URL vs Domain Name: What Is the Difference?

Prices checked Oct 30, 2026Updated Oct 31, 2026

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The parts of a URL

Take this URL:

https://www.example.com:443/blog/post-title/?ref=newsletter#comments

Part In the example What it does
Scheme https How to connect. HTTPS is encrypted HTTP.
Subdomain www An optional name in front of the domain.
Domain name example.com The registered name of the site.
Top-level domain (TLD) .com The last part of the domain.
Port 443 Usually hidden; 443 is the default for HTTPS.
Path /blog/post-title/ Which page or file on the site.
Query string ?ref=newsletter Extra parameters, often for tracking or search.
Fragment #comments A position within the page. Never sent to the server.

Domain names explained

A domain name is something you register (rent, really) from a registrar for a year or more at a time. It is unique on the internet. Domains are read right to left:

  • Top-level domain (TLD): .com, .net, .org, or country codes such as .uk.
  • Second-level domain: the name you choose, such as findnchoose.
  • Subdomains: anything in front, such as www, blog or shop. You create these yourself in DNS at no extra cost.

How a domain points to a website: DNS

Computers connect by IP address, not by name. The Domain Name System (DNS) translates the name into an address. The records you will meet most:

  • A and AAAA records point a name to an IPv4 or IPv6 address, for example a VPS.
  • CNAME records point a name to another name, often used for www or a CDN.
  • MX records say which servers receive email for the domain.
  • TXT records hold verification codes and email security settings such as SPF and DMARC.

Because web and email records are separate, you can move a website to a new server by changing its A and AAAA records while leaving email untouched. That is how we moved this site to its own VPS.

Is a website address a URL or a domain?

Both, depending on how much you write. “findnchoose.com” on a business card is a domain name. “https://findnchoose.com/” in your browser’s address bar is a URL. People use the terms interchangeably in conversation, and that is fine. The difference matters when a form asks for one or the other: a “domain” field usually wants just example.com, without https:// or a path.

Domain name vs website vs hosting

  • The domain is the name.
  • The hosting is the server where your site’s files and database live.
  • The website is what visitors see, served by the hosting when they visit the domain.

You can buy them from the same company or from different ones. Many hosting plans include a free domain for the first year; after that, it renews at the registrar’s normal price. See hosting renewal prices.

How to choose a good domain name

  1. Keep it short, easy to spell and easy to say out loud.
  2. Prefer .com if it is available; otherwise choose a TLD that fits your audience.
  3. Avoid hyphens and numbers that people will forget.
  4. Check that the name is not someone else’s trademark.
  5. Register it for more than a year if you plan to keep it, and turn on auto-renew so it never lapses.

You may also see the term URI (uniform resource identifier). A URI is any string that identifies a resource; a URL is a URI that also tells you where to find it and how to retrieve it. Every web address you type into a browser is a URL, so for websites the two are effectively the same thing.

A link (hyperlink) is a clickable element in a page that points to a URL. The text you click is the anchor text; the URL is where it goes.

Absolute vs relative URLs

  • An absolute URL includes everything: https://findnchoose.com/tools/. Use it in emails, social posts and anywhere outside your site.
  • A root-relative URL starts with a slash: /tools/. The browser fills in the current domain. Handy inside your own site, because links keep working if the domain changes.
  • A relative URL has no leading slash, such as pricing/, and is resolved from the current page’s folder. It is easy to get wrong, so most sites avoid it.

Common URL and domain mistakes

  • Letting the domain expire. Turn on auto-renew and keep the registrar’s contact email current. An expired domain takes your site and email offline, and someone else can register it.
  • Serving the same site on several addresses. Pick one of http/https and www/non-www, and redirect the rest.
  • Changing URLs without redirects. Old links and search results then lead to errors.
  • Deleting DNS records you do not recognize. MX and TXT records often belong to your email or verification services. When we moved this site to a new server, we changed only the web records and left email records untouched.
  • Using uppercase, spaces or dates in paths that will look out of date later.

URLs and SEO

Clean, readable URLs help visitors and search engines understand a page. Use short paths with words, not IDs: /url-vs-domain/ is better than /?p=123. Pick one version of your site (with or without www, always HTTPS) and redirect the others to it. If you change a URL, add a permanent (301) redirect from the old one.

Frequently asked questions


Is a URL the same as a domain name?

No. The domain name is one part of a URL. A URL adds the scheme (such as https), and usually a path to a specific page.


Is www part of the domain name?

Technically, www is a subdomain. Most sites make the www and non-www versions show the same site and redirect one to the other.


Can I have a website without a domain?

Yes, you can reach a server by its IP address or a free subdomain from your host, but a domain is easier to remember and looks more trustworthy.


What is the difference between a domain and a subdomain?

A subdomain is a name in front of your domain, such as blog.example.com. You create subdomains in your DNS settings for free; the domain itself is what you register.



Sources

  1. MDN Web Docs: What is a URL?
  2. MDN Web Docs: What is a domain name?
  3. ICANN beginner&#8217
  4. s guides

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