Knowledge Base

What is the difference between a domain name and a URL?

URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator, a form of address that specifies the location of an object, usually a webpage or a website on the Internet. Here are some examples of URLs:
  • http://www.abc.com.my/welcome.html
  • http://abc.com.my
  • http://abc.com/welcome/index.htm
  • ftp://ftp.abc.com.my/something.gz
  • mailto:someone@abc.com.my


A URL contains three parts, i.e.
  • protocol (e.g. http, ftp, news, mailto)
  • domain name of any Internet host (e.g. www.abc.com.my, abc.com, abc.com.my)
  • path or file name (e.g. welcome.html, welcome/index.html, something.gz)


Therefore, a domain name is used in a URL. When you use the web or send an e-mail message, a domain name is used. For example,
  • the URL http://www.abc.com.my contains the domain name abc.com.my
  • the e-mail address somebody@abc.com.my contains the domain name abc.com.my

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