Move Windows Internet Shortcuts to a Mac

To move Windows Internet Shortcuts to a Mac, convert each .url file to a .webloc, the website location file Finder opens in the default browser. FindUtils URL to Webloc converts a ZIP of .url files in your browser and returns a ZIP of .webloc files with the same names. The files are not uploaded and no link is opened.

This guide covers which Windows shortcuts can move and which cannot, how to convert a whole folder, what the resulting .webloc contains, and when to import the links as bookmarks instead.

Which Windows Shortcuts Can Move

Windows has two kinds of shortcut file, and only one of them points to a web address:

Microsoft describes Internet shortcuts as desktop shortcuts to Internet sites that open in the default browser. A .lnk to C:\Program Files\… has no meaning on a Mac, so URL to Webloc lists every .lnk as skipped with that reason instead of guessing.

How to Convert a Folder of .url Files

Step 1: Zip the shortcuts on Windows

Put the .url files in one folder, right-click it and compress it to a ZIP. Mixed folders are fine: .lnk files, Thumbs.db and desktop.ini are skipped or ignored.

Step 2: Drop the ZIP on the converter

Open URL to Webloc and drop the ZIP, or drop the loose .url files. Every .url inside the ZIP is read.

Step 3: Check the result

The summary counts converted and skipped files. The page shows the XML of the first .webloc, and every skipped file is listed with its reason.

Step 4: Download and unzip on the Mac

Download url-webloc.zip (or the single .webloc when there is one) and double-click it in Finder. Each .webloc opens its address in your default browser.

What the .webloc Contains

Each output file is a small XML property list with one dictionary, one URL key and the address as a string:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<class="text-rose-400">plist version="1.0">
<class="text-rose-400">dict>
	<class="text-rose-400">key>URL</class="text-rose-400">key>
	<class="text-rose-400">string>https://example.com/path</class="text-rose-400">string>
</class="text-rose-400">dict>
</class="text-rose-400">plist>

The converter writes XML, not binary plists. Apple notes that XML property lists "are more portable than the binary alternative and can be manually edited", so you can open any of the files in TextEdit to check the address. Characters such as & and < in an address are escaped as XML requires.

What Is Kept and What Is Dropped

• Kept: the address from the URL= line, exactly as written, and the file name. Docs.url becomes Docs.webloc.
• Dropped: everything else in the .url file, such as IconFile, IconIndex and WorkingDirectory. A webloc has only the address.
• Tolerated: the section and key names in any letter case, Windows line endings, a byte order mark at the start of the file, and comment lines.
• Renamed: characters that macOS or Windows refuse in a file name are replaced with _, and two files with the same name become Docs.webloc and Docs (2).webloc.
• Flattened: subfolders inside the ZIP are not recreated; all weblocs sit at the top level of url-webloc.zip.

Shortcuts That Convert but May Not Work

An Internet Shortcut can hold any address, not only a web page. A file: address to C:\ or a Windows network share, or an intranet name that only resolves inside an office network, converts as written and comes with a note, but will not open on a Mac that cannot reach it. Read the notes before deleting the originals.

An address that contains a control character is skipped, because XML cannot hold it.

Files or Bookmarks?

Weblocs are the right target when you want link icons in Finder or on the desktop. When the links belong in Safari, Chrome or Firefox, a bookmarks file is tidier:

1. Turn the .url files into a spreadsheet with Internet Shortcuts to CSV.
2. Convert that CSV to an importable file with CSV to Bookmarks HTML.
3. Import the bookmarks.html into the browser, or first combine it with an existing export using Merge Bookmarks.

Common Mistakes

Dropping .lnk files and expecting them to convert. They point to programs and files on the PC, not to web pages, and are skipped with a reason.

Dropping Mac weblocs here. A .webloc is listed as skipped on this page. To go from a Mac to Windows, use Webloc to URL.

Expecting dead links to be removed. No address is opened or checked. A shortcut to a page that no longer exists converts like any other.

Tools Used in This Guide

FAQ

How do I move all my Windows desktop links to a Mac?

Zip the folder of .url files on Windows, drop the ZIP on URL to Webloc, and download url-webloc.zip. Unzip it on the Mac; every shortcut becomes a .webloc with the same name that opens in the default browser.

Why were some of my shortcuts skipped?

Each skipped file has a reason. The common ones are .lnk files, which point to programs rather than web addresses, files with no [InternetShortcut] section or no URL= line, and empty files.

Can I edit a converted .webloc?

Yes. The files are XML property lists, so TextEdit can open them and the address sits between the string tags. Keep the rest of the file as it is.

Are my shortcuts uploaded?

No. The ZIP is opened and each file is read in your browser tab, and no address in them is opened.

Next Steps

Zip your shortcuts and convert them with URL to Webloc. Going the other way is covered in Move Mac Website Shortcuts to a Windows PC.