.URL File Extension
URL Shortcut File
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What is a URL file?
A URL file is a shortcut that points to a specific Uniform Resource Locator. When you double-click a URL file, your computer accesses the URL the file contains. URL files most often contain https: web addresses and are used to access web pages. However, URL files can also contain mailto:, tel:, file:, or other URLs.
More Information
Each URL file contains at least the following plain text information:
[InternetShortcut]
URL=URL Address
For example, a URL file used as a shortcut to start composing an email to [email protected] would contain:
[InternetShortcut]
URL=mailto:[email protected]
In Windows, you can quickly create a URL file that points to a web address by dragging the address from your web browser to your desktop. This is an easy way to create a desktop shortcut to a specific webpage. (On a Mac, dragging a web address to your desktop will instead produce a .WEBLOC file.)
A URL file may also reference an icon (.ICO) file. If an icon file is listed, that icon overwrites the URL file's default icon.
NOTE: Windows does not display the .url file extension, just as it does not display the .LNK file extension for Windows shortcuts.
How to open a URL file
To use a URL file as a URL shortcut, double-click the file. Provided your file is formatted correctly, the URL your file contains will open in your web browser or another associated program.
To view the plain text data a URL file contains, open the file in Microsoft Notepad (Windows), Apple TextEdit (Mac), or any other text editor.