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LNK URL
Not possible

Convert LNK to URL

Can you convert LNK to URL?
Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Aug 1, 2026
QUICK ANSWER
Is it possible to convert LNK to URL?
No - not a direct conversion.

No conversion from LNK to URL is possible. If you want a desktop shortcut to a website, create a .url file directly in Notepad with an [InternetShortcut] section and a URL= line pointing to your target address.

No direct path
Also to URL: WEBLOC · WEBSITE · INETLOC

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Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Oct 2026

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Why convert LNK to URL?

A .lnk file (Windows Shell Link) stores a filesystem path, volume information, and machine metadata - it has no web address field. A .url file (Internet Shortcut) is a plain-text INI file with a URL= line pointing to an http or https address. The two formats are unrelated by design and a .lnk file has no URL to extract.

How to convert LNK to URL

Notepad FREE

Create a .url file directly: open Notepad, type [InternetShortcut] on the first line and URL=https://example.com on the second, then save with a .url extension.

ExifTool FREE

Run exiftool file.lnk to read what filesystem path the shortcut actually points to without executing it - useful if you received a .lnk and need to inspect its real target.

About these formats

.LNK Windows Shell Link (Shortcut)

A .lnk file is a Windows Shell Link, the shortcut format Windows has used since Windows 95. Double-clicking it opens the target program or file; the shortcut itself holds no data. If all…

Open .LNK details →
.URL Internet Shortcut

A .url file is a Windows Internet Shortcut - a tiny text file that stores a web address and opens it in your default browser when double-clicked. It contains no page content, only the link.…

Open .URL details →

Quality & what to watch

  • A .lnk file can technically store a URL as its shell-item target, but it is not a plain URL string; right-click > Properties > Target in Windows Explorer will show what it actually points to.
  • Online converters that claim to convert LNK to URL either fail silently or return fabricated output - the format does not support this conversion.
  • On Mac or Linux, ExifTool or lnkinfo (from liblnk) can read the Windows target path from a .lnk file, but that path is a Windows filesystem location, not a web address.

Frequently asked questions

Can a `.lnk` file point to a website?
Technically yes, but the URL is stored as a shell item ID list entry, not a plain string; right-click the .lnk in Windows Explorer and check the Target field to see what it actually points to.
Why are there online converters claiming to convert LNK to URL?
Most of these sites accept any upload and produce generic output; a .lnk file has no URL field, so any such tool either fails silently or returns something fabricated.
I have a `.lnk` file on Mac or Linux - can I turn it into a `.url`?
No - you can read the Windows target path using ExifTool, but that is a Windows filesystem location, not a web address, so there is nothing to convert.