URI Scheme Reference

Hypertext Transfer Protocol - the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web. Used for transferring HTML pages, API responses, images, and other web resources over TCP/IP.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure - HTTP over TLS/SSL encryption. Provides authenticated and encrypted communication between clients and servers, protecting against eavesdropping and tampering.

WebSocket - provides full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection. Used for real-time applications like chat, gaming, live feeds, and collaborative editing.

WebSocket Secure - WebSocket over TLS/SSL. Provides encrypted WebSocket connections for secure real-time communication.

File Transfer Protocol - standard network protocol for transferring files between a client and server over TCP/IP. Supports authenticated and anonymous access with separate control and data connections.

FTP over SSL/TLS - FTP encrypted with TLS/SSL for secure file transfers. Adds encryption to standard FTP to protect credentials and data in transit.

SSH File Transfer Protocol - file transfer over SSH (Secure Shell). Provides secure file operations including transfer, access, and management over an encrypted SSH connection.

Secure Shell - cryptographic network protocol for secure remote login, command execution, and other secure network services over an unsecured network.

Telnet - bidirectional interactive text-oriented communication protocol using virtual terminal connections. Largely superseded by SSH due to lack of encryption.

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol - open protocol for accessing and maintaining distributed directory information services over IP networks. Used for authentication and directory lookups.

LDAP over SSL - secure version of LDAP that uses TLS/SSL encryption for directory access and authentication.

Internet Message Access Protocol - email protocol for accessing and managing messages on a mail server. Allows clients to organize, search, and synchronize email across multiple devices.

IMAP over SSL/TLS - encrypted IMAP for secure email access. Protects credentials and email content during transmission.

Post Office Protocol version 3 - email protocol used by local email clients to retrieve email from a remote server. Typically downloads and optionally deletes messages from the server.

POP3 over SSL/TLS - encrypted POP3 for secure email retrieval. Protects credentials during download.

Network News Transfer Protocol - protocol for distributing, querying, posting, and retrieving Usenet articles (newsgroup messages).

Internet Relay Chat - protocol for real-time text messaging and group communication in chat channels. Used for community discussions, support channels, and collaborative communication.

IRC over SSL/TLS - encrypted IRC for secure chat communication. Protects messages and authentication from eavesdropping.

Email address - opens the default email client with pre-filled recipient, subject, and body. Used for creating email links on web pages.

Short Message Service - opens the default messaging application with a pre-filled recipient number and message body. Used for mobile SMS links.

Telephone number - initiates a call to the specified phone number on devices with telephony capabilities. Widely supported on mobile devices.

Facsimile - specifies a fax number for sending documents via fax. Less commonly used with the rise of digital document sharing.

Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol - open protocol for instant messaging, presence information, and contact list maintenance. Used by Jabber and many chat applications.

Data URI - allows embedding small data items directly in a URI as base64-encoded or percent-encoded content. Commonly used for embedding images, fonts, and CSS in web pages to reduce HTTP requests.

Binary Large Object - used to represent binary data held in the browser's Blob or File API. Creates object URLs for files, images, and other binary data generated client-side.

About - used internally by browsers to display built-in pages. Examples include about:blank (empty page), about:config (Firefox settings), and about:debugging (browser internals).

JavaScript - executes JavaScript code when used as a URL in a browser. Typically used in bookmarklets and onclick handlers. Considered a security risk in modern web development.

Geographic Location - specifies a geographic location by coordinates (latitude and longitude). Opens the device's mapping application at the specified location.

Local File - references a file on the local filesystem. Used by browsers and applications to access local resources. Security restrictions apply in browser contexts.

Server Message Block - network file sharing protocol used by Windows systems for accessing shared files, printers, and other network resources on local networks.

WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) - extends HTTP for collaborative file management, allowing clients to remotely create, move, delete, and edit files on a web server.

WebDAV over HTTPS - secure WebDAV using TLS/SSL encryption for authenticated remote file management.

Magnet URI - used by peer-to-peer file sharing networks (especially BitTorrent) to identify files by content hash rather than location. Enables decentralized file downloads without a central server.

Bitcoin - used for Bitcoin payment requests. Specifies the recipient address, amount, label, and message for cryptocurrency transactions.

Microsoft Media Server - proprietary protocol for streaming multimedia content from Windows Media Services. Used for audio and video streaming in legacy Windows Media applications.

Real-Time Streaming Protocol - network protocol for controlling streaming media servers. Used for establishing and controlling media sessions between endpoints for video and audio streaming.

Advanced Package Tool - used on Debian-based Linux systems to install, update, and manage software packages from repositories. Opens the package manager to install the specified package.

Git version control - references a Git repository for cloning, fetching, or pulling source code. Supports various transport protocols including SSH, HTTPS, and local paths.

Subversion - references a Subversion (SVN) repository for version control operations. Used for checking out, committing, and updating source code.

Docker - references Docker images and registries for container management. Used to pull and run container images from Docker registries.

Node Package Manager - references packages in the npm registry for JavaScript/Node.js package management. Opens the package page or triggers installation.

Android App - deep links into specific Android applications. Directly opens a designated app or activity, enabling seamless app-to-app navigation on Android devices.

iOS App - deep links into specific iOS applications using Apple's Universal Links. Opens a native app from a web link if the app is installed.

Android Intent - triggers Android's intent system to perform an action. Used for deep linking, sharing, and inter-app communication on Android.

Windows Settings - opens specific settings pages in Windows 10 and 11. Used for deep-linking to accessibility, network, display, and other system settings panels.

Chrome Browser - used internally by the Chromium browser to access browser-specific pages, extensions, and developer tools.

Edge Browser - used internally by Microsoft Edge to access browser-specific settings, extensions, and management pages.

Redis - connects to a Redis key-value store database server. Used in connection strings for Redis clients and database management tools.

PostgreSQL - connects to a PostgreSQL database server. Used in connection strings for database clients, ORMs, and management tools.

MongoDB - connects to a MongoDB database server. Used in connection strings for MongoDB drivers, ORMs, and database administration tools.

MySQL - connects to a MySQL database server. Used in connection strings for MySQL clients, applications, and database management.

Remote Desktop Protocol - Microsoft's proprietary protocol for remote desktop connections to Windows computers. Provides graphical remote access with encryption.

Virtual Network Computing - platform-independent protocol for remote graphical desktop sharing. Allows remote control of another computer's desktop interface.

Payment Pointer - standard URI for initiating payments across different payment systems. Designed as a universal payment initiation scheme for the Web.

Venmo - initiates a Venmo payment or request to another Venmo user. Opens the Venmo app with pre-filled payment details.

Ethereum - initiates cryptocurrency transactions or interactions with the Ethereum blockchain. Supports sending ETH, tokens, and executing smart contract functions.

iTunes Store - links to content in the Apple iTunes Store, App Store, and Apple Books. Opens the appropriate Apple store application to view music, apps, books, or podcasts.

iTunes Apps - specifically targets the iOS App Store to open a particular application page for download or review.

Google Play Store - opens the Google Play Store to a specific application or search result. Used on Android devices for app discovery and installation.

Steam - opens the Steam gaming platform to a specific game, store page, or community feature. Used for deep-linking to Steam content.

FaceTime - initiates a FaceTime audio or video call with the specified contact on Apple devices.

Gopher - early internet protocol for distributing, searching, and retrieving documents. Predecessor to the World Wide Web, now largely obsolete but still supported by some legacy systems.

Wide Area Information Server - early internet search protocol for searching indexed databases. Predates modern web search engines and is now obsolete.

Prospero - distributed directory service protocol developed at the University of Washington. An early system for organising and accessing distributed resources, now obsolete.

Content Identifier - used in email MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) to reference embedded content within a multipart email message. Used with the Content-ID header.

Message Identifier - used to reference email messages by their Message-ID header. Allows referencing specific email messages in a mailstore.