The Wolfram Language includes tools for handling the special features of URLs and URIs.

URL — symbolic representation of a URL

Character Encoding

URLEncode — convert a string to use URL-style percent encoding

URLDecode — convert to Unicode from URL-style percent encoding

Query Strings

URLQueryEncode — create a URL-style query string from a list of key-value pairs

URLQueryDecode — extract a list of key-value pairs from a URL-style query string

URL Structure

URLBuild — build up a URL string from components

URLParse — parse a URL string into components

$CloudBase  ▪  $UserURLBase

URL Shortening

URLShorten — create a wolfr.am or other shortened URL

URLExpand — expand a shortened URL to its full form

Using URLs

URLExecute — execute a URL

URLSubmit — submit a URL for asynchronous execution

URLRead — read from a URL

Import — import in any format from a URL

HTTPRequest  ▪  HTTPResponse  ▪  $Cookies  ▪  ...

URLs in Documents

Hyperlink — represent a hyperlink to a URL in a document

Network Performance

PingTime — test the time to reach the host for a URL

Authentication

Authentication — specify login and other authentication credentials

AuthenticationDialog  ▪  PermissionsKey  ▪  SecuredAuthenticationKey