If the first thing you do every morning is open your browser and load your company’s intranet portal, a dashboard, or your favourite news site, you can save time by automating this process. Windows 11 allows you to place website shortcuts directly into the system Startup folder, ensuring your essential web pages launch automatically the moment you log in.
Step 1: Create a Website Shortcut
First, we need to create a physical shortcut file for the website on your desktop.
- Open your preferred web browser (Edge, Chrome, or Firefox).
- Navigate to the exact website or dashboard you want to open automatically.
- Resize your browser window so you can see a portion of your Windows desktop.
- Look at the address bar at the top of your browser. Click and hold the small padlock icon (or the site information icon) located just to the left of the URL.
- Drag the padlock icon out of the browser and drop it directly onto your desktop.
You should now see a new shortcut icon on your desktop containing the name of the website.
Step 2: Move It to the Startup Folder
Now, we need to tell Windows to execute this shortcut during the boot sequence.
- Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialogue box.
- Type exactly
shell:startupinto the text box and press Enter. - A new File Explorer window will open. This is your personal Windows Startup folder. Any program or file placed in this folder will launch when you log in.
- Click and drag the website shortcut you created on your desktop into this Startup folder.
- Close the folder.
The next time you turn on your PC or restart Windows 11, your default web browser will automatically open and load that specific URL, ensuring your digital workspace is ready before you even touch your mouse.