URL uniform resource locator universal resource locator URLs are the Internet equivalent of addresses. How do they work? Like other types of addresses, they move from the general to the specific (from zip code to recipient, so to speak). Take this URL, for example: http://www.cnet.com/Resources/index.html First you have the protocol: http:/ then the server address or domain: /www.cnet.com and finally the directory: /Resources/ in which the file index.html resides. Two debates rage: first, does the U stand for uniform or universal? Universal was the original definition of choice but was deemed by most to be too ambitious, and the more frequently used uniform was instated by the now-defunct URI Working Group. Second, is URL pronounced "you are ell," or does it rhyme with hurl? Both pronunciations are widely used.