When it comes to browsing the web, it can seem very daunting for the beginner. What is a WEB BROWSER? What is a HYPERLINK? What are the NAVIGATION BUTTONS? What is a URL?
These and many other questions will be answered in this short article.
Using a web browser
A web browser is a type of software that allows you to find and view websites on the Internet. Even if you didn’t know it, you’re using a web browser right now to read this page! There are many different web browsers, but some of the most common ones include Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.
No matter which web browser you use, you’ll want to learn the basics of browsing the Web. In this lesson, we’ll talk about navigating to different websites, using tabbed browsing, creating bookmarks, and more.
We’ll be using the Mozilla Firefox web browser throughout this lesson, but you can use any browser you want. Keep in mind that your browser may look and act a bit differently, but all web browsers work in basically the same way.
URLs and the address bar
Each website has a unique address, called a URL (short for Uniform Resource Locator). It’s like a street address that tells your browser where to go on the Internet. When you type a URL into the browser’s address bar and press Enter on your keyboard, the browser will load the page associated with that URL.
For our example below, we have used www.facebook.com.
Links
Whenever you see a word or phrase on a website that’s blue or underlined in blue, it’s probably a hyperlink, or link for short. You might already know how links work, even if you’ve never thought about them much before. For example, try clicking the link below.
Links are used to navigate the Web. When you click a link, it will usually take you to a different webpage. You may also notice that your cursor changes into a hand icon whenever you hover over a link.
Navigation buttons
The Back and Forward buttons allow you to move through websites you’ve recently viewed. You can also click and hold either button to see your recent history.
The Refresh button will reload the current page. If a website stops working, try using the Refresh button.
Bookmarks and history
If you find a website you want to view later, it can be hard to memorize the exact web address. Bookmarks, also known as favorites, are a great way to save and organize specific websites so you can revisit them again and again. Simply locate and select the Star icon to bookmark the current website.
These are just a few of the basics of web browsing. The best way to learn how to browse the internet is to sit down at your computer and go for it!
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@gracewebdesign.com