how data moves back and forth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    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<\/strong>. It adds encryption through an SSL<\/a> certificate, which keeps your information safe as it travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \"padlock<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    Luckily, if you run your site on WordPress, switching to HTTPS is easy. Most hosts<\/a> will give you a free SSL certificate. Then, the only thing you need to enable it is a plugin like Really Simple Security<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \ud83d\udc49 See our detailed guide<\/a> on how to enable HTTPS on your WordPress site for more info.<\/p>\n\n\n
    <\/div>\n\n\n\n
    2. The domain name \ud83c\udf10<\/h3>\n\n\n
    TL;DR:<\/span><\/div>
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    Let’s look at this post’s URL again:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    https://themeisle.com\/blog\/what-is-a-website-url<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    themeisle.com<\/code> is the domain name<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
    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<\/code>, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    A domain name has two main parts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n