How to Type in a Web Address to Go to a Specific Website

Type your web address into the address bar. The web address is often called a URL: an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator. The URL (or web address) is a reference to a specific page or "resource" amid the vast, interconnected web of the Internet. A URL has two main parts: the protocol identifier and the resource name. The protocol identifier and the resource name are separated by a colon and two forward slashes.^[1]

• Protocol identifier: The first part of the URL is called a protocol identifier. It indicates what protocol to use. For the URL http://example.com , the protocol identifier is http.
• Resource name: The second part of the URL is called a resource name. It specifies the IP address or the domain name where the resource is located. For the URL http://example.com , the resource name is example.com.

Don't bother to type out the protocol identifier unless you need to reach an encrypted site. You do not need to type the protocol unless you want to use a protocol other than the default. http:// is the default for most pages, but pages such as forms or logins should have https:// This means information is encrypted and prevents information from being intercepted.

• Your browser may not show the protocol in the url. Check for a lock icon to signify the page is a secure https:// site. Pay attention to warnings your browser may have about the page's security certificate.
• In the early days of the Internet, users needed to type the protocol identifier each time they wanted to visit a specific webpage. This is no longer necessary.

Type the subdomain: www. www is actually just the default sub domain for web pages, and need not be included in a url. However, sites may have subdomains other than www, such as video.google.com. Make sure you include the subdomain if it is part of the url.

Enter the domain name. example.com is a domain name, followed by the second-level domain, .com. This is the minimum you usually need to reach a website. Make sure you spell everything exactly right, and make sure you are using the correct second-level domain.

• Some second-level domains are reserved for specific locations or industries. For example, .ca is reserved for Canadian websites, and .gov is reserved for government websites.
• If you are entering the domain name, but the site isn't showing up, you might be trying the wrong domain. Check the spelling, and make sure that you're typing the right thing. If the page still doesn't show up, then the site might be defunct.

Enter the file path to go to a specific page on the site. If you want to go directly to a specific page on a website, you will need to enter the file path. The file path always follows a "/". The "/" in a URL represents a subdirectory within the website. Each "/" marks that you are descending one level deeper into the site. The file path is followed by the file name, and sometimes the file extension "example.com/subdirectory/filename.html".

• Most URLs do not require the file extension – it fills automatically. However, it is often necessary to include. Make sure you are entering the correct file path, as /page.php and /page.html are completely separate files

Use the computer's Copy function, if possible. You may be more likely to make a mistake when copying long chains of characters into the address box by hand. If you have access to the text of the web address, simply copy and paste it into the address bar.