Link vs. URL: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Published on February 28, 2024
A link is a reference or connection to data that a user can follow, typically presented as text or a button, while a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a specific address for a resource on the internet.
Key Differences
A Link is an element in a digital document that connects to another data point, which can be text, an image, or any other HTML element. It's a navigational tool. A URL, on the other hand, is the specific address where a resource can be found on the internet, like the address of a specific webpage.
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Feb 28, 2024
Links can be embedded in various formats, such as text or images, and are used to navigate between resources on the web. They are user-friendly and often provide contextual information. URLs are the technical web addresses that specify the location of a resource, following a standard format including protocol, domain, and path.
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Feb 28, 2024
In a webpage, a Link is typically an HTML element, labeled with an anchor tag, that users interact with. It can lead to a URL, but also to other elements within a document. URLs are the destination or the resource that the link points to, not necessarily limited to web pages, but also to files, images, etc.
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Feb 28, 2024
Links can be both internal, leading to a section within the same document, or external, leading to a different document or site. They enhance user experience and navigation. URLs define the web address of these documents or sites and are used by browsers to retrieve the resource.
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Feb 28, 2024
Links serve as the connective tissue of the web, creating a user-friendly and interconnected experience. They can be styled and named in various ways for ease of use. URLs provide the technical backbone, ensuring each resource has a unique and accessible web address.
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Feb 28, 2024
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Connection or reference in a document
Specific address for a resource on the internet
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Format
Can be text, image, button, etc.
Standardized format (protocol, domain, path)
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Purpose
Navigation, contextual connection
Identification, location of a resource
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Types
Internal (same document) or external
Can represent web pages, files, images
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Link and URL Definitions
Link
A hyperlink in a document for navigation.
Click this link to visit our homepage.
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URL
A locator for files on the internet.
Find the image at its URL: http://www.example.com/image.jpg.
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Link
A relationship or connection between things.
There's a strong link between diet and health.
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URL
Web address for locating internet resources.
Visit our website at http://www.example.com.
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Link
A single element in a communication network.
This network link is currently down.
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URL
A string used to access web pages.
Type the URL in your browser to access the page.
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Link
A shortcut to a program or file on a computer.
I created a desktop link to my favorite game.
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URL
Standardized format for internet addresses.
Each webpage has a unique URL.
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Link
A unit in a connected series of units
Links of sausage.
One link in a molecular chain.
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URL
An internet address (for example, http://www.hmhco.com/about-hmh), usually consisting of the access protocol (http), the domain name (hmhco.com), and optionally the path to a file or resource residing on the server where the domain name resides (about-hmh).
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Link
A connecting element; a tie or bond
Grandparents, our link with the past.
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Link
An association; a relationship
The Alumnae Association is my link to the school's present administration.
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Link
A causal, parallel, or reciprocal relationship; a correlation
Researchers have detected a link between smoking and heart disease.
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Link
A unit of length used in surveying, equal to 0.01 chain, 7.92 inches, or about 20.12 centimeters.
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Link
(Computers)A graphical item or segment of text in a webpage or other electronic document that, when clicked, causes another webpage or section of the same webpage to be displayed
That newspaper's homepage includes links to numerous government resources. Also called hotlink, hyperlink.
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Link
To put together physically, as with links
Linked the rings to form a chain.
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Link
To make or have a link to (another webpage or electronic document)
The blog links important news stories from across the web.
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Link
To make a link in (a webpage or electronic document)
The teacher linked the class website to an online map.
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Link
To be or become joined together physically
The molecules linked to form a polymer.
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Link
To be or become connected, related, or associated
Their business has linked up with ours.
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Link
To make or have a link to a webpage or electronic document
The shocking news story was linked to by many blogs. The article linked to photos of the damage.
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Link
To follow a link in a webpage or electronic document
With a click of the mouse, I linked to the museum's website.
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Link
A connection between places, people, events, things, or ideas.
The mayor’s assistant serves as the link to the media.
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Link
One element of a chain or other connected series.
The third link of the silver chain needs to be resoldered.
The weakest link.
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Link
Abbreviation of hyperlink
The link on the page points to the sports scores.
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Link
(computing) The connection between buses or systems.
A by-N-link is composed of N lanes.
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Link
(Sussex) a thin wild bank of land splitting two cultivated patches and often linking two hills.
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Link
(kinematics) Any one of the several elementary pieces of a mechanism, such as the fixed frame, or a rod, wheel, mass of confined liquid, etc., by which relative motion of other parts is produced and constrained.
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Link
(engineering) Any intermediate rod or piece for transmitting force or motion, especially a short connecting rod with a bearing at each end; specifically (in steam engines) the slotted bar, or connecting piece, to the opposite ends of which the eccentric rods are jointed, and by means of which the movement of the valve is varied, in a link motion.
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Jan 17, 2024
Link
(surveying) The length of one joint of Gunter's chain, being the hundredth part of it, or 7.92 inches, the chain being 66 feet in length.
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Link
(chemistry) A bond of affinity, or a unit of valence between atoms; applied to a unit of chemical force or attraction.
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Link
(in the plural) The windings of a river; the land along a winding stream.
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Link
To contain a hyperlink to another page.
My homepage links to my wife's.
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Link
To supply (somebody) with a hyperlink; to direct by means of a link.
Haven't you seen his Web site? I'll link you to it.
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Link
To post a hyperlink to.
Stop linking those unfunny comics all the time!
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Link
(compilation) To combine objects generated by a compiler into a single executable.
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Link
Hence: Anything, whether material or not, which binds together, or connects, separate things; a part of a connected series; a tie; a bond.
The link of brotherhood, by whichOne common Maker bound me to the kind.
And so by double links enchained themselves in lover's life.
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Link
Any one of the several elementary pieces of a mechanism, as the fixed frame, or a rod, wheel, mass of confined liquid, etc., by which relative motion of other parts is produced and constrained.
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Jan 17, 2024
Link
Any intermediate rod or piece for transmitting force or motion, especially a short connecting rod with a bearing at each end; specifically (Steam Engine), the slotted bar, or connecting piece, to the opposite ends of which the eccentric rods are jointed, and by means of which the movement of the valve is varied, in a link motion.
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Jan 17, 2024
Link
A bond of affinity, or a unit of valence between atoms; - applied to a unit of chemical force or attraction.
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Link
A hill or ridge, as a sand hill, or a wooded or turfy bank between cultivated fields, etc.
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Link
A winding of a river; also, the ground along such a winding; a meander; - usually in pl.
The windings or "links" of the Forth above and below Stirling are extremely tortuous.
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Link
Sand hills with the surrounding level or undulating land, such as occur along the seashore, a river bank, etc.
Golf may be played on any park or common, but its original home is the "links" or common land which is found by the seashore, where the short close tuft, the sandy subsoil, and the many natural obstacles in the shape of bents, whins, sand holes, and banks, supply the conditions which are essential to the proper pursuit of the game.
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Link
To connect or unite with a link or as with a link; to join; to attach; to unite; to couple.
All the tribes and nations that composed it [the Roman Empire] were linked together, not only by the same laws and the same government, but by all the facilities of commodious intercourse, and of frequent communication.
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Link
A fastener that serves to join or link;
The walls are held together with metal links placed in the wet mortar during construction
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Link
The state of being connected;
The connection between church and state is inescapable
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Link
(computing) an instruction that connects one part of a program or an element on a list to another program or list
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Link
A channel for communication between groups;
He provided a liaison with the guerrillas
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Link
A two-way radio communication system (usually microwave); part of a more extensive telecommunication network
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Link
An interconnecting circuit between two or more locations for the purpose of transmitting and receiving data
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Link
Make a logical or causal connection;
I cannot connect these two pieces of evidence in my mind
Colligate these facts
I cannot relate these events at all
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Link
Connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces;
Can you connect the two loudspeakers?
Tie the ropes together
Link arms
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Link
Be or become joined or united or linked;
The two streets connect to become a highway
Our paths joined
The travelers linked up again at the airport
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
What is a link?
A link is a reference in a document that users can click to navigate to a different location or resource.
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Feb 28, 2024
Can a link and a URL be the same?
A link can contain a URL, but they are not the same; a link is a clickable connection, while a URL is an address.
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How do I use a link?
Click on a link to navigate to the resource or location it references.
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Are links only found on web pages?
No, links can be found in various digital documents, not just web pages.
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What is a URL?
A URL is the web address of a specific resource on the internet.
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Are all links URLs?
Not all links are URLs; some links navigate within a document or to non-URL resources.
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Can a URL be used in a link?
Yes, URLs are often used in links to direct users to specific web resources.
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Can links be disabled?
Yes, links can be made non-clickable or disabled in certain contexts.
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How do I use a URL?
Enter a URL in a web browser's address bar to access a specific internet resource.
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Feb 28, 2024
Is a URL case-sensitive?
The domain part of a URL is not case-sensitive, but paths and parameters often are.
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What is an example of a URL?
An example of a URL is https://www.google.com.
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Can a link open a new webpage?
Yes, links can be configured to open resources in a new window or tab.
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What does a URL look like?
A URL typically includes a protocol, domain, and path (e.g., http://www.example.com/path).
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What happens if a URL is wrong?
If a URL is incorrect, it may lead to an error page or no resource.
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Are URLs important for SEO?
Yes, URLs play a significant role in search engine optimization (SEO).
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Can a link lead to a download?
Yes, some links, when clicked, can initiate a download process.
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Can a link be an image?
Yes, an image can serve as a link in a webpage or document.
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Do URLs change?
URLs can change if the resource's location or address is modified.
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Can a link be text-only?
Yes, a link can be a simple text hyperlink without any images or graphics.
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Can a URL be hidden in a link?
Yes, the actual URL can be hidden in a text link or button, showing user-friendly text instead.
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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