--- title: "CSV to Internet Shortcuts" description: "Turn a CSV of names and web addresses into Windows .url Internet Shortcuts: one file per row, downloaded together as a ZIP. Paste the sheet or drop the .csv." url: https://findutils.com/convert/csv-to-internet-shortcuts/ category: convert --- # CSV to Internet Shortcuts Turn a CSV of names and web addresses into Windows .url Internet Shortcuts: one file per row, downloaded together as a ZIP. Paste the sheet or drop the .csv. **Use this tool:** [CSV to Internet Shortcuts](https://findutils.com/convert/csv-to-internet-shortcuts/) ## Programmatic access - REST id `csv-to-internet-shortcuts`: POST https://api.findutils.com/api/tools/csv-to-internet-shortcuts/execute (reference: https://findutils.com/api/csv-to-internet-shortcuts/) - MCP tool `csv_to_internet_shortcuts` on https://mcp.findutils.com (reference: https://findutils.com/mcp/csv-to-internet-shortcuts/) - Data: The REST API and the MCP tool are a separate path from this page: a call sends the input you include to FindUtils over HTTPS, where it is processed and the result returned. FindUtils does not store that input, and logs the request without its content. ## Why Use CSV to Internet Shortcuts? A list of links usually lives in a spreadsheet, but a shared desktop, a network folder or a kiosk PC needs them as shortcuts people can double-click. Windows stores a web shortcut as a .url file, a two-line text file, and making them one at a time in Notepad, or writing a PowerShell loop, is slow for more than a handful. This page reads the CSV, finds the URL and name columns by their headers, and writes one Internet Shortcut per row, named after the row and zipped together. It is the reverse of Internet Shortcuts to CSV, so a folder of shortcuts can go to a sheet, be edited, and come back. ## Tips for Building Shortcuts from a CSV - Each file is named after the name column. Characters Windows does not allow in a file name, such as / : * ? " < > |, become an underscore, and a name used twice gets " (2)" so the ZIP never overwrites a shortcut. - A row with no name is named after its site, such as wiki.example.com.url. - Web addresses only is on by default, so file:, ftp: and mailto: rows are skipped with a reason. Turn it off to write those shortcuts too. - A bare domain such as example.com gains https:// so the shortcut opens; the notes say how many did. - A pasted list of links with no header row works too: the first row is read as data. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How do I create .url shortcuts from a list of links? Put the links in a CSV with a url column and a name column, drop it on this page and download the ZIP. Each row becomes a Windows .url Internet Shortcut named after the row, holding [InternetShortcut] and URL= lines, which opens the address in the default browser. ### What columns does the CSV need? Only a column of addresses. A header named url, link, href, address or website is found automatically, and a name, title or label column names the files. Pick the columns yourself when the headers are different, or paste a plain list of links with no header at all. ### What happens to rows without a valid URL? They are skipped and listed by row number with the reason: no address, text that is not an address, or a non-web address such as file: while Web addresses only is on. Every other row still becomes a shortcut. ### How are the shortcut files named? After the name column, with characters Windows does not allow in file names replaced by an underscore. A row with no name is named after its site, and a name that repeats gets " (2)", " (3)" and so on, so no shortcut overwrites another in the ZIP. ### How do I make Mac shortcuts instead? Download the .url files here, then convert them with [URL to Webloc](https://findutils.com/convert/url-to-webloc/). The Mac format for a web shortcut is .webloc, a property list Finder opens with a double-click. ### Can it make .lnk shortcuts? No. A .lnk is a binary Windows shortcut to a program, file or folder. This page writes .url Internet Shortcuts, which point to addresses. ### Does the page open the links? No. Addresses are copied from the CSV as text and never requested, so a link that no longer works still becomes a shortcut and no site learns about your list. ### Is my CSV uploaded? Not on this page. The CSV is read and the .url files and the ZIP are built by JavaScript in your browser tab. The REST API and MCP tool are a separate path: a call sends the input you include to FindUtils over HTTPS, where it is processed and the result returned. FindUtils does not store that input, and logs the request without its content. ### How do I turn .url files back into a CSV? Use [Internet Shortcuts to CSV](https://findutils.com/convert/internet-shortcuts-to-csv/), the reverse of this page. It reads .url files, or a ZIP of them, and writes a CSV of names and URLs. ## Related Tools - [Internet Shortcuts to CSV](https://findutils.com/convert/internet-shortcuts-to-csv/) - [URL to Webloc](https://findutils.com/convert/url-to-webloc/) - [Webloc to URL](https://findutils.com/convert/webloc-to-url/) - [CSV to Bookmarks HTML](https://findutils.com/convert/csv-to-bookmarks-html/) - [Clean ZIP](https://findutils.com/convert/clean-zip/)