Learn How to Put Links on Your Desktop

Understanding Desktop Shortcuts and Links

A desktop link is a small icon that appears on your computer's main screen—the area you see when you turn on your computer or minimize all open windows. This icon acts as a shortcut to files, folders, websites, or programs stored elsewhere on your device. Rather than navigating through multiple folders to find what you need, a desktop link lets you open items with just two clicks.

Get Your Free Gmail Sorting Guide →

Desktop links work differently depending on what they connect to. A link to a website opens your web browser and takes you directly to that website's address. A link to a program launches that software without you having to search for it in your applications folder. A link to a folder opens a window showing all the files inside that folder. A link to a document opens that specific file in whatever program it's associated with—for example, a Word document opens in Microsoft Word.

The visual appearance of desktop links varies. Website links typically show the website's logo or a globe icon. Program links display the application's icon, such as the Firefox logo for a web browser or the Outlook icon for email. Folder links usually appear as small folders. File links show icons representing the file type—a document icon for text files, a spreadsheet icon for Excel files, and so on. Small arrow symbols often appear in the corner of shortcut icons to distinguish them from the actual items they represent.

Desktop links serve a practical purpose: they save time. Instead of opening your browser and typing a web address each time, or navigating through nested folders to find a document, you can click directly from your desktop. People commonly place links to websites they visit daily, work folders they access regularly, or programs they use frequently.

Practical Takeaway: Desktop links are organizational tools that reduce the number of steps needed to reach files, folders, programs, or websites. Understanding what they are and how they function is the first step toward using them effectively on your computer.

Creating Links to Websites on Windows Computers

Windows computers allow you to create desktop links to websites through a straightforward process. The most common method involves using your web browser—whether that's Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Firefox. Each browser works slightly differently, but the general principle remains the same: you're telling your computer to remember a website's address and create a quick way to reach it from your desktop.

Get Your Free Auto Tag Renewal Information Guide →

For Microsoft Edge, start by opening the browser and navigating to the website you want to link to. Once the page loads completely, look at the address bar at the top where the website's address appears. Click on the small icon to the left of the address (this is called the favicon). Hold down your mouse button and drag this icon toward the desktop area. Alternatively, you can right-click on the webpage itself (avoiding any buttons or links on the page) and select "Create shortcut." A dialog box will appear asking where you want to save the shortcut. Choose "Desktop" and click "Create."

For Google Chrome, the process is similarly straightforward. Navigate to your desired website, then click the three vertical dots (the menu icon) in the upper right corner of the browser. Select "More tools" and then "Create shortcut." A window will pop up showing the website's name, which you can edit if desired. Make sure the "Open as window" option is selected if you want the link to open the website in its own window rather than within the browser. Click "Create," and the shortcut will appear on your desktop.

For Firefox, right-click on the address bar where the website address appears, select "Copy," then right-click on an empty area of your desktop. Paste the address, then right-click it again to create a shortcut. Some versions of Firefox also allow you to drag the favicon directly to your desktop as described with Edge.

When creating website links on Windows, you may notice a dialog asking about administrator permissions. This is a security feature. Click "Yes" to proceed. Once created, the link appears on your desktop as an icon. Double-clicking it opens your default web browser and navigates to that website.

Practical Takeaway: Windows users can create website links by dragging favicons to the desktop or using browser menu options. The exact steps vary by browser, but all methods result in a desktop icon that opens your chosen website.

Creating Links to Websites on Mac Computers

Mac computers use a different operating system than Windows, so the process for creating desktop website links differs slightly. Apple's Mac OS system does not natively display website shortcuts on the desktop in the same way Windows does. However, there are several alternative methods that achieve similar results and integrate well with how Macs are designed to work.

Get Your Free Bill Pay Information Guide →

The most straightforward approach is to use Safari, Apple's built-in web browser. Open Safari and navigate to the website you want to link to. Once the page loads, click on "File" in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Select "Add to Reading List" or, depending on your Mac OS version, look for "Add Bookmark." When you create a bookmark, the website is saved and you can access it quickly from your bookmarks menu or bookmarks bar. While this doesn't create a traditional desktop icon like Windows does, it provides fast access to frequently visited sites.

For a more Windows-like experience where an icon appears on your desktop, Mac users can create an application alias. Open Finder, then navigate to Applications. Find your web browser, right-click it, and select "Make Alias." Drag this alias to your desktop. However, clicking it only opens the browser application—not the specific website. To make it open a specific website, you'll need to use a workaround involving creating an Automator action or using third-party applications designed for this purpose.

Another option is to drag the website address directly from the address bar. In Safari, click and hold on the address bar, then drag it to the desktop. Some Mac users find this method works effectively. Once created, clicking the icon opens Safari and navigates to that website. The appearance of these icons may be minimal compared to Windows shortcuts, sometimes showing just a web icon rather than a website-specific logo.

Mac users can also use the Dock—the row of icons at the bottom of the Mac desktop—as an alternative to storing links on the desktop itself. Right-click on the Dock, select "Options," and ensure "Show in Dock" is enabled for your browser. You can then create browser windows or tabs that open to specific websites each time you launch the browser.

Practical Takeaway: Mac computers handle website links differently than Windows. Safari bookmarks, aliases, and Dock customization offer Mac users practical alternatives to achieve quick access to frequently visited websites.

Creating Links to Programs and Files on Your Desktop

Beyond websites, you may want to create desktop links to programs you use regularly or folders and documents you access frequently. The process varies slightly depending on whether you're using Windows or Mac, but both systems allow this customization.

Learn About Fortnite Two-Factor Authentication Security →

On Windows, creating a program shortcut begins by locating the program. You can find most installed programs by clicking the Start menu and scrolling through your applications list. Right-click on the program name and select "Send to," then choose "Desktop (create shortcut)." The shortcut appears immediately on your desktop. If you cannot find the program in the Start menu, you can navigate through File Explorer to the Program Files folder where applications are typically stored. Locate the program's executable file (it usually has the program's logo as its icon), right-click it, and select "Create shortcut." Windows will ask where to place the shortcut—select your desktop.

For file and folder shortcuts on Windows, open File Explorer and locate the file or folder you want to link to. Right-click on it and select "Send to," then "Desktop (create shortcut)." Alternatively, right-click and choose "Copy," then navigate to your desktop, right-click on an empty area, and select "Create shortcut." This creates a link that opens the file in its associated program or displays the folder's contents.

On Mac, the process is comparable. Open Finder and locate the program, file, or folder. Right-click it and select "Make Alias." Drag the alias to your desktop. The alias works identically to the original item—clicking a program alias launches the program, clicking a file alias opens it, and clicking a folder alias displays its contents. Mac aliases are particularly useful because they remain functional even if you move the original item to a different location, though the link will attempt to find the relocated item.

When creating shortcuts to frequently used programs, consider your actual usage patterns. People commonly create shortcuts for email programs, word processors