How to Create an Internet Shortcut in Windows 10

To create an internet shortcut in Windows 10, open the website in your browser, make the browser window smaller so you can see the desktop, and drag the icon at the left of the address bar onto the desktop. Windows creates a shortcut that opens that page when you double-click it.

That is the shortest route, and it works in Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge. You can also right-click the desktop and choose New > Shortcut, or use the shortcut tools built into Chrome and Edge. Each method is covered separately below, along with how to rename, remove, and troubleshoot the shortcut.

Before You Start

An internet shortcut is a small desktop icon that stores a web address. It is only a link. It does not save the page for offline use, and it does not sign you in to anything.

• Windows version: these steps are written for Windows 10. Microsoft lists the same desktop steps for Windows 11.
• Browser: menu names come from the current help pages for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. If a label looks different on your PC, update the browser first.
• Account: you do not need an administrator account to add a shortcut to your own desktop.
• The address: have the page you want open in a browser tab, or have its full address ready to paste.

Method 1: Drag the Address Bar Icon to the Desktop

This is the method Microsoft describes for web pages in its guide to customizing desktop icons in Windows. Mozilla gives the same steps for Firefox.

1. Open your browser and go to the page you want the shortcut to open.
2. If the browser fills the screen, select the Restore Down button (the overlapping squares at the top right), then drag a window edge until part of the desktop is visible.
3. Find the icon just to the left of the web address. Microsoft calls it View site information; it looks like a padlock or a pair of sliders, depending on the browser.
4. Click that icon and hold the mouse button down.
5. Drag the pointer to an empty part of the desktop, then release the button.

A new icon named after the page appears on the desktop. Mozilla notes that a shortcut made this way opens in your default browser, which is the browser Windows uses for web links. That may not be the browser you dragged it from.

Method 2: Use New > Shortcut on the Desktop

Use this method if you already have the address copied, or if dragging is awkward on your screen. It does not need a browser window open.

1. Copy the full web address, including the https:// at the start. In most browsers you can click the address bar and press Ctrl + C.
2. Press Windows key + D to show the desktop.
3. Right-click an empty area of the desktop.
4. Select New, then Shortcut. The Create Shortcut window opens.
5. Click the Type the location of the item box and press Ctrl + V to paste the address.
6. Select Next.
7. Type a name for the shortcut. This is the label shown under the icon.
8. Select Finish.

The shortcut appears on the desktop and opens the address in your default browser. If you leave out the https:// part, Windows may not recognize the entry as a web address, so paste the complete address.

Method 3: Create a Website Shortcut in Google Chrome

Chrome has its own command for this. These steps follow Google’s Create shortcuts for websites in Chrome help page.

1. Open Chrome and go to the website.
2. Select More (the three dots) at the top right.
3. Select Cast, save, and share, then Create shortcut.
4. In the box that appears, keep the suggested name or type a new one.
5. Select Create.

Chrome adds a shortcut for the site. Because Chrome makes this shortcut itself, expect it to open in Chrome even when another browser is your default. Older versions of Chrome kept this command under More tools, so update Chrome if you do not see Cast, save, and share.

Method 4: Create a Website Shortcut in Firefox

Firefox does not have a menu command for desktop shortcuts. Mozilla’s desktop shortcut article uses the drag method instead.

1. Resize the Firefox window so you can see the desktop and Firefox at the same time.
2. Click and hold the padlock icon on the left side of the address bar. If you only see a shield icon, Mozilla says to click the shield first and then use the padlock.
3. Keep the mouse button held down, move the pointer to the desktop, and let go.

A shortcut to the page appears on your desktop. It opens in your default browser, so make Firefox the default if you want these shortcuts to open there. Mozilla’s article also links to a fix for cases where dragging does nothing.

Method 5: Create a Website Shortcut in Microsoft Edge

You can use the drag method from Method 1 in Edge. Edge can also install a site as an app, which means the site opens in its own separate window, and then add a desktop shortcut for that app. The steps come from Microsoft’s Edge apps support page.

1. Open the website in Edge.
2. Select Settings and more (the three dots), then Apps > Install this site as an app, and select Install. In some versions of Edge, Apps is under More tools.
3. Type edge://apps in the address bar and press Enter.
4. Select Details on the card for the site you just installed.
5. Select Create Desktop shortcut.

A desktop shortcut opens the site in a separate app window. The same Details screen also has Pin to taskbar and Pin to Start.

Which Browser Will Open the Shortcut?

This is the main difference between the methods, and the most common surprise.

How you made it	What opens it
Dragged from the address bar	Your default browser
New > Shortcut with a web address	Your default browser
Chrome’s Create shortcut command	Chrome
Edge app with Create Desktop shortcut	Its own Edge app window

To change which browser handles the first two types, open Settings, select Apps, then Default apps, and choose a different web browser. Microsoft explains the options in Change default apps in Windows.

If you want one shortcut to always open in Edge without changing your default, Microsoft documents a variation of Method 2. In the Type the location of the item box, enter the path to Edge in quotation marks, then a space, then the web address, for example "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge_proxy.exe" https://www.example.com. The details are in Microsoft’s article on website shortcuts that open in Edge. If Windows reports that it cannot find the file, Edge is installed in a different folder on your PC.

Pin a Website to the Taskbar Instead

If you would rather keep the desktop clear, Microsoft’s Edge pin-to-taskbar page says to open the website in Edge, select Settings and more, choose More tools, and then select Pin to taskbar.

An icon for the site is added to the Windows taskbar.

Check the Shortcut, Rename It, or Remove It

• Test it: double-click the new icon. The page should open in a browser window within a few seconds.
• Rename it: right-click the icon, select Rename, type a new name, and press Enter.
• Move it: drag the icon to another spot on the desktop or into a folder.
• Remove it: right-click the icon and select Delete. Only the link goes to the Recycle Bin. The website, your bookmarks, and your browser are not affected.
• Remove an Edge app: deleting the desktop icon leaves the app installed. To remove it fully, go to edge://apps, select Details, then Uninstall.

Troubleshooting

• The shortcut does not show up. Desktop icons may be hidden. Right-click an empty area of the desktop, select View, and make sure Show desktop icons is checked.
• The icons are too small to find. In the same View menu, choose Large icons or Medium icons, or hold Ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel over the desktop.
• Dragging does nothing. Make sure you grab the icon beside the address, not the address text. If it still fails, use Method 2, which needs no dragging.
• Chrome has no Create shortcut command. Look under Cast, save, and share. If that menu is missing, update Chrome and check again.
• Edge has no Install this site as an app option. On a work or school PC, your organization may control this part of Edge. Use Method 1 or Method 2 instead.
• The shortcut opens in the wrong browser. See the table above, then either change your default browser or remake the shortcut with the method that matches the browser you want.

A Note on Windows 10

Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Your PC and these shortcut steps still work, but Windows 10 no longer gets free security fixes from Windows Update. If you are moving to a newer PC, see our guide to making a desktop shortcut for a website in Windows 11.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to put a website on the Windows 10 desktop?

Shrink the browser window so the desktop is visible, then drag the padlock or site information icon from the left of the address bar onto the desktop. It takes one drag and works in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

Can I create a website shortcut without opening a browser?

Yes. Right-click the desktop, select New > Shortcut, paste the full web address into the location box, select Next, type a name, and select Finish.

Does deleting the shortcut delete anything else?

No. A desktop shortcut is only a link to the web address. Deleting it does not remove the website, your browser, your bookmarks, or your saved sign-in details.

Is a desktop shortcut the same as a bookmark?

No. A bookmark lives inside one browser. A desktop shortcut is a separate icon on the Windows desktop that you can open without starting the browser first.

Do these steps work in Windows 11?

Yes. Microsoft’s desktop icon guide lists the same New > Shortcut and drag methods for Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the Chrome, Firefox, and Edge steps are the same in both.