Linking information is at the heart of the World Wide Web. The Internet was largely invented because researchers wanted to link to related research documents so a reader could learn more and check sources. In its simplest form, a website is a series of interlinked web pages that contain content, and the internet is a massive network of interlinked websites spread across different networks around the world.
Linking from one website to another (external linking) and from one web page to another page on the same site (internal linking) matters for three reasons:
- Links pass authority from one page to another, which helps search engine optimization
- Links guide visitors to additional relevant content, which improves user experience
- Links prompt visitors to act as calls-to-action, which improves conversion
The concept of linking is simple, but it comes with plenty of geek speak. Before we get to the glossary, here’s what this guide covers:
- The basic internet terms every beginner should know
- A full glossary of links, URLs, and website navigation
- How secure websites protect your information
- The main types of websites you’ll encounter online
Whether you’re planning your first website design or just want to understand the online world a little better, these definitions will get you oriented.
Basic internet terms every beginner should know
Before diving into links specifically, it helps to understand the foundation everything else sits on. These basic internet terms come up constantly in daily life, and knowing them makes the rest of this glossary far easier to follow.
How you get online
A few pieces work together every time you connect to the internet:
- Internet connection: the service that provides your internet access, whether through a cable, fiber, or mobile network
- Wi-Fi: a wireless technology that lets devices connect to the internet without a cable, common in homes and cafés
- Local area network (LAN): a group of connected devices in one location, like an office or home, sharing the same internet connection
- IP address: an Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique string of numbers that identifies each device on a network, a bit like a mailing address for your computer or mobile phone
The systems that move data
Underneath the surface, a set of protocols quietly moves information between machines:
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Internet Protocol (IP) | The rules that route data between different networks so it reaches the right device |
| Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) | The protocol used to transfer web content between a server and your browser |
| Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) | The encrypted, secure version of HTTP (more on this below) |
| File Transfer Protocol (FTP) | A method used to transfer files between one computer and a remote server |
| Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) | The source code language used to build most websites and structure web content |
These systems handle enormous volumes of internet traffic every second, connecting billions of internet users to remote servers that store digital content, from web pages to video clips. You rely on them constantly, often without noticing, whether you’re sending electronic mail, making video calls or voice calls, doing online banking, or making online purchases.
The tools you actually see
Two tools bridge you and the vast online world:
- Web browser: a software application used to access the internet, fetching and displaying files from remote servers onto your computer screen. Popular browsers include Chrome, Safari (on Apple devices), Firefox, and the older Internet Explorer.
- Search engine: a service that helps you find information across the web using keywords.
We’ll come back to browsers and search engines in more detail, because they’re how most people begin navigating the internet.
Glossary of Links and FAQs about Navigating the Internet
Now to the heart of it. Below is a plain-English glossary of the terms you’ll meet most often when navigating websites and the wider web.
What is a Link, Hyperlink or Hot Link?
A link is a clickable element on a web page or document that uses a URL to direct users to another resource on the internet. Links often appear as underlined or colored text, buttons, or images.
Some people call links hyperlinks or “hot links.” These terms all refer to the same thing (unless, of course, you mean the spicy sausage). A hyperlink is simply a clickable piece of text, image, or button that links to another page. When a user clicks it, the link takes them to a new page, piece of content, or resource somewhere on the internet.
What is a Permalink?
A permalink is a permanent hyperlink, or URL, for a particular web page or piece of content like an image or PDF. For example, a permalink might look like: https://example.com/contact. As the name suggests, a permalink usually stays the same for the life of the page, though it is possible to change one. As they say, nothing is truly permanent.
What does URL stand for?
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. It’s the exact address of a resource on the internet, and every web address follows a URL format. The terms “permalink” and “URL” are often used interchangeably, but there’s a subtle difference: a permalink is a permanent address that doesn’t change, whereas a URL can be dynamic.
A dynamic URL is created based on user input. For example, if you type “cheese” into a website’s search bar and hit search, you might land on a URL like https://example.com/?s=cheese. That isn’t a static page of content, it’s a search results page generated from your input. In short, a permalink is a URL, but not all URLs are permalinks.
URL vs Link – What’s the Difference?
A URL and a link are related but distinct. A URL is the exact address of a resource on the internet, such as a web page, image, or file. It’s the string of text you type into your web browser’s address bar to navigate directly to something. For instance, https://example.com/about is a URL pointing to the “About” page of a website.
A link, on the other hand, is the clickable element that uses that URL to direct users somewhere. For example, the text “Click here to learn more” might contain a hyperlink leading to https://example.com/about. The URL is the underlying address; the link is how that address is presented and accessed, making it easier to navigate without typing the whole thing out.
In summary, a URL is the raw address of an internet resource, while a link is the user-friendly interface that connects people to that address. Links usually hide the full URL behind readable anchor text like “View Website,” “Click Here,” or “Learn More.” Together, URLs and links form the foundation of how we explore the web.
How to Add a Link in WordPress
WordPress tip: adding a link in WordPress takes just a few clicks. Highlight the text you want to turn into a link, click the link icon in the toolbar, paste in your URL, and hit enter. You can do this in both the block editor and the classic editor, and the same method works whether you’re linking to another page on your own WordPress site or to an external resource.
What is a Slug in WordPress?
On a platform like WordPress, you’ll hear the term slug come up. A slug is the part of a URL that identifies a particular page on a domain. In example.com/contact, “example.com” is the domain and everything after the slash is the slug, so “contact” is the slug of that page.
For search engine optimization, it’s important to include good keywords in your slugs while keeping them short and readable. Which brings us to pretty permalinks.
What Is a Pretty Permalink?
A permalink can be pretty or ugly. An ugly permalink looks like this:
Yuck. These are called ugly permalinks because they’re long, meaningless to humans, and impossible to remember. If a friend emailed you that link, would you click it? It looks spammy and gives you no clue what the page contains.
The preferred option is a pretty permalink. Most modern website platforms, including WordPress, let you use permalinks with real words instead of random characters, often separated by hyphens. A link like https://example.com/shop/mens-pants is pretty because a person can immediately tell it’s about shopping for men’s pants. Pretty permalinks are easier for both humans and search engines to read.
What is a Broken Link?
A broken link is a URL that can’t be found or accessed. Typically, it’s a link that used to work but no longer does, because the content was removed, moved, or because the permalink was changed. Broken links are also called “dead links.”
When a user clicks a link, they expect content to appear. If the link is broken, they’ll usually get a “404 Page Not Found” error. Having broken links on your site, or backlinks from other sites that no longer work, is bad for SEO and creates a poor user experience. It’s like pulling up to a gas pump only to find it’s out of gas.
How Do I Find Out if My Site Has Broken Links on It?
You can find broken links using Google Analytics or a dedicated broken link finder tool. Regular checks are worth building into your routine, since links break over time as other sites change.
How To Avoid Having Broken Links to Your Website?
A few common things during a redesign cause old permalinks to break:
- The structure of the permalinks changes
- The content is reorganized or moved
- The domain itself changes
Whenever you redesign, make sure your website designer adds 301 redirects to reroute visitors from old permalinks to new ones. A 301 redirect is like forwarding your mail when you move house: even though the address changed, anyone with the old link still finds the content. Handling redirects properly is a standard part of the website design process our team follows.
What is a Backlink?
A backlink is simply a link from someone else’s website to yours. Backlinks are an important part of optimizing your website for search engines: in general, the more sites that link to yours, the higher your site can rank on Google.
When someone adds a backlink to your site, they’re essentially vouching for you and telling people to check you out. The number of backlinks is one indication of a site’s “authority,” which search engines use as a ranking factor. But not all backlinks are equal. A link from an authoritative, high-traffic site that’s been around for decades carries far more weight than one from a brand-new, low-traffic site.
Keep in mind that all backlinks are links, but not all links are backlinks. Some links go from one page to another on the same website, which we call internal links.
How Do I Know How Many Backlinks My Website Has?
You can check your backlinks using free tools, or create a Google Search Console account to monitor them regularly. It’s a good habit for anyone serious about their site’s search visibility.
What Is a Navigation Menu?
The navigation, also called a menu, is an organized collection of links to the pages on a website. A navigation bar is the set of links that lets users move between a site’s main sections, and it’s sometimes called the “tabs” because early-2000s designs made navigation look like file-folder tabs.
The navigation usually sits at the top of every page, and nearly every website has at least one. Its purpose is to help users understand what content the site holds and move from one page to the next. This connects to a broader idea called information architecture, the way a site’s content is organized into a logical hierarchy.
Some sites include a sub-navigation menu, where items are nested under a higher-level menu item. For example, “shop” might be a parent item with “shirts,” “pants,” and “shoes” underneath. Plenty of research shows that well-organized navigation is one of the most essential parts of web design and user experience.
A few related navigation terms worth knowing:
- Home page: the main starting page of a website, and usually the first page visitors land on
- Internal link: a link connecting one page on a site to another page within the same site
- Breadcrumbs: a small trail of links showing the path you’ve taken through a site, like Home > Shop > Shirts
- Bookmark: a saved shortcut to a website for quick access later
What is a Hamburger Menu?
A hamburger menu is the nickname for a common icon used for navigation on mobile devices. The icon is three stacked lines that resemble a burger in a bun, if you have a good imagination. Because phones and other small devices have limited space, the menu is often hidden behind the hamburger icon until the user taps to reveal it. It’s one of the most recognizable patterns in mobile website navigation.
What Exactly is a Page on a Website?
A page is static content that lives at a specific URL and can be linked to. It’s customary for the navigation menu to link to all or most of a site’s pages.
When designing the information architecture for a site, it’s best practice to create a sitemap listing all the pages in an organized hierarchy. A simple example might be a nine-page website: a home page, three other top-level pages, and five sub-navigation pages.
What Other Types of Content Besides Pages Are There?
In WordPress, “Page” typically refers to static, unchanging content. Other content types exist too, most notably blog articles, which are called “Posts.” You normally wouldn’t link to every post in the navigation. Instead, you’d link to a Blog page that dynamically displays post excerpts, newest first.
Your site might also contain content types like Products or Events. When planning your website design, account for every content type you’ll need and estimate how many of each, which helps when hiring a website designer for an accurate quote and timeline.
Is a Page on a Website the Same as a Web Page?
It’s fine to call any individual piece of web content with a unique URL a web page, even a Product or Event page. However, some people call an entire website a “web page,” as in “I went on Wikipedia’s web page to look up Frederick Douglass.” That usage is outdated, because in the early days of the internet most websites had only one page (the home page). Today most sites have many pages, and some, like Wikipedia, have millions.
This distinction matters when a web designer asks how many pages you want. They’re asking how many unique pieces of linkable content will live on your one domain, not how many separate domains you have.
What’s the Deal with Single-Page Websites?
Single-page websites have made a comeback, largely thanks to mobile browsing. They’re quick to build and easy to navigate by simply scrolling on a phone. These designs are typically long-form pages with many sections that mimic content normally split across separate pages.
There are pros and cons to the approach, but Freshy typically recommends multi-page websites for search engine purposes. Single-page sites often use a navigation menu whose links scroll down to a specific section on the same page, called anchor links.
What is an Anchor Link?
An anchor link connects to specific content on the same page rather than loading a new page. It works by attaching a unique ID (identifier) to a content block or element, so clicking the link jumps you straight to that section. Anchor links are what make long single-page sites easy to navigate.
How Do I Know How Many Pages Are On My Website?
To count your pages, use a site-mapping tool to generate a list of all the content on your current website. Download it as a spreadsheet and count the rows to see how many pages you have.
How search engines help you find anything
Links and navigation help you move around a site you’ve already found. But how do you find sites in the first place? That’s the job of search engines, and understanding how they work makes you a far more effective searcher.
What a search engine actually does
A search engine scans and organizes web pages into massive databases so it can serve you relevant results in an instant. To gather all that information, search engines use automated programs called spiders or robots (sometimes “crawlers”) that constantly travel the web collecting data about pages. When you type in keywords, the search engine checks its database and returns the pages it judges most relevant, usually hoping to answer your question on the very first page of results.
Google is by far the most popular search engine, though there are others like Bing and DuckDuckGo. There are also meta-search engines, which pull results from several search engines simultaneously and combine them.
The address bar and how you search
Two starting points get you where you’re going:
- The address bar: the text box at the top of your browser where you type a URL to go directly to a known web address
- A search box: where you type keywords when you don’t know the exact address and want the search engine to find options for you
Most modern browsers combine both, letting you type either a full web address or a search term into the same bar. Understanding this is the foundation of everyday website navigation, and for site owners, it’s why search engine optimization matters so much: it’s how you make sure the spiders understand your pages and rank them well.
Staying safe: secure websites and HTTPS
As more of daily life moves online, from online banking to online purchases, knowing how to spot a secure website has become essential. A little knowledge here protects your personal and financial information.
What HTTPS and SSL mean
You’ve probably noticed that web addresses begin with either http:// or https://. That extra “s” matters:
- The “s” in HTTPS stands for secure. Secure websites use HTTPS for encrypted communication between your browser and the website’s server.
- An SSL certificate is what makes this possible. It encrypts the information sent between a browser and a website server, so data like passwords and card numbers can’t be easily read if intercepted.
- A security certificate also verifies a website’s authenticity, confirming the site is who it claims to be.
Secure websites protect the personal and financial information you send, which is exactly why you should look for HTTPS before entering sensitive details anywhere. Every site we build includes proper SSL and security setup as standard.
Avoiding the dangerous corners of the web
A few habits keep you safe as you browse:
- Watch for fake websites that imitate real ones to trick you into entering login or payment details
- Check for HTTPS and the padlock icon before entering personal information
- Keep anti-virus software updated to guard against malicious software (also called malware) that can infect your device
- Be cautious with links in unexpected emails, since a suspicious-looking URL is often a warning sign
Alt text is worth a mention here too, though it’s about accessibility rather than security: it’s descriptive text that explains an image for people using screen readers, and it also helps search engines understand your images. Good, secure, accessible websites account for all of these details.
The main types of websites you’ll encounter
As you spend time in the online world, you’ll notice that websites tend to fall into a handful of categories based on their purpose. Recognizing these helps you quickly judge what a site is for and how much to trust it.
| Type of website | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Business sites | Showcase products or services to attract customers |
| Informational sites | Share knowledge on various topics, like encyclopedias or how-to guides |
| News sites | Report on current events and updates |
| Personal sites | Share an individual’s thoughts, experiences, or portfolio |
| Advocacy sites | Support a specific cause, belief, or organization |
Most websites you visit are business sites or informational sites, but the same principles of links, navigation, and security apply across all of them. A business site, for instance, uses clear navigation and internal links to direct users toward products, while an informational site leans on them to connect related topics.
Whatever the type, the goal is the same: a well-organized, secure, easy-to-navigate site that connects people to the content they came for. If you’re building a business site and want it done right, that’s exactly what our WordPress design team does every day.
Put Your Links to Work With a WordPress Site Built by Freshy
That’s a lot of terminology and frequently asked questions about links, hyperlinks, and navigating the internet.
Here’s what to take away:
- Links and URLs are the foundation of how we explore the web, with URLs as the raw address and links as the friendly, clickable version
- Clear navigation, a logical home page, and sensible information architecture make a website easy to use
- Pretty permalinks and internal links help both users and search engines
- Broken links hurt user experience and SEO, so 301 redirects matter during a redesign
- Secure websites use HTTPS and SSL certificates to protect your information
- Search engines use spiders to organize the web so you can find what you need
Understanding these basics makes the whole internet feel less intimidating and a lot more navigable. If you have a question we didn’t answer, or you’re ready to put this knowledge to work on a site of your own, let us know. Our team is always happy to help.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a URL and a link?
A URL is the exact address of a resource on the internet, like https://example.com/about. A link is the clickable element, often text or an image, that uses that URL to send you there. The URL is the address; the link is the friendly way to access it.
What does HTTPS mean and why does it matter?
HTTPS is the secure version of HTTP, and the “s” stands for secure. It uses an SSL certificate to encrypt information between your browser and a website, protecting personal and financial data. Always look for HTTPS before entering sensitive details.
What is a broken link?
A broken link is a URL that can no longer be found, usually because the content was moved, deleted, or its permalink changed. Clicking one typically returns a “404 Page Not Found” error, and broken links hurt both user experience and SEO.
How do search engines find websites?
Search engines use automated programs called spiders or robots to scan and organize web pages into databases. When you enter keywords, the engine returns the most relevant pages. Google is the most popular, and meta-search engines combine results from several engines at once.
What is a hamburger menu?
A hamburger menu is an icon of three stacked lines used for navigation on mobile devices. Because phone screens have limited space, the menu stays hidden behind the icon until a user taps it, revealing the site’s navigation links.
