How to Add a Website to Your Chromebook Shelf

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by Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera has been a tech journalist since 2007. He has 25+ years' experience as a programmer and QA leader and several Microsoft certifications.
Updated March 03, 2019

The Chrome OS Shelf on a Chromebook is where your App Launcher and shortcuts to some of the most commonly used apps, such as the Chrome browser or Gmail. It is located at the bottom of your Chromebook screen (though you can change its location). It functions similarly to the taskbar on Windows machines or the dock on Macs (note that this article is intended for users running the Google Chrome operating system).

Add More Than Just Apps to the Shelf

Apps aren't the only shortcuts that can be added to your Shelf, however. Chrome OS lets you place shortcuts to your favorite websites there as well. These additions to the Shelf can be made through the Chrome browser following these steps.

  1. Launch the Chrome browser.

  2. Navigate to the web page you want to add to your Chrome OS Shelf.

  3. Click the Chrome menu button, represented by three horizontal lines located in the upper righthand corner of your browser window.

  4. When the drop-down menu appears, hover your mouse cursor over the More tools option. A submenu will appear to the left or right of this option, depending on the positioning of your browser.

  5. Click Add to shelf. The Add to shelf dialog will be displayed, overlaying your browser window. The website's icon will be visible, along with a description of the active site or page. This description may be edited if you want to customize it before adding the shortcut to your Shelf.

  6. You'll also notice an option with a checkbox labeled Open as window. When checked, your Shelf shortcut will always open this web page in a new Chrome browser window instead of as a tab within a current browser window.

  7. Once you are satisfied with your settings, click Add.

Your new shortcut will be immediately visible in your Chrome OS Shelf. To delete this shortcut at any time, simply select it with your mouse and drag it to your Chrome OS desktop.