What does a browser do with a URL?

A browser processes a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) primarily by converting it into an IP address. This process occurs because a browser needs to locate the resources specified in the URL on the internet. When a user enters a URL, the browser performs a DNS (Domain Name System) lookup to translate the human-readable address (like www.example.com) into a machine-readable IP address, which indicates the specific server hosting the desired resource. This step is essential for establishing a connection to the appropriate server and successfully retrieving the content linked to that URL.

While browsers do perform additional functions, such as downloading files (which is part of retrieving resources), storing URLs in history for user convenience, and managing user sessions for maintaining the state between client and server, these actions occur after the URL has been resolved to an IP address. Thus, the core initial function associated with a URL in this context is its conversion to an IP address.