A Uniform Resource Identifier, often shortened to URI, is a series of characters that help to identify a specific resource on the internet. URIs are identical to URLs, which is the common term given the web address in the main browser search window. However, the URL provides more information about how to navigate a web resource, using either HTTP or FTP protocols.
As such, URL is often the term used to describe the location and definition of a webpage, although URI can also be used in many instances. It merely denotes the identity of any given resource on the world wide web.
