What Are Quick Links?
Quick links are clickable shortcuts that let you jump to a frequently visited website or page with a single click — no typing required. You'll find them in three main places: your browser's new tab page, school or district websites, and workplace intranets like SharePoint.
In a browser like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, quick links are the icon-based shortcuts displayed on your new tab page. When you open a new tab, instead of a blank page you see a grid of small icons — YouTube, Gmail, Amazon, and so on. Those are your quick links. You can add, remove, and rearrange them to match your daily workflow.
On a school or district website, quick links are typically a sidebar or footer list of the most important pages — student portal login, lunch menu, school calendar — so that parents and students can find them without hunting through menus.
Key takeaway: Quick links save time by putting your most-used destinations one click away. They are not bookmarks (which live in a separate bar), but rather built-in page shortcuts that appear automatically on your new tab or home page.
Quick Links in Microsoft Edge Most Searched
Microsoft Edge displays quick links as a row (or two rows) of icon tiles directly below the search bar on the new tab page. Each tile shows the site's favicon and name. You can have up to 18 quick links arranged in up to two rows.
How to Add Quick Links in Microsoft Edge
Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge.
Scroll down slightly if needed until you see the Quick Links row beneath the search bar.
Click the "+ Add" tile (the last tile with a plus sign).
In the dialog that appears, type the website name and paste or type its URL.
Click Add. The new icon appears immediately in your quick links row.
You can add up to 18 quick links total. To reorder them, click and drag any tile to a new position.
How to Remove Quick Links in Microsoft Edge
Open a new tab in Microsoft Edge.
Hover your mouse over the quick link tile you want to remove.
Click the three-dot menu (…) that appears in the top-right corner of the tile.
Select "Remove" from the dropdown menu.
The tile disappears immediately. This action cannot be undone, but you can re-add the site at any time.
How to Show or Hide All Quick Links in Edge
Open a new tab and click the gear icon (⚙) in the top-right corner of the page.
In the "Customize" panel that slides in from the right, find the Quick links toggle.
Toggle it On to show quick links, or Off to hide the entire section.
Your setting is saved automatically — no need to click a Save button.
If you don't see the Quick Links section at all after a recent Edge update, see the Restore Missing Quick Links section below.
Video: Add or Remove Quick Links in Edge (1 min 50 sec)
Quick Links (Shortcuts) in Google Chrome
Google Chrome calls its new-tab shortcuts "Shortcuts" rather than quick links, but they work the same way. By default, Chrome shows your most-visited sites automatically. You can switch to manual shortcuts and customize them freely.
How to Add or Edit Shortcuts in Google Chrome
Open a new tab in Chrome.
Click the pencil icon (Customize Chrome) in the bottom-right corner of the page.
In the panel that opens, select Shortcuts.
Choose "My shortcuts" to manage them manually (instead of auto-populated most visited).
Click "Add shortcut", enter a name and URL, then click Done.
How to Remove Shortcuts in Google Chrome
On the new tab page, hover over the shortcut icon you want to delete.
Click the three-dot menu (…) that appears.
Select "Remove".
Chrome vs. Edge: Chrome calls them "Shortcuts" and Edge calls them "Quick Links," but both are the same concept — icon-based one-click shortcuts on your new tab page. The steps to manage them are nearly identical.
Quick Links on School & District Websites
If you searched for a school district name followed by "quick links" — for example, EBRPSS quick links or YISD quick links — you're looking for the navigation shortcuts section on that school's official website. These are not browser settings; they are links built into the school's web page.
Most US school district websites place a Quick Links section prominently on their homepage or in the sidebar. Common links include:
| Link Name | What It Does | Who Uses It |
|---|---|---|
| Student Portal / PowerSchool | View grades, attendance, schedule | Students, Parents |
| Parent Login / ParentVUE | Parent access to student records | Parents |
| Lunch Menu / MySchoolBucks | View cafeteria menu, add lunch funds | Parents, Students |
| School Calendar | Holidays, events, early-release days | Everyone |
| Staff Directory | Find teacher or staff contact info | Parents |
| Enrollment / Registration | Register a new student | New families |
To find your school's quick links, go directly to your district's official website (look for a .org or .k12.[state].us domain) and look for a "Quick Links" section on the homepage. If you can't find it, use the site's search bar and type the name of the page you need (e.g., "lunch menu" or "parent portal").
How to Restore Missing Quick Links After an Edge Update
After the February 10, 2026 Windows 11 update (KB5077181), many Edge users found that their second row of quick links disappeared and could not be re-added through the normal settings menu. Microsoft confirmed this was an intentional layout change in the managed New Tab page experience.
If your quick links disappeared or the second row is gone, here are your options:
Option 1: Use the Edge Favorites Bar (Built-in, Free)
In Edge, click the three-dot menu (…) in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Appearance.
Turn on "Show favorites bar".
Drag your most-used tabs to the favorites bar — they will persist across all Edge updates.
Option 2: Pin Sites to the Windows Taskbar
Navigate to the website you want to pin.
Click the three-dot menu (…) > More tools > Pin to taskbar.
The site icon appears in your Windows taskbar for one-click access, completely independent of Edge updates.
Option 3: Use a New Tab Extension
Several browser extensions replace Edge's default new tab page with a fully customizable one that is not affected by Microsoft's updates. Popular options include Fluent New Tab (Edge Add-ons store) and QuickLinks New Tab (Chrome Web Store). These let you set as many quick link shortcuts as you want in any layout.
Why did my quick links disappear? Microsoft periodically redesigns the Edge new tab page as a "managed feature," meaning the layout is controlled by Microsoft rather than by user settings. When a major update ships, some layout options — including the second row of quick links — may be removed without a way to restore them through Settings alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Quick Links
Quick links are icon shortcuts displayed on your new tab page — they are visible every time you open a new tab without any extra clicks. Bookmarks (or Favorites) are saved in a separate menu or bar and require you to open the bookmarks panel to access them. Quick links are faster for your top 8–18 sites; bookmarks are better for a larger collection of saved pages.
Microsoft Edge's new tab page is updated as a managed feature, meaning Microsoft can change its layout with any browser or Windows update. The February 2026 Patch Tuesday update (KB5077181) caused many users to lose their second row of quick links. The removed layout is not currently restorable through Edge Settings. Your best alternatives are the Favorites bar, taskbar pinning, or a new tab extension.
Microsoft Edge supports up to 18 quick links arranged in up to two rows of 9 tiles each. However, after the February 2026 update, many users report only one row (up to 9 tiles) is available. If you need more shortcuts, consider using the Favorites bar or a third-party new tab extension, which typically allow unlimited shortcuts.
In Google Chrome, shortcuts on the new tab page are called "Shortcuts" rather than quick links. To add one: open a new tab, click the pencil (Customize Chrome) icon in the bottom-right corner, select Shortcuts, choose "My shortcuts," then click "Add shortcut" and enter a name and URL. Chrome supports up to 10 shortcuts on the new tab page by default.
On a school or school district website, quick links are a curated list of the most important pages — such as the student portal, parent login, lunch menu, and school calendar — placed in a prominent location on the homepage so families and staff can find them instantly. They are part of the school's website design and are not related to your browser settings. To access them, visit your district's official website directly.
Quick links on Edge's new tab page are stored locally and are not currently synced across devices through Edge Sync. If you want your shortcuts available on multiple devices, use the Edge Favorites bar instead — Favorites do sync when you sign in with your Microsoft account. Alternatively, a new tab extension that uses cloud storage can keep your shortcuts in sync across browsers and devices.
In Microsoft SharePoint and other corporate intranets, a quick links web part is a configurable section that displays a set of important links — such as HR portal, IT help desk, or expense report forms — as tiles or a list. Site administrators add and manage these links so employees can navigate to key resources without searching. If you are looking for your company's quick links, check your organization's intranet homepage or ask your IT department.