A website address, also known as a URL (uniform resource locator), is an Internet or intranet name that points to a location where a file, directory, or website page is hosted. Website addresses can represent the home page of a website, a script, image, photo, movie, or other file made available on a server for viewing, processing, or download. They can also be embedded into the code of web pages in the form of hyperlinks to direct the user to other locations on the Internet.
A website address begins with the protocol, a unique name, and the domain and ends with a port number. Examples of protocols used are HTTP andhttps. Next, a unique name obtained by a domain name registration service is used. The domain is listed after the unique name, and a port numberis listed or assumed at the end.
A variety of different domains exist, including but not limited to: .com, .net, .org and .gov. An example of a website address is http://www.google.com/.The web address also requires a port number in order for it to be routed correctly. If no number is listed at the end of the address the default port is used based on the protocol in the web address. In the Google example above, HTTP uses port 80 by default. The https protocol represents a secure site, and the port number assumed with https is 443.
Website addresses are entered into the address bar of an Internet browser. The browser, if connected to the Internet and configured correctly, has the ability to display the web page presented by the hosting provider. Examples of browsers include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome.