URL vs URI vs URN

URL, URI and URN are most commonly used in the network field. Mostly all of them has similar uses and some time they are used interchangeable.

Let’s see them one by one for more details.

What is URL?

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a specific type of URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) that is used to identify the location of a resource on the internet. It typically includes the protocol (such as “http” or “https”), the domain name, and the file path.

What is URI?

A URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) is a string of characters that identify a name or a resource on the internet. URIs can be broken down into two types: URLs and URNs (Uniform Resource Name).

What is URN?

A URN(Uniform Resource Name) is a specific type of URI that is used to identify a resource by its name, rather than its location. URNs are intended to be persistent and globally unique, but they do not always provide a direct method for accessing the resource.

Conclusion

URL is a specific type of URI that identifies the location of a resource on the internet.
URI is a string of characters that identifies a name or a resource on the internet.
URN is a specific type of URI that identifies a resource by its name, rather than its location.