HTMtied

HTMtied is a very simple app that can quickly turn any link copied to the Clipboard into a desktop shortcut to facilitate easy access to the website in question. It can also do this for any number of URLs dragged onto its executable file.

Unlike typical programs, HTMtied isn't wrapped in a graphical or console interface. Its executable file needs to be launched for every URL-to-HTML conversion task. This is instantly performed, which means the URLs have to already be copied to the Clipboard. Otherwise, you can select one or more URL shortcut files and drop them onto HTMtied's executable file.

Once installed, the application creates two shortcuts on the desktop: "HTMtied Direct To Desktop" instantly creates the new HTML files on the desktop in a folder called "HTMtied links".

The file names are automatically assigned, taken from the website title bars. If files with the same name already exist, the tool doesn't overwrite them but renames the new files instead (numeric incrementation).

Meanwhile the "HTMtied" desktop shortcut copies the new HTML file to the Clipboard and lets you paste it anywhere on the disk.

The only noteworthy part of HTMtied is that it saves HTML files regardless of the web browser used, enabling you to launch a URL in the default browser afterward. Otherwise, it's not equipped with meaningful features.

For instance, it's not designed to make the extracted HTML files available for offline viewing. Because it's not equipped with any settings, it doesn't implement options for configuring hotkeys to create HTML files easier. Plus, it doesn't support Clipboard live monitoring to automatically save HTML files as soon as URLs are copied.

On top of that, the utility didn't work when dragging URLs directly from the web browser URL bar, which forced us to perform an additional task: creating Internet Shortcut files on the desktop just to be able to drag them to HTMtied.

Similar difficulties are also encountered when attempting to populate the Clipboard with multiple lines of URLs (HTMtied doesn't have a Clipboard manager or equally convenient option), so you have to take extra time to open a text editor to copy multiple URLs at once.

Perhaps the most inconvenient aspect of such a small and simple application is that it doesn't come with an (offline) guideline, making it hard to figure out what it does without prior instructions.

Taking into account our observations and overall experience with HTMtied, we can honestly say that its current feature set is disappointing, and the app is not yet ready to become a valuable assistant for creating HTML files from URLs.