Editing World Wide Web (section)

=== Scheme specifiers ===
The scheme specifiers ''<code><nowiki>http://</nowiki></code>'' and ''<code><nowiki>https://</nowiki></code>'' at the start of a web [[Uniform Resource Identifier|URI]] refer to [[Hypertext Transfer Protocol]] or [[HTTP Secure]], respectively. They specify the communication protocol to use for the request and response. The HTTP protocol is fundamental to the operation of the World Wide Web, and the added encryption layer in HTTPS is essential when browsers send or retrieve confidential data, such as passwords or banking information. Web browsers usually automatically prepend <nowiki>http://</nowiki> to user-entered URIs, if omitted.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}