What is a URL?

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, or in other words, the web address of an online resource, i.e.
a web site or document.

Web browsers display the URL in the address bar

Every website you visit has a URL. The following URL points to this article:
https://doepud.co.uk/blog/anatomy-of-a-url.

The URL is created in one of two ways

after clicking a link in a web page, bookmark or email

by typing the URL directly into the address bar

♫The protocol's connected to the domain name and the domain name's connected to the file path... ♫

Using the URL of this article as an example, the three basic parts of a URL you should understand are the
protocol, the domain name and the path.

https://doepud.co.uk/blog/anatomy-of-a-url

And, based on the example URL from Matt Cutts' URL definitions, here's an example of a more complex-
looking URL:

http://video.google.co.uk:80/videoplay?docid=-7246927612831078230&hl=en#00h02m30s

URL anatomy explained

Protocol

The protocol declares how your web browser should communicate with a web server when sending or
fetching a web page or document. The most common protocol is http which stands for Hypertext
Transfer Protocol.
Another common protocol is https which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. You'll see this
on secure pages, like shopping sites and log in pages. If you're visiting a site where you need to enter
sensitive information, like bank details and passwords, make sure the protocol is declared as https. This
means your web browser encrypts any information you provide so it can't be understood by any
phishers who try to intercept the page during transfer.

Some protocols you're less likely to see include ftp (File Transfer Protocol) pop (Post Office Protocol),
smtp (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and imap (Internet Message Access Protocol). If you want to know
more here's a list of protocols.

Subdomain

A subdomain is a sub-division of the main domain name. For example, mail.doepud.com and
calendar.doepud.com are subdomains of the domain name doepud.com.

Domain name

A domain name is a unique reference that identifies a web site on the internet, for example
doepud.co.uk. A domain name always includes the top-level domain (TLD), which in Doepud's case is uk.
The co part is shorthand for commercial and combined .co.uk is called a second-level domain (SLD).

Port

The port number is rarely visible in URLs but always required. When declared in a URL it comes right
after the TLD, separated by a colon. When it's not declared and in most cases where the protocol is http,
port 80 is used. For https (secure) requests port 443 is used.

Read more about port numbers in URLs.

Path

The path typically refers to a file or directory on the web server, e.g. /directory/file.php.

Sometimes the file name won't be specified, e.g. https://doepud.co.uk/blog/ so a web browser will
automatically look inside the /blog/ folder for a file called index or default. If neither can be found, a 404
Not Found error will usually be returned by the server.

Query

A query is commonly found in the URL of dynamic pages (ones which are generated from database or
user-generated content) and is represented by a question mark followed by one or more parameters.
The query directly follows the domain name, path or port number.

For example, have a look at this URL which was generated by Google when doing a search for the word
URL:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=url&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-
GB:official&client=firefox-a.

The query part is

?q=url&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a.

Parameters

Parameters are snippets of information found in the query string of a URL. With reference to the Google
query above, the parameters follow the question mark and are separated by an ampersand (&)
character so they can be understood individually and used to display content on that page. The
parameters are:

q=url

ie=utf-8

oe=utf-8

aq=t

rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official

client=firefox-a

Fragment

A fragment is an internal page reference, sometimes called a named anchor. It usually appears at the
end of a URL and begins with a hash (#) character followed by an identifier. It refers to a section within a
web page.

Internet Components

The Internet components most Internet users are familiar with are e-mail, the web, and web access. But
if you are considering setting up a web site for your business and/or becoming your own web master
there are other Internet components to consider. What follows is a list of all of the most common
components of the Internet.

Access - To interact directly with the Internet requires some form of access or connectivity to the
Internet.
Chat - IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is used for live discussions on the Internet.

Ecommerce - Taking orders for products and services on the Internet.

E-mail - Exchanging electronic letters, messages, and small files.

FTP - File Transfer Protocol is the most common method of transferring files between computers via the
Internet.

Hosting - Making information available to others on the Internet.

Mailing Lists - E-mail messages forwarded to everyone on a special interest list.

Search Engines - These tools are really a part of the World Wide Web and are often used when looking
for information because the Web has grown so large and is without any inherent organizational
structure.

Telnet - Creation of a dumb terminal session to a host computer in order to run software applications on
the host system.

Usenet - Newsgroups for receiving news and sending out announcements.

World Wide Web - This is largest, fastest growing, part of the Internet, the part for which Internet
browsers like Netscape’s Navigator and Microsoft’s Explorer were designed. Business is the leading
factor fueling the rapid growth of the Web making information, advertising, and product ordering
readily available to everyone with Web access.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is the most popular browser that people use today. The main reason for this is its speed.
It’s a fast browser. It opens quickly and loads multiple tabs and pages in just one click. It’s probably the
fastest browser available today. If you’re tired of waiting for your browser to open after clicking on its
icon, you should switch to Chrome.

Another reason for using Chrome is its simplicity. It combines the address bar and Google search bar in
one omnibox and lets the users have an easy experience. Apart from these advantages, it is also easily
customizable and comes with a range of apps and themes. You can add different extensions to increase
productivity.

And you can sign into Chrome using your Google account and your data will be synced across all your
Google devices. All these features make Chrome the number one choice for many people. However,
since it needs a lot of memory to run and it’s Google-based, many people prefer not to use Chrome.

2. Mozilla Firefox

Firefox was slower than Chrome. And this is why it stayed the second choice for many people. But that
was several versions ago. The new Firefox is faster and smoother. If you don’t like Chrome because it’s a
Google based product, you can switch to Firefox.

The new Firefox consumes less RAM than Chrome and is faster than its previous versions. But there’s
one problem with Firefox – it drains battery very quickly. So if you’re on a laptop, watching HD videos,
it’s best to use Edge instead of Firefox because Firefox will eat up that battery in no time.

If you’re a Chrome user who’s tired of Chrome trying to incorporate all types of features, you’ll find
Firefox refreshing. Chrome has lately been adding so many features that it doesn’t seem like a browser
anymore. It’s more like an all-inclusive app that offers several features and browsing is just one of them.
Firefox, on the other hand, is a dedicated browser.

Also, when it comes to privacy, Firefox is better than Chrome. While there are more privacy based
browsers (such as Kingpin) that are better than Firefox and Chrome, if you must make a choice between
the top two, you should go with Firefox.

3. Opera
Opera is another popular name in the browser industry. While it has several attractive features (such as
an inbuilt adblocker), it generally stays behind the two most popular browsers. But this shouldn’t mean
you shouldn’t try Opera.

While Chrome and Firefox allow users to have a number of third party extensions, Opera has its own
range of extensions that users might want to check out. Opera supports several major apps like
Facebook messenger and Whatsapp.

Opera can be synced across multiple devices. It allows you to customize the browser but there aren’t
many options. There is a dark mode and some themes. The customization options are far less than
Firefox and Chrome.

Some features of Opera include a news reader that lets you access daily news direct from the browser.
All these features are inbuilt into Opera, unlike Firefox and Chrome that use third party software for
these applications. There’s also a snapshot tool that lets you take a screenshot of any page you’re
viewing.

4. Apple Safari

Safari is a simple and clean browser with several features that make it a popular choice. It offers all the
basic functionalities – the ability to open multiple tabs, easy bookmarking, fast speeds, and a plugin
library.

While Safari is mostly used on Mac, it can also be used on a PC. But on PC, Safari will be like just another
browser. However, if you use Mac and iPhones, you’ll love the cross-platform compatibility that it offers.
You’ll be able to integrate your data across multiple platforms if you use Safari.

Also, Safari supports iCloud Keychain that will let you access passwords that you’ve saved on your Apple
devices. As a PC user, you might not find a lot of practical uses of Safari. But if you have Apple devices,
this will be your number one choice.

One con of Safari is that since it’s made by Apple, it lacks openness. And thus, there are fewer
customization options available.
These were the common browsers that most people use. But as users become aware of the importance
of their online privacy, they have started preferring private browsers that keep their data secure. Let’s
check out some top private browsers.

5. Kingpin browser

Kingpin is a relatively new name in the market but it’s fast gaining popularity, thanks to its no-data-
stored approach. It is just like one of the top browsers with all the features. Except that it always works
incognito.

While the incognito mode is available in all browsers, there’s always an isolated incident when you
forget to open the incognito window and browse in a normal window instead. And thus your browsing
gets exposed.

With Kingpin, the incognito mode is always turned on along with the adblocker. So whatever you do on
this browser isn’t leaked to anyone. It doesn’t record your history, passwords, cookies, or anything else.

It also lets you lock your activity by entering a 4-digit PIN so if someone else accesses your device, they
won’t be able to see your browsing.

6. Tor browser

Tor is undoubtedly the most secure browser. However, it’s not easy to use Tor. It operates slowly and
has many limitations. But on the plus side, it doesn’t store history and it changes your IP as well. If slow
speeds don’t deter you from activities, you can use Tor.

You might think Tor might speed up in the future. But that’s not really possible. The reason why Tor is
slow is that it skips data over many nodes so your real IP stays hidden. That’s why people love it. to
increase the speed, the data will travel directly from the home node to destination, killing the entire
purpose of Tor.
This means Tor is going to be slow. But if slow speeds aren’t your arch nemesis, this can be a good
browser for you.

7. Iridium browser

Iridium is a secure browser that’s also fast and renders websites very quickly. It’s based on Chromium
but unlike Chromium, Iridium doesn’t call back home to Google. Also, Iridium is very easy to use. While
Tor can be a bit complicated for an average user, Iridium is very simple and basic and can be used even
by newbies.

If you’re looking for privacy and security, you might want to choose a browser like Kingpin or Iridium
that is privacy-centric and also offers fast speeds. There’s not much of the browser if the loading times
are very slow.

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer (IE) is a product from software giant Microsoft. This is the most commonly used
browser in the universe. This was introduced in 1995 along with Windows 95 launch and it has passed
Netscape popularity in 1998.

You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Internet Explorer

Internet ExplorerGoogle Chrome

This web browser is developed by Google and its beta version was first released on September 2, 2008
for Microsoft Windows. Today, chrome is known to be one of the most popular web browser with its
global share of more than 50%.

You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Google Chrome

Internet ExplorerMozilla Firefox

Firefox is a new browser derived from Mozilla. It was released in 2004 and has grown to be the second
most popular browser on the Internet.
You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Firefox

Safari BrowserSafari

Safari is a web browser developed by Apple Inc. and included in Mac OS X. It was first released as a
public beta in January 2003. Safari has very good support for latest technologies like XHTML, CSS2 etc.

You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Safari

Opera BrowserOpera

Opera is smaller and faster than most other browsers, yet it is full- featured. Fast, user-friendly, with
keyboard interface, multiple windows, zoom functions, and more. Java and non Java-enabled versions
available. Ideal for newcomers to the Internet, school children, handicap and as a front-end for CD-Rom
and kiosks.

You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Opera

Konqueror BrowserKonqueror

Konqueror is an Open Source web browser with HTML 4.01 compliance, supporting Java applets,
JavaScript, CSS 1, CSS 2.1, as well as Netscape plugins. This works as a file manager as well as it supports
basic file management on local UNIX filesystems, from simple cut/copy and paste operations to
advanced remote and local network file browsing.

You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Konqueror

Lynx BrowserLynx

Lynx is a fully-featured World Wide Web browser for users on Unix, VMS, and other platforms running
cursor-addressable, character-cell terminals or emulators.

You can download a latest version of this browser by clicking here → Download Lynx