What a desktop shortcut is and why you'd make one
A desktop shortcut is a small icon on your computer's main screen that opens a program, file, or folder when you click it. Instead of hunting through your Applications folder or Start menu every time, you can keep the things you use most right there on your desktop where you can see them.
Shortcuts are not the actual programs or files — they are links to them. Deleting a shortcut does not delete the real thing. This means you can create as many shortcuts as you want without taking up much space, and you can organize your desktop however makes sense for how you work.
Key Takeaways
- On Windows, right-click an empty spot on your desktop, select "New," then "Shortcut," and paste the location of the program or file you want to link to.
- On Mac, drag a program or file from Finder to your desktop while holding the Command and Option keys together to create a shortcut instead of moving it.
- You can rename a shortcut by right-clicking it and selecting "Rename" on Windows, or by clicking it once and pressing Enter on Mac.
- Shortcuts take up almost no storage space because they only point to the real file, not a copy of it.
Creating a shortcut on Windows
On Windows, the most straightforward way is to use the built-in shortcut wizard. Right-click an empty area of your desktop, then move your mouse to "New" and click "Shortcut" from the menu that appears.
A window will open asking you to enter the location of the item you want to link to. If you are making a shortcut to a program, you can type the program name — for example, notepad for Notepad or calc for Calculator. If you are making a shortcut to a file or folder on your computer, click "Browse" and navigate to it, then click "Next." Give your shortcut a name in the next window and click "Finish."
If you already have a program or file open, you can also right-click it directly in File Explorer, select "Send to," and then "Desktop (create shortcut)." This skips the wizard and puts the shortcut on your desktop immediately.
Creating a shortcut on Mac
On Mac, the process is different because the system does not have a dedicated shortcut wizard. Instead, you create what Mac calls an alias, which works the same way as a Windows shortcut. Open Finder and locate the program or file you want to link to.
Click and hold on the item, then press and hold the Command key and the Option key at the same time while you drag it to your desktop. When you release the mouse, an alias appears on your desktop with a small arrow icon in the corner. That arrow tells you it is a link, not the original.
You can also right-click the program or file, select "Make Alias," and then drag the alias to your desktop. Either method works — use whichever feels more natural to you.
Finding the location of a program you want to shortcut
Sometimes you need to know where a program lives on your computer before you can create a shortcut to it. On Windows, the easiest way is to right-click the program in your Start menu, select "Open file location," and a File Explorer window will open showing you the exact path. You can then copy that path and paste it into the shortcut wizard.
On Mac, open Finder, go to Applications, find the program you want, right-click it, and select "Get Info." The window that opens shows you the full path at the bottom. You can also just drag the program directly to your desktop using the Command-Option method described above — you do not need to know the path.
Renaming and organizing your shortcuts
When you first create a shortcut, it usually has a generic name like "Shortcut to Notepad" or "Alias of Photos." You can change this to anything you want. On Windows, right-click the shortcut, select "Rename," type a new name, and press Enter. On Mac, click the alias once to select it, press Enter, type a new name, and press Enter again.
You can also change the icon that appears for a shortcut. On Windows, right-click the shortcut, select "Properties," click "Change Icon," choose a new one from the list, and click "OK." On Mac, right-click the alias, select "Get Info," click the icon at the top left of the window, and press Delete to use the default icon, or drag a new image onto that space to use a custom one.
Shortcuts to websites and cloud folders
You can also create desktop shortcuts to websites. On Windows, right-click your desktop, select "New" and "Shortcut," then paste the full web address (for example, https://www.google.com) into the location field. On Mac, open your web browser, drag the address bar icon to your desktop, and a shortcut appears.
If you use cloud storage like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox, you can create shortcuts to folders inside them the same way you would for local folders. This gives you quick access to files you share or update often without having to open the storage app first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I delete a shortcut?
Only the shortcut disappears — the original program or file stays exactly where it was. You can always create a new shortcut to it later. Deleting a shortcut is completely safe and does not affect anything else on your computer.
Can I create a shortcut to a shortcut?
Yes, but it is not useful. The shortcut will just point to the first shortcut, which points to the real thing. It works, but you are adding an unnecessary step. Just create a shortcut directly to the original program or file instead.
How many shortcuts can I have on my desktop?
Technically as many as you want — shortcuts use almost no storage space. In practice, most people keep between 5 and 20 on their desktop so they can still see the background and find things quickly. You can organize them into folders if you end up with too many.
Can I move a shortcut to a different folder?
Yes. On both Windows and Mac, you can drag a shortcut anywhere — your Documents folder, a folder on your desktop, or even back to your desktop. The shortcut will still point to the original location no matter where you move it.
Why does my shortcut have a small arrow or different icon?
On Windows, shortcuts often have a small arrow overlay to show they are links. On Mac, aliases have a small arrow in the corner. These visual markers help you tell shortcuts apart from the real files. You can change the icon if you want, but the arrow on Mac cannot be removed.