URL to Webloc

Drop .url files or a ZIP of themWindows Internet Shortcuts to Mac .webloc (XML property list).

Processed in your browser: the files are not uploaded to FindUtils and none of their links is opened. Analytics and ads may load on the page.

Going the other way? Webloc to URL →

Why Use URL to Webloc?

Windows saves a web link as a .url Internet Shortcut: drag an address out of the browser onto the desktop, keep an old Favorites folder, or get a ZIP of links from a Windows colleague. On a Mac those files are not the .webloc shortcuts Finder makes itself, and rebuilding each one by hand means copying the URL= line out of every file. URL to Webloc reads a whole pile of .url files at once, in the browser, and writes each as a .webloc with the same name.

A Windows Internet Shortcut (.url) is a small INI text file. Its [InternetShortcut] section holds a URL= line with the address, often with icon settings next to it. URL to Webloc reads that section with the same parser as Internet Shortcuts to CSV, matching keys in any letter case and accepting CRLF line endings, a byte order mark and the extra sections some browsers add.

For each shortcut with a URL it writes a Mac .webloc: an XML property list whose dictionary has one URL key holding the address, the form current macOS writes and Finder opens. It writes XML, not a binary property list. One converted file downloads on its own; several download together as url-webloc.zip.

Files that cannot be converted are listed with the reason and the rest still convert: an empty file, a file with no [InternetShortcut] section, a section with no URL= line, an address containing a control character a property list cannot hold, a binary .lnk shortcut, or a .webloc that is already a Mac shortcut. The addresses are copied exactly as written and never requested.

How it compares

On a Mac you can make a .webloc by dragging a link out of Safari, but that means opening every .url in a text editor first to find its address. Online converters usually take one file at a time and require uploading it. This page converts a whole folder or ZIP of .url files in one step and does it in the tab without uploading the files.

Tips for Converting .url Files

Each .webloc keeps the name of its .url, so Team Wiki.url becomes Team Wiki.webloc. Two files with the same name get " (2)" added so the ZIP never overwrites one.
Key names are matched in any letter case, and Windows CRLF line endings, a byte order mark and extra browser sections before [InternetShortcut] are all accepted.
A .lnk file is a binary shortcut to a program, folder or document, not a web link. It is listed as skipped rather than guessed at.
A shortcut that points to a file: or other non-web address is still converted, and a note says so, since it may not open on a Mac.
To go the other way, from Mac .webloc files to Windows .url, use Webloc to URL.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open a Windows .url file on a Mac?

Convert it to a .webloc. Drop the .url on this page and download the .webloc; Finder opens that in the default browser with a double-click. To only read the address, open the .url in TextEdit and look for the URL= line.

What is inside the .webloc this page writes?

An XML property list with one dictionary holding a URL key and the address as a string. That is the format current macOS uses for the .webloc files Finder creates. The preview on the page shows the XML of the first file.

Does it write binary .webloc files?

No. It writes XML .webloc files, which current macOS opens. The binary property list form some older systems used is not written.

Can I convert a whole folder of .url files at once?

Yes. Select all the files and drop them, or compress the folder into a ZIP and drop that. Every .url inside the ZIP is read, including those in subfolders, and the results download together as url-webloc.zip.

Why was a file skipped?

Each skipped file is listed with its reason: the file is empty, it has no [InternetShortcut] section, the section has no URL= line, or the address contains a control character that a property list cannot hold. A .lnk file is skipped because it is a binary Windows shortcut, and a .webloc is skipped because it is already a Mac shortcut.

Does it work with .lnk shortcuts?

No. A .lnk file is a Shell Link, a binary format that points to programs, folders and documents rather than a web address. It is listed as skipped instead of being guessed at.

Does the page open or check the links?

No. The addresses are copied as text and never requested, so a link that no longer works still converts and no website learns about your shortcuts.

Are my files uploaded?

No. The .url files and ZIPs are read by JavaScript in your browser tab and the .webloc files are created there. Analytics and ads may load on the page, but no request carries your files or the links in them.

How do I convert .webloc files to .url?

Use Webloc to URL, the reverse of this page. It reads XML and binary .webloc files and writes Windows Internet Shortcuts.

Run it from code

$ curl -X POST \
  api.findutils.com/api/tools/url-to-webloc/execute \
  -d '{"files":[{"name":"Docs.url","content":"[InternetShortcut]\r\nURL=https://example.com/docs\r\n"}]}'

$ claude mcp add findutils \
  --transport http https://mcp.findutils.com/
# then call findutils:url_to_webloc

API reference Add to Claude