An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two main functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing. IP addresses are written and displayed in human-readable notations, such as 172.16.254.1 in IPv4, and 2001:db8:0:1234:0:567:8:1 in IPv6. They are usually stored in files on networked computers.
A website’s IP address is a unique string of numbers that identifies it. We use domain names instead of IP addresses because they are easier for humans to remember.