If you want a quick and easy way to access your favorite websites, you can create a desktop shortcut that opens any page instantly. Then you can even add a website shortcut to your Start Menu and Taskbar on a Windows 10 computer or your Launchpad and Dock on a Mac. Here’s how to create a desktop shortcut to a website using Google Chrome and Safari.
How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to a Website Using Chrome
To create a desktop shortcut to a website using Google Chrome, go to a website and click the three dots icon in the upper right corner of your browser window. Then go to More Tools > Create Shortcut. Finally, give your shortcut a name and click Create.
- Open the Chrome web browser. You can do this on a Mac or Windows 10 computer.
- Next, go to the website you want to create a desktop shortcut for. This can be any website you want. However, if you choose a website that requires you to log in, the shortcut will only take you to the login page after you’ve logged out.
- Then click on the three-dot icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
- Then hover over More Tools and click Create Access direct.
- Next, enter a name for your shortcut and click Create. You can also check the Open as window box to have the website open in its own browser window. If you do not check this box, your websites will open in a new tab of your existing browser window. This could cause problems if your browser is set to open with many tabs.
- Finally, you will see your shortcut on the desktop . With this method, you will create a desktop shortcut that has the icon of the website. Double-clicking this shortcut icon will open the website in the Chrome browser.
Note: If you’re using a Mac, you’ll see a Finder pop-up after clicking in Create. All you have to do is drag the shortcut from that Chrome apps folder to your desktop.
Once you’ve created a desktop shortcut on a Windows 10 computer, you’ll see it under your recently added apps and in the Chrome Apps folder in the Start menu. You can then right-click the icon to add it to the taskbar or Start menu.
Once you create the shortcut on a Mac, you’ll see it on your Launchpad. You can also drag the desktop shortcut to your Dock for faster access.
Note: Your website shortcut will only open in the browser you used to create it. If you want to know how to change your default browser on a Windows 10 or Mac computer, check out our step-by-step guide here
If you’re on a Mac, you can also create a desktop shortcut to a website using the Safari web browser. However, this method will be a little trickier if you want a cool icon and shortcut name.
How to Create a Desktop Shortcut to a Website Using Safari
To create a desktop shortcut for a website using Safari, open a browser window and navigate to a website. Then select the URL in the address bar and drag it to your desktop. If you want a clean looking shortcut, you’ll have to change the name and icon yourself.
- Open the Safari web browser. You want to resize your browser so that you can see your desktop.
- Next, go to the website you want to create a desktop shortcut for.
- Next, select the URL in the address bar.
- Then drag the URL to your desktop to create the shortcut. You can also drag the icon to the left of the URL.
This method will give you a shortcut with a long name and a generic icon. If you want to change the name and icon, click on your new shortcut and press Command + I on your keyboard. (You can also right-click the shortcut and select Get Info.) Then click the arrow next to Name and extension and enter a new name in the text box.
Note: You will need to keep the ” .webloc” for the shortcut to work. If you don’t want to see extension, left-click on the desktop and press the Command + Comma keys on your keyboard at the same time. (You can also open Finder and click Finder > Preferences in the Apple menu bar.) Then select the Advanced tab in the pop-up window and uncheck the box next to Show all filename extensions.
You can then use an inline image to replace the shortcut icon – just look for the site’s logo the one you’re creating a shortcut for.If you want it to look clean, it’s best to use a PNG file, so be sure to include that in your search.Next, right-click on the image you want and select Save Image As.
Then open the saved image with the Preview app and select the entire image by left-clicking and dragging a box around the image. (You can also press Command + A on your keyboard.) Then, copy the image by pressing Command + C keys on your keyboard. Then click the icon at the top of the “get info” window you opened earlier and press Command + V to paste the image.
Finally, you can drag your icon to the Dock, but only on the side of the dividing line that separates your apps from your folders and the Recycle Bin.
If you want to know how to change your browser’s default search engine, check out our step-by-step guide here.
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