URLs may have different extensions at the end. Some may have HTML at the end, while others are forced to point to a static file and have the file type extension at the end.
While it depends on the target destination of a URL, different URLs have different definitions when it comes to understanding how things work on the Internet.
In this article, we will uncover, why specific URLs have HTML at the end.
Before jumping to the answer, let’s define first, what is a URL on the Internet.
What is a URL?
A URL or Uniform Resource Locator refers to the web address or destination of a resource on the Internet. For example, this website is accessible at https://readus247.com/
A URL can point to a web page or file on the Internet or a network. Some URLs point to static files while others create dynamic content when browsed by a user. However, you can access any type of URL within a web browser like Google Chrome.
What is HTML?
The HTML or HyperText Markup Language is the coding language to create web pages. You can use HTML to create internet pages that are easily viewable with a browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.
In most cases, HTML is used to produce the front end of a webpage. With a mixture of other scripting languages like PHP, you can create dynamic pages to show a different page each time a user browses a particular web page.
Why Do Some URLs End in HTML (Top 5 Reasons)
URLs ending in HTML show their underlying CMS, server configuration, or the type or destination of the target resource. For example, you may have noticed a web page with HTML, pointing to a static page while others have a file type extension at the end and point to a static file like PDF or an Image.
Reason (1)
In the old days, the extension of web pages was HTML, used to identify whether a web server is running a UNIX or Windows system. However, we can’t rely on this fact in today’s modern age of technology. It is quite possible that a modern system with UNIX or Windows server retrieves web pages with HTML or HTM extension.
Reason (2)
Any site that has a link structure ending with HTML could be categorized as a static website. While it is possible in most cases, the opposite may be different in certain situations. If a web page shows different outputs with URLs ending in HTML, the site would be most likely a dynamic one, as Ajax can be used to show dynamic data on a static page. Having said that – It depends on the developer’s choice, whether or not to choose a specific web page extension.
Reason (3)
Some server-side configurations may also cause placing HTML at the end of a URL, like mod_write configuration. Somehow, developers often set servers to rewrite URLs for different purposes, such as security.
Reason (4)
An HTML at the end of a URL can indicate that the page contains the front-end code. In this case, the page can possibly indicate that it has no server-side language used.
Reason (5)
The underlying content management system of a website highly depends in this case. For example, modern CMS(s) like Blogspot still use to show HTML at the end of blog posts and pages. On the other hand, WordPress skips showing any extension at the end of content pages.
Final Thoughts
The ending of a URL highly depends on many factors, including server-side configuration, CMS settings, or the purpose of a web page with respect to the objective of a developer.
Sometimes, a page ending in HTML may tell you about the type of page. On the other hand, it can also trick you about its file type or destination resource – if the page redirects itself to a different web location.
However, in most cases – a URL that ends in HTML shows a static or dynamic page depending on the type of CMS the particular website is built with online.
If it’s important to find the reason, you shouldn’t rely on a single fact. That being said – you should always try to explore different things to find, out why a particular URL ends with HTML.
