Finding content online, and moving around from page to page is often called “surfing the web” (or, sometimes, “surfing the net”). There are many ways to get to different content:
Text Hyperlinks
A hyperlink is a reference to another page or resource on the web, embedded into the text of a page. Hyperlinks are almost always set off from the surrounding text with some change in color or styling. Typically, the linked text is blue and it might be underlined — though that is not always the case.
A hyperlink has a URL, called the “hyper reference.” This is the destination for the link. When you click on the link, your browser will send a request for that URL and attempt to load it.
The notion of hyperlinks — links within the body of one document to other documents — is the very essence of the web. Those connections, forming a web-like structure, is what gives the World Wide Web its name.
Non-Text Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks are not always within the text content of a page, links can be found:
- In images
- In navigation menus
- As posts in social media, such as Facebook or Twitter
- In email messages
- On buttons
- As overlays on videos
Search Engines
Google, Bing, and other search engines help you to find content you are looking for based on keyword searches.
Search engines usually track your search history and browsing patterns. This is done to help improve the user experience, not to spy on you; however, if you do not wish to be tracked, you can use an anonymous search engine like DuckDuckGo.
Accessing a Website Directly
If you already know the website you wish to visit you can always simply type an address directly into your browser. At the top of your web browser, just above the main viewing panel, is an address bar. You can type an address into it.
QR Codes
A QR code is similar to a bar code — it encodes information into a small square design. QR codes are often used to embed URLs of websites. On a mobile device, you can access a website by using a QR Reader app and letting it scan the QR code.