What does a URL inspector show?
A URL inspector splits a web address into its components so you can see exactly what a browser will request. Given https://shop.example.com:8443/cart/items?sort=price&q=red%20shoes#shipping, it reports the protocol https, the host shop.example.com:8443, the hostname shop.example.com, the port 8443, the path /cart/items, two query parameters (sort=price and q=red shoes after percent-decoding), and the fragment shipping.
Each part does something specific. The protocol chooses HTTP or HTTPS, the host and port decide which server and service, the path selects a resource, and query parameters pass data to it. Decoding matters because %20 is a space, %26 is a literal ampersand inside a value, and a plus sign sometimes means a space. Inspecting a URL is how you track down a broken link, a missing parameter or a redirect that drops the query string.
How to inspect a URL
- Paste the full URL, including the scheme if you have it.
- Read the protocol, host, path, query and fragment rows.
- Check the decoded value of each query parameter.
- Copy the part you need to fix or compare.
Frequently asked questions about URLs
Why does my URL show strange characters?
They are percent-encoded bytes: %20 is a space and %2F a slash inside a value. The inspector decodes them so you can read the real value.
What is the fragment used for?
The part after # names a location inside the page, such as #shipping. Browsers keep it local and never send it to the server in the request.
What is the default port?
If the URL names no port, the scheme supplies one: 80 for HTTP and 443 for HTTPS. A port appears only when it is written explicitly.
