When you prepare a personal site or small project for the first time, the address bar string can look like a single unbroken sequence of characters. Separating that string into its component parts helps you describe your site clearly, spot typos early, and communicate the address to collaborators without confusion.
What Domain Names and URLs Each Answer
Imagine you are setting up a small project site and a friend asks two different questions: “Where does your site live on the internet?” and “How do I reach a specific page on that site?” The first question points to a domain name. The second points to a full URL. A domain name is a human-readable address for a web server available on the internet. It exists so that people do not need to memorize numeric IP addresses, which computers handle easily but humans find difficult to recall. A URL, short for Uniform Resource Locator, is the address of a unique resource on the internet and is one of the key mechanisms browsers use to retrieve published resources such as HTML pages, images, and documents.12
In our hypothetical scenario, the project lives at example.org. That is the domain name. When you want to point someone to one particular page on that project, you need a complete URL that includes the domain plus additional parts telling the browser exactly which resource to load. The distinction matters because the domain alone only identifies the server, while the full URL identifies a specific resource on that server.12
For the rest of this article we will work with a single hypothetical address: https://example.org/notes/first-page?view=compact#intro. This string does not point to a real page that exists or has been published. It is a constructed example used purely to practice reading and labeling each component of a website address.
Labeling Each Part of the Example Address
The example address https://example.org/notes/first-page?view=compact#intro contains five distinct parts. The scheme is https, which indicates the protocol the browser must use to request the resource. The domain is example.org, which tells the browser which web server to contact. The path is /notes/first-page, which identifies a specific resource on that server. The query is view=compact, introduced by the question mark character. The fragment is intro, introduced by the hash character.2
The question mark acts as a boundary between the path and the query. Everything after the question mark and before any hash sign belongs to the query portion. The hash sign, sometimes called the number sign or pound sign, marks the beginning of the fragment. The fragment is never sent to the server with the request; it gives the browser directions to show content at a bookmarked spot within the resource itself.2
A useful way to remember the order is: scheme, then domain, then path, then query, then fragment. Not every URL contains all five parts. Some URLs end after the path, and some omit the query entirely. But when all five appear together, as in our example, reading them left to right in this order will always produce the correct breakdown.2
Comparing Paths and Queries on the Same Host
Now keep the host portion of our example fixed at example.org and vary only the path and query. Consider three hypothetical addresses: https://example.org/notes/first-page, https://example.org/notes/second-page, and https://example.org/notes/first-page?view=full. The first two share the same scheme, domain, and directory segment /notes/ but differ in the final path segment. The third shares the same path as the first but carries a different query value. Each of these strings is distinct, and a browser would treat them as separate requests.
Notice that changing the path segment from first-page to second-page alters which resource the URL points to, at least as far as the string is concerned. Changing the query from view=compact to view=full does not change the path at all; it only changes the extra parameters provided alongside the request. We are describing what the strings look like and how they differ structurally. We are not making claims about what any particular server would do with these strings, because server behavior depends on how the site is built.
This distinction between path changes and query changes is worth keeping in mind when you plan your own project pages. Paths typically name the page or resource you want, while query parameters typically add optional instructions or filters. Recording both separately on your reference card, as we will do next, makes it easier to spot errors later.
Building an Address Reference Card
Write down a short reference card for your hypothetical project. The card should contain four fields: a one-sentence purpose statement, the complete address string, a labeled breakdown of each part, and a note about whether the address is real or hypothetical. For our example, the purpose might read: “A practice address used to learn URL structure before launching a real project site.” The complete address is https://example.org/notes/first-page?view=compact#intro. The breakdown lists scheme as https, domain as example.org, path as /notes/first-page, query as view=compact, and fragment as intro. The note states that this is a constructed example, not a live page.
Record the card in a plain text file or a simple note-taking tool. Plain text avoids formatting surprises when you later copy the address into a browser, a document, or a message to a collaborator. Keep the card in a location you will revisit, such as a project folder or a dedicated notes section, so that it is easy to find when you need to double-check a link.
If your project will eventually have more than one page, plan to add one card per address rather than cramming everything into a single paragraph. Each card stays focused on one URL, which reduces the chance of mixing up paths or query values when you review them later.
Verifying the Card by Copying and Labeling
Before you rely on any address card, check it against the original string character by character. The steps below are author suggestions based on ordinary proofreading practice, not requirements from any specification or source document.
Check that the scheme, domain, path, query, and fragment labels on your card match the boundaries in the actual string. If any label is off by even one character, correct it immediately and re-read the full address from the beginning.
These steps take only a few minutes but can prevent the kind of small typo that causes confusion when you share the address with someone else or paste it into a different tool.
Step 1
Copy the complete address string from your card into a blank line of text, preserving every character exactly as written.
Step 2
Place a vertical bar or slash mark after the scheme, after the domain, after the path, and after the query, so that each segment is visually separated.
Step 3
Read each labeled segment aloud and compare it to the corresponding field on your reference card. If a segment does not match, edit the card and repeat from the first step.
Keeping the Reference for Future Use
Once your card passes the verification steps, keep it alongside your other project notes. You may find it useful when writing documentation, drafting a message to a collaborator, or simply reminding yourself how your site addresses are structured. The card format makes it straightforward to copy just the domain when you need it, or to copy the full URL when someone asks for a direct link to a specific page.
Choose a storage location that matches how you already organize project files. Some people prefer a single text file with all address cards listed sequentially. Others keep one card per file inside a dedicated folder. Either approach works as long as you can find the card quickly when you need it. The important thing is consistency: use the same format for every card so that scanning them later feels familiar.
When your project moves from hypothetical planning to a real launch, you can create new cards using the same structure and replace the example domain with your actual domain. The labeling method stays the same because the parts of a URL do not change regardless of which domain you use. Your earlier practice with example.org gives you a reliable template for that transition.
Frequently asked questions
Is the fragment part of a URL sent to the web server?
No. The fragment, which appears after the hash sign, is never sent to the server with the request. It gives the browser directions to display content at a specific spot within the resource.2
Do I need to include all five parts every time I write a URL?
No. Not every URL contains all five parts. Some addresses end after the path or omit the query entirely. The full set of scheme, domain, path, query, and fragment only appears when all are needed to identify the exact resource and location within it.2
What is the difference between a domain name and a URL?
A domain name identifies a web server with a human-readable address. A URL is the complete address of a specific resource and includes the domain plus additional parts such as the scheme, path, query, and fragment that tell the browser exactly what to retrieve.12