Move Mac Website Shortcuts to a Windows PC

To move Mac website shortcuts to a Windows PC, convert each .webloc file into a .url Internet Shortcut, which Windows opens in the default browser with a double-click. FindUtils Webloc to URL converts a whole ZIP of weblocs at once in your browser and gives you a ZIP of .url files with the same names. The files are not uploaded and no link is opened.

This guide covers what the two formats are, how to move a folder of them in one pass, what happens to names and folders on the way, and when a CSV or a bookmarks file is the better destination.

What a .webloc and a .url Actually Are

Both files hold one web address. They differ in how they store it:

Apple documents that a property list can be stored "in an XML representation, in a binary format, or in an old-style ASCII format", and a webloc uses the dictionary and string types from that list. Microsoft describes an Internet shortcut as a desktop icon whose "URL path is opened by the handler application, typically the user's default web browser". Windows has no handler for .webloc, so the file needs converting rather than renaming.

How to Move a Folder of Weblocs in One Pass

Step 1: Zip the folder on the Mac

Put the weblocs in one folder, Control-click it in Finder and choose Compress. A single ZIP survives email, chat and cloud drives better than hundreds of loose files.

Step 2: Drop the ZIP on the converter

Open Webloc to URL on either computer and drop the ZIP, or the loose .webloc files. Every .webloc inside the ZIP is read. The __MACOSX folder and the ._ files that a ZIP made on a Mac can carry are ignored, and so are .DS_Store, Thumbs.db and desktop.ini.

Step 3: Check the converted and skipped lists

Each converted file is listed with its URL. Each skipped file is listed with its reason, and the rest of the batch still converts.

Step 4: Download and unzip on Windows

Download webloc-url.zip (or the single .url file when there is only one) and extract it where you want the shortcuts, such as the desktop or a Links folder.

What Happens to Names and Folders

• Names are kept. Team Wiki.webloc becomes Team Wiki.url.
• Characters Windows refuses are replaced. <, >, :, ", /, \, |, ? and * become _, and trailing dots and spaces are removed, so a name that is valid on a Mac is still a valid Windows file name.
• Same names get a number. Two files called Docs become Docs.url and Docs (2).url, so the ZIP never overwrites one.
• Subfolders are flattened. Every shortcut lands at the top level of webloc-url.zip. If the folder structure matters, zip and convert each folder separately.

Options Worth Turning On

Remove duplicate URLs keeps the first shortcut for each address and counts the rest. It compares the address exactly as written, so https://example.com and https://example.com/ stay separate.

Also download CSV adds webloc-urls.csv with a name and a url column. Use it when the shortcuts should become something other than files, as described below. With CSV off, Copy all URLs puts every address on the clipboard, one per line.

Why a File Is Skipped

A shortcut to a file:, ftp: or other non-web address is converted as written, with a note, because a path that made sense on the Mac may point nowhere on Windows.

Files, Bookmarks or a List?

.url files are the right target when you want icons on a desktop or in a folder. When the links belong in the browser instead, turn on Also download CSV, then load webloc-urls.csv into CSV to Bookmarks HTML, which matches the name and url columns, and import the resulting bookmarks.html into Chrome, Edge or Firefox. To fold those links into an existing collection, combine the exports with Merge Bookmarks.

If what you have on Windows is already a folder of .url files and you want their addresses in a spreadsheet, use Internet Shortcuts to CSV.

Common Mistakes

Renaming .webloc to .url. The content is still a property list, not INI text, so Windows cannot read the address.

Dropping Windows shortcuts on the Mac-to-Windows page. .url files are listed as skipped here, because they are already Windows shortcuts. To go from Windows to a Mac, use URL to Webloc.

Expecting dead links to be caught. No link 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 copy all my Mac desktop links to Windows at once?

Put the .webloc files in one folder, compress it in Finder, and drop the ZIP on Webloc to URL. Download webloc-url.zip and extract it on the Windows PC. Every webloc becomes a .url shortcut with the same name.

Will the shortcuts keep their folders?

No. The converted shortcuts are placed together at the top level of the ZIP. Convert each folder separately if you need the structure.

Can I turn Mac weblocs into browser bookmarks on Windows?

Yes, in two steps. Turn on Also download CSV, then convert webloc-urls.csv with CSV to Bookmarks HTML and import the bookmarks file into your browser.

Are the weblocs uploaded?

No. The ZIP is opened and the files are read in your browser tab. No link inside them is opened.

Next Steps

Zip your weblocs and convert them with Webloc to URL. Moving shortcuts the other way, from Windows to a Mac, is covered in Move Windows Internet Shortcuts to a Mac.