Computer Concept Courses (CCC) Practice Test 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

In a URL, the protocol serves to specify the method of communication between the client and server. This is critical as it determines how data is transmitted over the internet and defines the rules that govern the interaction. For example, common protocols include HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) and HTTPS (HTTP Secure), which are used primarily for web traffic. The protocol informs the client (usually a web browser) how to initiate a request to the server and how to interpret the response received.

The choice regarding defining the behavior of the server is more related to server configuration and application settings. Indicating the type of content being served generally happens via content type headers, not the protocol itself. Providing copyright information is not a function of a URL's protocol; such information would typically appear elsewhere on a website. Thus, specifying the method of communication is the fundamental role of the protocol within a URL.