The terms URI and URL are often used interchangeably, but they are not exactly the same. A URL is a specific type of URI that provides a location / method of access.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is usually defined as a string leading to an address. This is a very commonly used way to locate resources on the web. It provides a way to retrieve the physical location, by describing the network location or primary access mechanism.
The protocol described in the URL is used to retrieve the resource and the resource name. The URL contains http / https at the top if it's a web-type resource. Similarly, the URL will start with ftp if the resource is a file and with mailto if the resource is an email address.
The syntax of a URL is shown below where the main body is used for the protocol and the remainder is used for the resource, including the site name or program name.
Here, the domain name describes the server (web service) and the program name (path to the directory and file on the server).
URI (Uniform Resource Identifier)
Similar to a URL, a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) is also a string of characters that identifies a resource on the web using the location, name, or both of these elements. It allows for uniform identification of resources.
The URI is also grouped as a locator, name, or both of these (suggesting it can describe a URL, URN, or both). The word 'identifier' in the URI refers to resources, regardless of the technique used.
The "UR" part of the URI is the same as in the URL, where a protocol is used to specify the method to access the resource and the name of the resource is further covered in the URL. URLs can be a type of URI that is not persistent. URN (Uniform Resource Name) needs to be unique and global.
Picture 1 of The difference between the URL and the URI
URL is a "subset" of the URI
The difference between the URL and the URI
URL
URL is used to describe an item's characteristics.
URLs that link a website, a component of the website or a program on a web page with the help of accessing methods such as protocols.
The URL provides detailed information about the type of protocol to be used.
URL is a type of URI.
URI
The URI provides a technique for identifying an item's identity.
The URI is used to distinguish one resource from another regardless of the method used.
The URI does not contain a protocol specification.