URL

This is an experimental technology
Because this technology's specification has not stabilized, check the compatibility table for usage in various browsers. Also note that the syntax and behavior of an experimental technology is subject to change in future versions of browsers as the specification changes.

The URLinterface represent an object providing static methods used for creating object URLs.

When using a user agent where no constructor has been implemented yet, it is possible to access such an object using the Window.URL properties (prefixed with Webkit-based browser as Window.webkitURL).

Note: This feature is available in Web Workers.

Usage

URL is used to parse, construct, normalise, and encode URLs.

The constructor takes a url parameter, and an optional base parameter to use as a base if the url parameter is a relative URL:

const url = new URL('../cats', 'http://www.example.com/dogs');
console.log(url.hostname); // "www.example.com"
console.log(url.pathname); // "/cats"

URL properties can be set to construct the URL:

url.hash = 'tabby';
console.log(url.href); // "http://www.example.com/cats#tabby"

URLs will be encoded as per RFC 3986:

url.pathname = 'démonstration.html';
console.log(url.href); // "http://www.example.com/d%C3%A9monstration.html"

The URLSearchParams interface can be used to build and manipulate the URL query string.

To get the search params from the current window's URL, you can do this:

// https://some.site/?id=123
var parsedUrl = new URL(window.location.href);
console.log(parsedUrl.searchParams.get("id")); // 123

The stringifier method of URL is the href property, so the constructor can be used to normalise and encode a URL directly.

const response = await fetch(new URL('http://www.example.com/démonstration.html'));

Constructor

URL()
Creates and return a URL object composed from the given parameters.

Properties

URL.hash
Is a DOMString containing a '#' followed by the fragment identifier of the URL.
URL.host
Is a DOMString containing the host, that is the hostname, a ':', and the port of the URL.
URL.hostname
Is a DOMString containing the domain of the URL.
URL.href
Is a DOMString containing the whole URL.
URL.origin Read only
Returns a DOMString containing the origin of the URL, that is its scheme, its domain and its port.
URL.password
Is a DOMString containing the password specified before the domain name.
URL.pathname
Is a DOMString containing an initial '/' followed by the path of the URL.
URL.port
Is a DOMString containing the port number of the URL.
URL.protocol
Is a DOMString containing the protocol scheme of the URL, including the final ':'.
URL.search
Is a DOMString containing a '?' followed by the parameters of the URL.
URL.searchParams
Returns a URLSearchParams object allowing to access the GET query arguments contained in the URL.
URL.username
Is a DOMString containing the username specified before the domain name.
Methods

The URL interface implements methods defined in URLUtils.

URLUtils.toString()
Returns a DOMString containing the whole URL. It is a synonym for URLUtils.href, though it can't be used to modify the value.
URL.toJSON() [available since FireFox v54]
Returns a DOMString  containing the whole URL. It returns the same string as the href property.

Static methods

URL.createObjectURL()
Returns a DOMString containing a unique blob URL, that is a URL with blob: as its scheme, followed by an opaque string uniquely identifying the object in the browser.
URL.revokeObjectURL()
Revokes an object URL previously created using URL.createObjectURL().

Specifications

Specification Status Comment
File API
The definition of 'URL' in that specification.
Working Draft Added the static methods URL.createObjectURL() and URL.revokeObjectURL().
URL
The definition of 'API' in that specification.
Living Standard Initial definition (implements URLUtils).

Browser compatibility

Feature Chrome Edge Firefox (Gecko) Internet Explorer Opera Safari
Basic support 8.0[2]
32
In Development[5] 4.0 (2.0)[1][3]
19.0 (19.0)
No support[4] 15.0[2]
19
6.0[2]
7.0
username, password, and origin 52 ? 26.0 (26.0) ? 19 (Yes)
searchParams 51 ? 29.0 (29.0) ? 36 No support
toJSON ? ? 54 (54) ? ? ?
Feature Android Webview Chrome for Android Firefox Mobile (Gecko) IE Mobile Opera Mobile Safari Mobile
Basic support 4[2]
4.4
8.0[2]
32
14.0 (14.0)[1][3]
19.0 (19.0)
(Yes) 15.0[2] 6.0[2]
username, password, and origin 52 52 26.0 (26.0) ? ? (Yes)
searchParams 51 51 29.0 (29.0) ? ? ?

[1] From Gecko 2 (Firefox 4) to Gecko 18 included, Gecko supported this interface with the non-standard nsIDOMMozURLProperty internal type. As the only to access such an object was through window.URL, in practice, this didn't make any difference.

[2] This feature is implemented under the non-standard name webkitURL.

[3] For Firefox, to use from chrome code, JSM and Bootstrap scope, you have to import it like this:

Cu.importGlobalProperties(['URL']);

URL is available in Worker scopes.

[4] As of IE11, instantiating new URL objects is not supported - ie. new URL() does not work. 

[5] Edge in development: see https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/platform/status/urlapi/  and https://wpdev.uservoice.com/forums/257854-microsoft-edge-developer/suggestions/6263638-url-api

See also

Document Tags and Contributors

 Last updated by: jerone,