Difference Between URL and Domain Name

The main difference between URL and domain name is that URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a complete address to a specific webpage on the internet while domain name is a subsection of URL. The domain name is a unique name to identify a website.

The World Wide Web is an information space that consists of resources such as files, websites and web pages. These resources are accessible over the internet. Each of these web resources has an URL. It is a string of characters that define the location of a web page or a website. The URL mainly contains the protocol to access the page, the domain name and the name of the web page. Therefore, the domain name is a part of URL; it is a unique name to identify the website. Usually, it is easier for humans to use domain names instead of IP addresses.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is URL
      – Definition, Functionality
2. What is Domain Name
     – Definition, Functionality
3. Difference Between URL and Domain Name
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

URL, Domain, Domain Name, Internet, Uniform Resource Locator, Web Address

What is URL

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It provides the location to the resource on the web. It is what the user enters in the top of the browser when he or she wishes to visit a website. Another name for URL is the web address. URL must be unique because it should point to one specific website or a webpage. Usually, the URL has three sections. The first section is to identify what protocol to use. The second section identifies the domain name. The final section refers to the name of the web page.

An example of URL is as follows: 

http://www.pediaa.com/difference-between-router-and-switch/

Here, http stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. It is a set of rules for the browser and the computer to communicate so that they can understand each other. The www stands for World Wide Web. It refers to the web resources accessible via the internet.

Figure 1: Section of a URL

The next section which is “pediaa.com” is the domain name. It is a unique name belongs to a registered owner. It points to the homepage of the website. Finally, the rest of this URL refers to the specific web page in that website.  

What is Domain Name

The domain name is a unique name to identify a website. An individual or an organization can pay for a domain name and register it. Therefore, that user can only use that domain name for the period of registration. Later, he can renew it. If he does not continue renewing, that domain name might be assigned to some other user. Every website uses a domain name, and it points to the home page of the website. Using the domain name to access the website is quite useful than remembering the numerical IP address.

In the above-mentioned URL under the URL section, the “pediaa.com” is the domain name. The domain name includes an extension such as.com,.org. The extensions give an idea about the type of the website or the company. For example,

 .com refers to a global company

.co.uk refers to a United Kingdom company

.org is for non-profitable organizations

.gov is for government organizations.

These extensions might not always have the above meanings because it is possible to select an extension when you register the domain name.

Figure 2: Domain Name Extensions

Overall, anyone can register a domain name for their website or blog. However, as most domain names have already been registered, it is important to choose a creative domain name for the website.

Difference Between URL and Domain Name

Definition

URL, which stands for Uniform Resource Locator, is the address of a specific webpage or a website on the internet. Domain name, in contrast, is an identification string that helps to uniquely identify a specific website.

Relationship

URL is the complete web address. It also includes the name of the webpage, domain name and the protocol to access the page. The domain name is a subsection of the URL. It defines what the organization is.

Example

http://www.pediaa.com/difference-between-router-and-switch/ is an example of an URL. The section “pediaa.com” is the domain name.

Conclusion

URL and domain name are two confusing terms when referring web pages through the internet.  The basic difference between URL and domain name is that URL is a complete address to a specific webpage or a website on the internet while domain name, which is a unique name to identify a website, is a subsection of URL.

Reference:

1.“Domain Name.” Plagiarism Definition, Available here.
2.”What Is a URL?”, Steve Barley, 11 Nov. 2012, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Internet2” By Fabio Lanari – Internet1.jpg by Rock1997 modified (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “2121820” (CC0) via Pixabay