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A URL field stores a single web address. Submitters enter it, and you choose which protocols are accepted. It is the base that link fields build on.

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When to use it

  • A record needs a destination link: a landing page, a campaign target, or a mailto: address.
  • You want a clean, validated address to feed into a Tagged URL or Short URL field.
Do not use a URL field when you need a short, trackable redirect. The URL field holds the destination. Put a Short URL field over it to get the tracked link.

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How a value is produced

When a submission is saved, Terminus Hub stores the address the submitter entered, or the default_value if the field was left blank. The address is kept as entered. Terminus Hub does not add a protocol for you. The value is then validated:
  • It must parse as a URL.
  • Its protocol must be one of the field’s allowed_protocols.
  • It must have an address after the protocol, such as a host, or a recipient for mailto:.
  • When validate_url is on, the host is resolved and rejected if it points only at a private or internal address.
There is no live link checking. Terminus Hub does not fetch the URL to confirm the page exists or returns a successful response. Validation is about the shape of the address and, optionally, the kind of host it resolves to.

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Settings reference

SettingRequiredDefaultDescription
allowed_protocolsNo["http", "https"]Which schemes are accepted. Any of http, https, mailto.
validate_urlNoOffWhen on, rejects addresses whose host resolves only to a private or internal network.
default_valueNoNoneA URL used to pre-fill the field for a new submission.
URL fields cannot have a prefix or suffix.

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Example

A destination_url field in a Campaign URL Builder model: 
name: destination_url
type: url
required: true
settings:
  allowed_protocols: [https]
A submitter enters https://shop.acme.example/deals, which is stored as entered. Entering shop.acme.example with no scheme fails validation with must start with one of the following protocols: https. This field then feeds the campaign’s Tagged URL and Short URL fields.

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Gotchas

  • No protocol is added for you. Include http://, https://, or mailto:. A bare host such as acme.example fails validation when allowed_protocols is set.
  • Narrow the protocols to set policy. The default accepts http and https. Set allowed_protocols: [https] to require secure links, or add mailto for email addresses.
  • validate_url blocks internal hosts, not broken links. With it on, an address that resolves only to a private or internal network is rejected. It does not confirm the page loads. Leave it off unless you have a reason to enforce public hosts.
  • It is the base for other link fields. A Tagged URL references a URL field as its base, and a Short URL can point at a URL or a Tagged URL field as its destination.