Abstract: In a proxy server, variable length URLs are digested and thereby homogenized, such that each URL is converted to a URL fingerprint that has a unique identity and a same fixed size. The URL fingerprint is used to map the URL to a proxy server cache directory structure. A unique file name may also be generated from the URL fingerprint for each URL. The same bits are used in the file name, such that any given file can be remapped later to a directory structure that had been expanded or collapsed, so that the first bits are not unique to a particular hierarchy. A unique cache information file is included in the directory to store document-related information for each other file in the directory for quick access. Accordingly, the invention provides an addressing and cache organization scheme that allows quick access to documents that contain all the relevant information for each of the URLs.