Short for URL, a Uniform Resource Locator is a way to identify the location of a file on the Internet. They are what we use to not only open websites, but also to download images, videos, software programs, and other types of files hosted on a server.
What is a URL? URL Components and How It Works
Opening a local file on your computer is as simple as double-clicking on it, but to open files on remote computers, such as web servers, we need to use URLs so that our web browser knows where to look. For example, opening the HTML file that represents the web page explained below is done by entering it into the navigation bar at the top of the browser you are using.
Uniform Resource Locators are commonly abbreviated as URLs, but they are also referred to as website addresses when referring to URLs using the HTTP or HTTPS protocol.
URL is usually pronounced with each letter separately (i.e. u – r – l, not earl). It was an abbreviation for Universal Resource Locator before it was changed to Uniform Resource Locator in 1994.
