Which protocol do web browser software use to request web pages from the Internet?

Web browser software primarily uses the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) to request web pages from the Internet. HTTP is the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web. When users enter a URL into a browser, the browser initiates an HTTP request to the server hosting the web page. The server then responds by sending the requested web page back to the browser via HTTP.

HTTP operates at the application layer of the Internet protocol suite and is crucial for transmitting various files, such as HTML documents, images, and other multimedia content, enabling users to navigate and interact with web pages seamlessly. This protocol defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, and it specifies how web servers and browsers should respond to various requests.

In contrast, the other options represent different concepts or components related to web technologies but do not serve the function of directly requesting web pages. URLs are used to specify the address of a web resource, DNS is responsible for translating domain names into IP addresses, and HTML is the markup language used to create the structure and content of web pages. While all are integral to the functioning of the web, only HTTP is the correct protocol for the actual request process initiated by a web browser.