What types of URLs are there, and what are they used for?

URLs can be distinguished by how their addresses are written and what they are used for: absolute URLs provide complete addresses and are commonly used for external links and emails; relative URLs express locations as paths and are primarily used for internal website links; canonical URLs identify the version of duplicate pages that you want search engines to index; and vanity URLs emphasize brevity and memorability, making them suitable for marketing and sharing. These four terms are not mutually exclusive categories at the same level: the first two concern whether an address is complete, while the latter two concern its purpose.

Absolute and relative URLs: Choose the format based on how the link will be used

An absolute URL includes all the information needed to locate a page or file, such as the protocol, domain, and path. A relative URL can express a location within a website using a path that omits the domain. The difference is not the subject of the content, but how much location information the URL provides.

• Absolute URL: For example, https://www.example.com/products/shoes includes the complete website address. This format is commonly used in external links, emails, or syndicated content to point to the intended resource.
• Relative URL: For example, /blog/first-post/ expresses a location as a path and is primarily used for internal links. It is shorter and usually easier to manage when a website is updated or migrated.

For a product link in an email, you can therefore use a complete URL that includes the domain; for links to articles within the same website, you can consider relative paths. A relative URL should not be treated as a substitute in every sharing context simply because it is shorter.

Canonical URLs: Handling multiple addresses for the same content

Canonical URLs are useful when duplicate or similar pages exist. Their purpose is to indicate the preferred version you want search engines to index, not to give a URL a more memorable name.

For example, if https://www.example.com/shoes/ and https://www.example.com/shoes/?page=1 display the same content, you can designate the former as the canonical URL. This example assumes that both addresses display the same content; the decision cannot be based solely on URL length.

Designating a canonical version helps search results display the appropriate version and reduces competition between these pages. These are its purpose and expected benefits, not a guarantee that search engines will use the designated version.

Vanity URLs: Making marketing links easier to remember and share

A vanity URL is a short, memorable, branded link, such as example.com/sale. It often redirects to an actual page with a longer or more complex address, keeping the public-facing URL concise.

These URLs are suitable for advertisements, social media, or printed materials: the focus is on making links more appealing and easier to share, rather than addressing duplicate content. According to Semrush, they can be created with a URL shortening tool or in a content management system, with a 301 redirect then set up to the actual page. Vanity URLs and canonical URLs solve different problems and should not be treated as interchangeable features.