Web address anatomy
Domain name vs URL: the difference in one example
Reviewed 10 September 2026 · 5-minute read
A domain name is one component of a URL. In https://shop.example.com/products?id=7#details, the hostname is shop.example.com, the domain is under example.com, and the URL also contains a scheme, path, query and fragment.
URL anatomy
| Part | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Scheme | https | Selects the protocol/handler |
| Hostname | shop.example.com | Identifies the network host through DNS |
| Port | :443 | Optional network service port |
| Path | /products | Identifies a resource within the origin |
| Query | ?id=7 | Passes named parameters to the resource |
| Fragment | #details | Identifies a client-side part; it is not sent in the HTTP request |
Domain, host and origin are not synonyms
A hostname can include subdomains. A web origin is the combination of scheme, hostname and port, so https://example.com and http://example.com are different origins. Browser cookie, CORS, storage and content-security rules rely on these exact boundaries.
Read URLs safely
- Find the hostname after
://and before the next slash, question mark or hash. - Read hostname labels from right to left; text in the path does not change the site you are visiting.
- Be cautious with lookalike Unicode characters, unexpected subdomains and shortened links.
- HTTPS secures the connection to that hostname; it does not certify the operator's intentions.
- Do not paste credentials or secret tokens into third-party URL-analysis tools.
Which value should you check in SeekDom?
Enter the complete registrable domain you may buy, such as example.com, not an entire tracking URL or subordinate hostname. SeekDom accepts an HTTP(S) URL for convenience and extracts its hostname, but registration services do not tell you whether a web path exists.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a domain and a URL?
A domain is a DNS name such as example.com. A URL identifies a resource and can contain a scheme, hostname, port, path, query and fragment, such as https://example.com/docs?id=7#start.
Is www part of the domain name?
In www.example.com, www is a subdomain label and example.com is the commonly registrable domain. The exact registrable boundary depends on registry/public-suffix policy.
Does HTTPS mean a website is trustworthy?
No. HTTPS protects the connection to the hostname shown by the browser, but a malicious site can also use HTTPS. Check the actual hostname, not just the padlock or text in the path.