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The URL, link, or web address can provide clues to a website's type and its reliability. The URL is in your web browser's address bar.

Check the domain suffix after the final period in the URL (that is, the .xxx part) for these clues.

Here are some commonly used domain suffixes and what they often mean:

• .edu = U.S. educational site (usually a university or college)
• .com = commercial/business site
• .gov = U.S. governmental/non-military site
• .mil = U.S. military sites and agencies
• .net = networks, internet service providers, organizations
• .org = U.S. non-profit organizations and others
• .gc.ca = Government of Canada site

The domain suffix can also give you a clue about the geographic origin of a website. Examples of these country domain suffixes include:

• .ca = Canadian site
• .uk = United Kingdom site

Remember that many domain suffixes are available for anyone to register. Evaluate the information on the webpage itself to determine if it is reliable.

• For example, www.academia.edu is the URL of the private, for-profit business Academia. However, the .edu suffix usually indicates an American educational website like a university or college.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Adapted from https://guides.library.utoronto.ca/c.php?g=251987&p=5137037, a guide developed by the Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto Libraries.