How to Make a Desktop Shortcut for a Website in Windows 11

To make a desktop shortcut for a website in Windows 11, right-click the desktop, select New > Shortcut, paste the website address, select Next, type a name, and select Finish. The shortcut opens the site in your default browser. Chrome also has a Create shortcut menu option, and you can drag the site icon from the address bar in Firefox and other browsers.

These steps work in Windows 11 with current versions of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Firefox. The New > Shortcut method doesn’t depend on the browser at all.

Which Method Should You Use?

Method	Opens in	Icon	Best for
New > Shortcut	Your default browser	Your default browser’s icon	Any browser, any page
Drag the site icon	Your default browser	Your default browser’s icon	The fastest route
Chrome Create shortcut	Chrome, even if it isn’t your default	The site’s own icon	Chrome users who want the site logo
Install the site as an app	Its own window, without tabs	The site’s own icon	Email, calendars and tools you keep open

If you aren’t sure, start with New > Shortcut. It works the same in every browser, and you can point it at any page, not just a home page.

Create a Website Shortcut With New Shortcut

1. Open the website in your browser and go to the exact page you want the shortcut to open, such as your inbox or a specific report.
2. Click the address bar and press Ctrl + C to copy the address.
3. Press Windows key + D to show the desktop. Right-click an empty area and select New > Shortcut. The Create Shortcut window opens.
4. Press Ctrl + V to paste the address into the Type the location of the item box. It should start with https://.

5. Select Next.
6. Type a name for the shortcut in Type a name for this shortcut, then select Finish.

The shortcut appears on your desktop. Double-click it to check that it opens the right page. It opens in your default browser, no matter which browser you copied the address from. If that isn’t the one you want, change the default browser in Windows 11.

If you type the address instead of pasting it, include the https:// part. Without it, Windows may treat the text as a file name and say it can’t find the item.

Drag the Site Icon From the Address Bar

This works in Firefox, Chrome and Edge. Mozilla documents it for Firefox in its desktop shortcut help.

1. Open the website. If the browser fills the screen, select the Restore Down button at the top right so you can see part of the desktop.
2. Click and hold the padlock or site information icon at the left end of the address bar. In some Firefox versions, you may need to select the shield icon first and then drag the padlock.
3. Drag it onto the desktop and release the mouse button.

The shortcut works the same way as one made with New > Shortcut and opens in your default browser. If dragging doesn’t create anything, use the New > Shortcut steps above. In Firefox you can also drag a saved bookmark from the Bookmarks menu or the Library window onto the desktop.

Create a Shortcut From Chrome’s Menu

1. Open the website in Chrome.
2. Select the three-dot More menu at the top right, then Cast, save, and share.
3. Select Create shortcut.
4. Keep the suggested name in the Name box or type a new one, then select Create.

Chrome puts the shortcut on your desktop with the site’s own icon. Unlike the first two methods, this shortcut always opens in Chrome, even if another browser is your default. Google covers it in Create shortcuts for websites in Chrome. Older Chrome versions put Create shortcut under More tools. If you want the site in its own window without tabs, use Install page as app instead, described below.

Install the Site as an App

An installed site opens in its own window without tabs or an address bar, and it gets an entry in the Start menu. Sites built as web apps, such as many email and streaming services, work best this way. Getting the YouTube app on Windows 11 is a good example of this.

For a streaming example, here’s how to get JioHotstar on a Windows 11 laptop.

Microsoft Edge

1. Open the website in Edge.
2. Select Settings and more (…) > More tools > Apps > Install this site as an app. In some Edge versions, Apps appears directly in the main menu.
3. Keep or change the name, then select Install. The site opens in its own window.
4. To add a desktop icon, type edge://apps in the address bar and press Enter.
5. Select Details on the app’s card, then select Create Desktop shortcut.

The same Details page has Pin to taskbar and Pin to Start. Microsoft covers installed sites in its Edge apps help page. Edge can also add a web page to the Start menu or taskbar.

Google Chrome

1. Open the website in Chrome.
2. Select More > Cast, save, and share > Install page as app, then follow the prompt and select Install. Some sites also show an Install icon at the right end of the address bar.
3. To add a desktop icon, type chrome://apps in the address bar, right-click the new app, and select Create shortcut.
4. Choose where the shortcut should appear, such as the desktop, then select Create.

These steps come from Google’s Chrome web app help.

Firefox

Firefox 143 and later can install sites as web apps from the web apps button in the address bar. Firefox from the Microsoft Store needs version 150 or later. Installed web apps go to the Start menu and taskbar rather than the desktop; details are in Use web apps in Firefox for Windows. Gmail makes a good example: you can put a Gmail icon on your desktop or pin Gmail to the taskbar in Windows 11.

Make a Shortcut Open in a Specific Browser

If you want a site to always open in Chrome, even though Edge is your default, point the shortcut at the browser and add the address after it. In the New > Shortcut location box, type something like:

"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" https://www.bing.com

Keep the quotation marks around the browser’s path, and leave one space before the web address. The path can differ on your PC, so right-click the browser’s own shortcut and select Properties to copy its location from the Target box. This kind of shortcut shows the browser’s icon, which you can change with the steps below.

Rename, Edit or Change a Website Shortcut’s Icon

To rename a shortcut, right-click it, select Rename (or press F2), type the new name, and press Enter.

To change the page it opens or its icon:

1. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
2. For a shortcut made with New > Shortcut or by dragging, open the Web Document tab. Edit the address in the URL box if you want it to open a different page.

3. Select Change Icon, pick an icon, and select OK.
4. Select OK again to save. For shortcuts made by Chrome or a specific browser, the same Change Icon button is on the Shortcut tab.

Delete a Website Shortcut

Select the shortcut and press Delete, or right-click it and select the Delete icon. This removes only the desktop icon. The website, your bookmarks and any installed app stay as they are, and you can restore the shortcut from the Recycle Bin if you change your mind. To remove an installed site app completely, uninstall it from edge://apps (select Details > Uninstall) or, in Chrome, open the app and select More > Uninstall.

If the Shortcut Doesn’t Work

• Nothing appears when you drag the icon: the browser window is probably maximized. Select Restore Down so you can see the desktop, then drag again, or use New > Shortcut.
• All your desktop icons are missing: right-click the desktop, select View, and make sure Show desktop icons is checked. If your desktop is backed up to OneDrive, your shortcuts may be in the OneDrive Desktop folder. If they still don’t show, there are more fixes for desktop icons in Windows.
• The shortcut opens the wrong browser: shortcuts from New > Shortcut and dragging follow your default browser. Change it in Settings > Apps > Default apps, as described on Microsoft’s default apps page, or use the specific-browser method above. You don’t need to recreate existing shortcuts.
• The shortcut has a plain browser icon: that’s normal for New > Shortcut. Use Chrome’s Create shortcut or install the site as an app if you want the site’s logo, or change the icon in Properties.
• The site asks you to sign in every time: the shortcut only opens the address. If you stay signed in when you open the site in your browser, you will in the shortcut too, as long as it opens in that same browser.
• Create shortcut or Install this site as an app is missing or greyed out: check that you’re using the browser’s own menu, not a menu on the web page. On a work or school PC, your organization may turn off installing sites as apps.

Frequently Asked Questions