# A question about the URL= command **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [April 29, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736 "2001-04-29T16:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/1 "2001-04-29T16:33:58Z")
Why is it necessary to include the http:// in a link to a website? If you don’t, it defaults a bunch of [boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) garbage. Is this a bug? Or is that the way it’s supposed to be? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/2 "2001-04-29T16:41:26Z")
It’s not a bug. If you don’t include the “http://” part, the vB software assumed it is a relative URL instead of an absolute one. The same rule applies to writing regular HTML. If you are doing an absolute URL you have to include the “http://” ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/3 "2001-04-29T17:11:44Z")
Using HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) in a link tells the browser that the document being linked to is a HTML document. HTTP indicates the protocol to be used to access the target. It’s generally good practice to specify the protocol to avoid confusion; hence, for example, using FTP or TELNET where appropriate instead of HTTP. ---
**Author:** ![Mu\_Mu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mu\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mu_Mu)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/4 "2001-04-29T21:36:39Z")
You’re right that just [http://www.xyz.com](http://www.xyz.com) should be enough. The majority of boards, and almost all email software, will convert that into a live link (absolute and not relative). So, while it’s not exactly a bug to require http, it is non-standard. ---
**Author:** ![Mu\_Mu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mu\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mu_Mu)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/5 "2001-04-29T21:41:25Z")
Hey, maybe you should check that again. In the post above I had typed www\*\*.xyz\*\*.com and it converted it correctly to [http://www.xyz.com](http://www.xyz.com) ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/6 "2001-04-29T23:52:07Z")
Yes, “ww\_w.straightdope.com” will become [http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com) However, if we put it in the fancier [form, it becomes [url=“[www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)”]The Coolest Site On The Web](www.straightdope}Coolest Site On The Web[/url). Click it. It won’t work. It needs the “http:\” in front of the web address. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/7 "2001-04-30T07:41:36Z")
Ummmm…sorry, Jasper, you caught the same thing I did with your link. How about that? ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/8 "2001-04-30T07:42:49Z")
oh, like you said. It _won’t_ work. Duh! ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/9 "2001-04-30T10:15:02Z")
Incidentally, to write tags that look correct, break them up with other tags. To get [\*\*\*\*url=“[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)”] to appear, type [[[sup][/sup]b][[sup][/sup]/b]url=“[http://www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com)”]. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-about-the-url-command/63736/10 "2001-04-30T13:59:08Z")
Thanks. Smartass. 😉