# admin/setting/modsettingurl

<div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" dir="ltr" id="bkmrk-url-url-resource-set" lang="en">This page explores in more detail the settings for the URL resource once you have added it to your course and also covers the Site administration settings.

- [<span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">General</span>](#bkmrk-general)
- [<span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Appearance</span>](#bkmrk-appearance)
- [<span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">URL variables</span>](#bkmrk-url-variables)
- [<span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Other settings</span>](#bkmrk-other-settings)
- [<span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Drag and Drop a URL</span>](#bkmrk-drag-and-drop-a-url)
- [<span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">URL module capabilities</span>](#bkmrk-url-module-capabilit-1)
- [<span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">Site administration settings</span>](#bkmrk-site-administration--1)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.1</span> <span class="toctext">Frame height</span>](#bkmrk-frame-height)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.2</span> <span class="toctext">Password</span>](#bkmrk-password)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.3</span> <span class="toctext">Allow URL variables</span>](#bkmrk-allow-url-variables)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.4</span> <span class="toctext">Include role names in parameters</span>](#bkmrk-include-role-names-i-1)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.5</span> <span class="toctext">Available display options</span>](#bkmrk-available-display-op-1)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.6</span> <span class="toctext">Default values for activity settings</span>](#bkmrk-default-values-for-a-1)
    - [<span class="tocnumber">7.7</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span>](#bkmrk-see-also)

</div>## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-general">General</span>

Give the URL a name and a description if required, checking the box if you want the description to display on the course page.

In External tool, type the full web address of your URL or click the Choose a link button for more options.

## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-appearance">Appearance</span>

<dl id="bkmrk-display"><dt>Display</dt><dd></dd></dl>

- *Automatic* - Make the best guess at what should happen (probably what is wanted 99% of the time).
- *Embed* - Show the Moodle page with heading, blocks and footer. Show the title/description of the item and display the file directly in the page as well
- *Open* - No Moodle heading, blocks, footer or description - just show the file in the web browser (e.g. shows image, PDF, flash animation, taking up the whole browser window)
- *In pop-up* - Same as 'Open', but opens a new browser window to show this file (without the Moodle heading, blocks, etc.) - this browser window also does not have all the menus in it. If you select this one, then you can specify the pop-up width and height.

You can also have 'in frame' or 'New window' but these must be enabled by the administrator. If you don't see an option, ask the administrator to enable it in *Site administration &gt;Plugins &gt;Activity modules &gt;URL.*

## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-url-variables">URL variables</span>

This section allows you to pass internal information as part of the URL. Site administration setting [Allow URL variables](#bkmrk-allow-url-variables) must be enabled to use these.

This is useful if the URL is actually an interactive web page that takes parameters, and you want to pass something like the name of the current user, for example.

Another use is to create stable links that updates in each iteration of the course, for example:

if you want to link to the student's user report, then you add the base URL to the External URL field, and then in the URL variables section, add 'id' to the first field and select 'id' from under the site heading, and then save changes. The "base URL" is the fixed part of the URL, before the '?'. The result is a URL that always points to the student's user report.

A further use includes displaying all forums in a site, by using the base URL then adding add 'id' to the first field and selecting 'id' from under the site heading. Another use makes use of [mailto:email@address](mailto:email@address). URL variables could then include the subject parameter followed by the 'Site full name'. E.g. if you wanted to email a teacher who taught multiple courses, if a student clicked the URL then the email would automatically fill the subject field, which would help the teacher to identify which course the student was in.

## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-other-settings">Other settings</span>

Depending on what is enabled for your site and course, you may also need to explore [Common module settings](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Common_module_settings "Common module settings"), [Restrict access](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Restrict_access "Restrict access"), [Activity completion](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Activity_completion "Activity completion"), [Tags](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Tags "Tags") and [Competencies](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Competencies "Competencies")

## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-drag-and-drop-a-url">Drag and Drop a URL</span>

If an administrator has enabled the experimental feature drag and drop upload of text/links in *Settings &gt; Site administration &gt; Development &gt; Experimental &gt; [Experimental settings](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Experimental_settings "Experimental settings")*, a link can be dragged into a section of the course and given a name, as shown in the images below.

<table id="bkmrk-adding-a-url-using-d"><tbody><tr><td><figure class="mw-default-size">[![300px-dragURL.png](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/images_en/thumb/0/00/dragURL.png/300px-dragURL.png)](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/File:dragURL.png)<figcaption>Adding a URL using drag and drop</figcaption></figure></td></tr></tbody></table>

## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-url-module-capabilit-1">URL module capabilities</span>

- [View URL resource](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Capabilities/mod/url:view "Capabilities/mod/url:view")
- [Add a new URL resource](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/Capabilities/mod/url:addinstance "Capabilities/mod/url:addinstance")

## <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-site-administration--1">Site administration settings</span>

The URL resource has additional settings which may be changed by an administrator in *Administration &gt; Site administration &gt; Plugins &gt; Activity modules &gt; URL*.

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-frame-height">Frame height</span>

Here you can specify the height of the top frame (containing the navigation) if you choose the "in frame" display option. Note:If your theme has a large header then the height should be increased to prevent horizontal and vertical scrollbars.

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-password">Password</span>

Here you can add a password that will connect your users to a secure site. [See this forum post](http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=189842#p826416) for more details.

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-allow-url-variables">Allow URL variables</span>

Show the *URL variables* section on the URL resource's settings page. Variables enable you to pass internal information, such as the user's name, as part of the URL. Be aware of potential data protection issues when using this feature, for example, this may pass user information to a third party.

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-include-role-names-i-1">Include role names in parameters</span>

This setting is only available if *Allow URL variables* is enabled.

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-available-display-op-1">Available display options</span>

This setting allows you to add different ways the resource may be displayed on the course page. There are a number of defaults but you can add or change them here. Other display options are:

- *In frame* - show the Moodle heading and the file description, with the file displayed in a resizeable area below
- *New window* - very much like 'in pop-up', but the new window is a full browser window, with menus and address bar, etc.

<span class="mw-default-size">[![Display.gif](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/images_en/d/df/Display.gif)](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/File:Display.gif)</span>

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-default-values-for-a-1">Default values for activity settings</span>

Here you can set the defaults for this resource.

### <span class="mw-headline" id="bkmrk-see-also">See also</span>

Form discussions:

- [URL Resource - adding a URL Variable](https://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=389552#p1570270)

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<small>Source: [docs.moodle.org/503/en/admin/setting/modsettingurl](https://docs.moodle.org/503/en/admin/setting/modsettingurl) — MoodleDocs (GPL) · Imported 2026-11-10.</small>