# How to read a URL

A URL has five parts (protocol, domain name, port, path and query string), and each one tells the web server something about the request.

Novice · Web Development · Updated October 29, 2026

A web address is a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). The URL of a web page consists of different parts, each of which is an important piece of communication with the web server.

![Parts of a URL](https://fsdtrainingmedia.blob.core.windows.net/public/images/2026/09/bffdfe5c66454c40b4c3f2b681329d48.png "Parts of a URL")

- **Protocol:** how the request is sent (`https` means it is encrypted)
- **Domain name:** the address of the server where the website is hosted
- **Port:** the port (extension) of the web application on the server
- **Path:** the path to the requested resource. It may be a real folder structure or a virtual path
- **Query string:** extra information sent with the request, usually search values. It starts after the `?`

## Key terms

- [URL](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/url)
- [HTTP](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/http)
- [HTTPS](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/https)
- [Query String](https://www.ask-codey.com/glossary/query-string)

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/lessons/network-communication-how-to-read-a-url