A website shortcut on the Windows 10 desktop can be created by the browser or as a normal URL shortcut. Browser-installed web apps behave differently from simple links.
Steps
- Open the website in your preferred browser.
- Use the browser’s menu to create a shortcut/install the site as an app when that feature is available, or drag the site’s address/lock icon to the desktop where supported.
- Name the shortcut clearly.
- Double-click it and confirm it opens the correct URL in the intended browser.
- If needed, right-click the shortcut to rename or remove it.
How it works
A `.url` desktop shortcut normally opens in the default browser. An installed PWA/web app can have its own window, icon, notifications, and uninstall entry. Choose a PWA only when you want that app-like behavior.
Important considerations
Windows 10 is unsupported. Verify the domain before creating shortcuts to banking, email, or login sites so you do not preserve a phishing URL.
Practical guidance
Chrome, Edge, and other browsers use different wording for ‘Create shortcut’ or ‘Install app,’ and options change over time. A desktop URL shortcut is the most portable concept. If the site later changes domains, update or delete the shortcut so it does not send you to an obsolete destination.
Additional details
You can also right-click the desktop > New > Shortcut and paste the full HTTPS URL, then name it. This works independently of browser-specific install features. Test the destination before keeping it, especially if you copied a URL containing temporary session tokens or tracking parameters.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.