How to Create Desktop Shortcuts in Windows 11

Create shortcuts using the New Item wizard

The built-in shortcut wizard is the most flexible method. It links apps, files, folders and network locations to your desktop, and it works the same way on Windows 11 Home and Pro.

In short, you right-click an empty spot on the desktop, pick New, and then select Shortcut. You type the path to the item or click Browse to find it. Then you click Next, name the icon, and click Finish. The detailed steps follow below.

Follow these steps to create a desktop shortcut in Windows 11 for any app, file or folder.

1. Right-click on🖱️ any empty space on your desktop.
2. Select New, then select Shortcut. (If you don’t see this, click Show more options first).

1. Right-click any empty space on your desktop. A context menu🖱️ (the list of options that appears when you right-click) opens.
2. Choose New, then Shortcut. If you do not see these options, click Show more options first. This opens the full classic menu, and pressing Shift+F10 does the same thing. The Create Shortcut window opens and asks for the location of the item.

3. Type or paste the full path of the item. Unsure of the location? Click the Browse button to open a file picker and find it.

4. Select the folder or file you want. For example, to link to the Documents folder, locate it in the Browse for Files or Folders window.
5. Click OK. The full path now appears in the location box.

6. Click Next. The wizard now asks you to name the shortcut.

7. Type a clear name for the shortcut. Windows fills in a default, but you can replace it with something shorter.
8. Click Finish. The new icon appears on your desktop right away.

That’s it. You now have a working desktop shortcut that opens the item with a double-click. To undo it, right-click the icon and choose Delete. Only the shortcut is removed, not the original item.

The same steps answer the common question of how to create a shortcut to a folder. Browse to the folder in step 4 instead of a file, and the icon opens that folder in File Explorer. This works well for project folders, network shares and anything buried several levels deep.

If you already have the path, select the item in File Explorer and press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy its path. You can then paste it into the location box in step 3.

Create shortcuts using the Send to command

If you already have File Explorer open, the Send to menu creates a shortcut even faster. There is no path to type or browse for. Find the file, folder or app in File Explorer, right-click it, and look for Send to, then Desktop (create shortcut).

In Windows 11 the Send to option is in the classic menu, so click Show more options first. Holding Shift while you right-click also opens the classic menu directly. This is the quickest way to make a shortcut to a folder when you are already looking at it.

1. Open File Explorer📁 and find the file or folder you want to link.
2. Right-click the item.
3. Select Show more options if needed, then choose Send to, and select Desktop (create shortcut).

The shortcut appears on the desktop with the original name and a small arrow on the icon. The arrow marks it as a shortcut rather than the real file. You can rename it by selecting it and pressing F2.

That’s it. The item now has a desktop shortcut, and the original stays where it was. If you change your mind, delete the icon and nothing else is affected.

Create shortcuts from the Start menu

Converting installed apps into desktop icons takes only a few clicks. Open the Start menu, click All apps, and find the app in the list. Then follow the steps below.

Some apps from the Microsoft Store behave differently from classic desktop programs. If one will not drag to the desktop, look for its entry in the Start menu and try the shortcut wizard instead. For a classic program, you can also right-click it in the Start menu and look under More for Open file location, then use Send to from there.

1. Click the Start menu and select All apps.
2. Simply click and drag any app icon directly onto your desktop.

After the last step, the app’s icon should sit on your desktop. Double-click it to check that it launches.

That’s it. You now have a desktop icon for the app, and the Start menu entry is unchanged. Delete the icon at any time without uninstalling the app.

Create shortcuts for websites

Favourite websites open instantly when you turn their web addresses into desktop icons. A website shortcut opens in your default browser. Before you start, copy the full address, including https://, from the address bar.

You can paste the address into the location box of the shortcut wizard described earlier. Many browsers also have their own option to create a site shortcut from the browser menu. The menu wording differs between browsers, so check the one you use.

1. Open your web browser and go to the website.
2. Highlight the website address in the top bar.
3. Click and drag the address directly onto your desktop.

Give the shortcut the name of the site so you can tell it apart from your file shortcuts. If the icon looks generic, you can change it in the next section.

That’s it. Double-clicking the new icon now opens the site in your default browser. To remove it, right-click the icon and choose Delete.

How to change the icon of a shortcut

Desktop customization lets you change the appearance of any shortcut icon. This helps when you have several similar shortcuts and want to spot the right one quickly. The change only affects the shortcut, never the original app or file.

Start by right-clicking the shortcut and choosing Properties. Then open the Shortcut tab and click Change Icon. You can pick one of the icons in the list or click Browse to choose an icon file of your own.

1. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties.
2. Go to the Shortcut tab and click the Change Icon button.
3. Select a new icon from the list or browse for your own file.
4. Click OK to save your changes.

You should now see the new icon on your desktop. If it still shows the old picture, refresh the desktop by right-clicking an empty space and choosing Refresh (you may need Show more options first).

To undo the change, open the same window, click Change Icon again, and pick the original icon. In many cases the Restore Defaults button there does this for you.

Troubleshooting desktop shortcuts

Broken desktop shortcuts usually mean the original file was moved, renamed or deleted. Double-clicking one shows an error that the item can’t be found. Updating the file path fixes these broken shortcuts in Windows 11.

1. Right-click the broken shortcut and choose Properties. The Properties window opens.
2. Open the Shortcut tab. The Target field shows the old path the shortcut still points to.
3. Click in the Target field and replace the old path with the new location of the item. If you do not know where the item went, search for its name in File Explorer📁.
4. Click Apply, then OK. Double-click the shortcut to confirm it opens the item.

That’s it. The shortcut now points to the item’s new location. If the item was deleted and you can’t restore it, delete the shortcut and create a new one.

Summary

Time management improves when desktop shortcuts are set up in Windows 11. Several methods exist, including the New Item wizard, the Send to menu and drag-and-drop from the Start menu. Pick the one that fits the item you are linking.

For a shortcut to a folder, the wizard with Browse or the Send to menu is usually quickest. Keep your shortcut names short and clear so the desktop stays quick to scan.