URL is the abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator and is an address referring to a document on the Internet. In other words, it is the address of an individual web page element or web document on the Internet. The syntax of a URL consists of three elements:

• the protocol, or the communication language, that the URL uses;
  
• the domain name, or the exclusive name that identifies a web site; and
  
• the path name of the file to be retrieved, usually an HTML document.
  

Most newbies mistakenly believe a URL is the same as a domain name or home page. Every web document and web graphic image on a web site has a URL.

For example, the URL for a home page is commonly written as:

http://www.companyname.com/index.html

• The http:// is the protocol.
  
• The www.companyname.com is the domain name.
  
• The index.html is the path name.
  
  The URL for an About Us page is commonly written as:

http://www.companyname.com/about.html

• The http:// is the protocol.
  
• The www.companyname.com is the domain name.
  
• The about.html is the path name.

Abbreviation for Unique Selling Proposition.