Internet terms and lingo can be tricky to keep track of, especially as they rapidly evolve and change. Even some of the simplest terms and words that we use every day can stump us when we stop and think about what they actually mean. Case in point: What does URL stand for? And is it the same as a link? Read on, and we’ll unpack it all together.

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What is a URL?

You may already know that a URL is another way of saying “web address.” We all go to web addresses every day as we shop online, read the news or scroll our social media accounts.

But you may not have considered the true meaning behind the term URL and how it applies to navigating the web. In other words, how does a URL work? Just like a real-world street address, a web address identifies the “location” of a certain “place” on the Internet. And it’s not just websites that URLs point to; URLs can also identify things like PDFs, images and more.

What does URL stand for?

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. But that doesn’t entirely clear things up, does it? Let’s start from the beginning. What does Uniform Resource Locator mean? In the simplest terms, the website is the “resource,” and the URL, acting as the “locator,” helps identify and guide you to the resource.

But wait, there’s another answer to “What does URL stand for?” Some sources say the U means Universal rather than Uniform. Universal Resource Locator was the original name, before the creators switched it to Uniform in 1994, though you might still hear Universal used occasionally. 

Are URLs and links the same thing?

No, they’re not the same, though people sometimes use the two interchangeably. A link can be described as a shorter version of a URL: If you click on a link, it takes you to a URL, but the link itself does not have to be the entire URL or exactly the same as the URL. For example, a link might just say “Click here,” but “Click here” is not the URL.

This distinction is important because links can be fake or misleading; in fact, that’s one of the simplest tricks online scammers use to make you think you’re going to a trusted website. But if you hold your cursor over a link, the URL should appear, showing you where the link will actually take you. Keep an eye out for extra words, symbols or numbers in a URL—in short, anything that looks jumbled or irrelevant—as these can be signs that a URL is trying to lure you to a scam site. And be aware of shortened links, often used in social media posts for the sake of space. They might be just fine, but they can also be masks for a suspicious link. 

So where does HTTP come from?

Macro Shot Of Computer Screen With Http Address Bar
hayatikayhan/Getty Images

Now that we’ve solved the mystery behind one set of web address letters, you might be wondering, If URL is so important, why don’t we see it written inside web addresses, the way we see www and HTTP? 

Well, a URL is made up of several parts, one of which is the Hypertext Transfer Protocol—that’s where we get HTTP. This protocol is basically the “request” that allows the browser to communicate with the server. The next letters, the subdomain, are actually not always www, for World Wide Web; for example, maps.google.com has no www.

After that comes the distinctive part of the URL, the website name. You know, the part that is actual words, like the name of the company or social media site. And then comes the designator, like .net or .com. After the designator, there may be some more text indicating the “path” to the specific location on that website, like a certain article, video or page.

So, those other letters, like HTTP, are parts of a URL, but they stand for their own separate things. And we’re back to where we started: Internet lingo is complicated! Be assured that it’s not important to keep every term straight—though ideally you’re not making any of the common computer mistakes tech experts warn against, like downloading “free” stuff without first finding out if it’s legit.

Now that you know what URL stands for and the meaning of URL in a web address, do all URLs have to start with www? No, they don’t! While www was very common at one time, modern websites don’t use it at all. For example, URLs like store.apple.com skip the www altogether.

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Meghan Jones
Meghan Jones is a word nerd who has been writing for RD.com since 2017. You can find her byline on pieces about grammar, fun facts, the meanings of various head-scratching words and phrases, and more. Meghan graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 2017; her creative nonfiction piece “Anticipation” was published in th...
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Meghan Jones