How to Create a Desktop Shortcut for Any Website in Windows 11

If you visit a specific website multiple times a day—such as a company portal, a web-based email client, or a favorite news outlet—opening your browser and typing the URL every single time can become tedious.

While you can use browser bookmarks, Windows 11 allows you to place a direct shortcut to any website right on your desktop. This means you can launch your favorite sites instantly with a single double-click, just like opening a native application.

In this guide, you will learn the two easiest methods to create a desktop shortcut for a website in Windows 11.

Method 1: The Drag-and-Drop Method

If you are already viewing the website in a web browser like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox, this is the absolute fastest way to create a shortcut.

1. Open your web browser and navigate to the website you want to save (e.g., digitash.com).
2. Click the Restore Down button in the top-right corner of your browser window (the button between the minimize line and the closing X). This will shrink the window so you can see a portion of your Windows 11 desktop behind it.
3. Look at the URL address bar at the top of your browser. To the immediate left of the URL, there is a small icon (usually a padlock symbolizing a secure connection).
4. Click and hold your mouse button on that padlock icon.
5. Drag the icon directly onto your desktop workspace.
6. Release the mouse button.

A new shortcut icon will instantly appear on your desktop with the name of the website. Double-clicking it will open that site in your default browser.

Method 2: The Right-Click Method

If you do not have the browser open, or if you want to manually create a shortcut for a URL you copied to your clipboard, you can use the Windows right-click menu.

1. Right-click on any empty, blank space on your Windows 11 desktop.
2. In the context menu that appears, hover over New.
3. From the sub-menu, click Shortcut.
4. A “Create Shortcut” wizard window will appear. In the box labeled “Type the location of the item,” paste or type the full URL of the website (e.g., https://www.example.com).
5. Click the Next button.
6. In the final screen, type a name for your new shortcut (e.g., “Company Portal”).
7. Click the Finish button.

Instant Access to the Web

By creating desktop shortcuts for your most-used websites, you effectively turn web apps into desktop apps. You can even take this a step further by dragging these new desktop shortcuts down to your Windows 11 Taskbar, allowing you to launch them with a single click without ever minimizing your current work.