How to create a desktop shortcut for a website

01Method 1: Drag the address (Windows and Mac)

This creates a link file (.url on Windows, .webloc on Mac) that opens in your default browser.

1. 1Open the websiteIn Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari.
2. 2Make the browser window smallerSo you can see part of the desktop.
3. 3Drag the site iconClick and hold the padlock or site icon at the left of the address bar.
4. 4Drop it on the desktopA shortcut file appears; double-click it to open the site.

02Method 2: Windows' New Shortcut

The shortcut opens in your default browser. To change its icon, right-click it, choose Properties, then Change Icon.

1. 1Right-click the desktopChoose New, then Shortcut.
2. 2Paste the web addressThe full address, starting with https://.
3. 3Name the shortcutThen click Finish.

03Method 3: Install the site as an app (Chrome and Edge)

Google's Chrome help describes installing a site from More, then Cast, save, and share, then Install page as app. The site opens in its own window and can be pinned to the taskbar or Dock. Edge offers the same under Apps, then Install this site as an app, and Microsoft's documentation describes installed sites appearing in the Start menu and taskbar. How to make a website an app covers Safari's version on Mac.

04Pinning to the taskbar or Dock

On Windows, an installed web app can be pinned by right-clicking its taskbar icon while open and choosing Pin to taskbar. On Mac, Safari web apps go in the Dock when you add them, and any app can be kept there by right-clicking its icon and choosing Options, then Keep in Dock.

Shortcuts to sites you sign in to (email, banking, work tools) will still ask you to sign in if your browser has signed you out. Installed web apps often keep their own sign-in separate from the browser.

05Troubleshooting

If you run a website, a clear favicon is what people see on these shortcuts, so it is worth getting right.

• Dragging does nothing: make sure you drag from the address bar's site icon, not the tab.
• The shortcut opens the wrong browser: it uses your default browser; change it in your system settings.
• No Install option: try the Chrome menu path above; very old browser versions may not support it.
• The icon is generic: right-click, Properties, Change Icon on Windows to pick another.

06Shortcuts for several sites at once

If you want quick access to many sites, a folder of shortcuts on the desktop or a bookmarks bar is tidier than dozens of icons. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+B (Cmd+Shift+B on Mac) to show the bookmarks bar, then drag addresses onto it. For a team, a single shared start page with the links everyone needs saves each person setting this up.