Type Url
A Url wallpaper (type value 1, Url) displays a remote web page — any http/https address — live on your desktop. Unlike a Web wallpaper (which is a local, self-contained HTML/JS theme you author), a Url wallpaper simply points a browser engine at an external website. It is the quickest way to put a live web page, a shader playground, an online clock, or your own hosted page behind your icons. This page explains what a Url wallpaper is, its engines, how to apply one, and its important caveats.
- What it is
- Engines for URL
- How to apply a Url wallpaper
- Interactivity
- Caveats
- Customization
- Tips
- See also
In the manifest, a Url wallpaper has "Type": 1 and a Source that is the remote URL itself (validated as a proper URL when you create it). Nothing is downloaded into a folder — the engine navigates a browser to that address each time the wallpaper runs.
Url wallpapers are served by a browser engine:
| Engine | Tech | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CefSharp (default) | Chromium Embedded Framework (offscreen) | Default engine for Url. Requires the VC++ Redistributable (≥ 14.40.33816.0). |
| WebView | Microsoft Edge WebView2 (Chromium) | Requires the WebView2 runtime (≥ 131.0.2903.70). |
Change the engine in Settings → Wallpaper (the UrlPlayer selector in the Engines area). See Choosing Engines, Engine-CefSharp, and Engine-WebView.
- Open the Portal → Library.
- Create a Url wallpaper: in the Create dialog choose the Url type and paste a valid
http/httpsaddress. (You can also drop a.urlshortcut into the Library — see Managing Library.) - Right-click the card → Use.
- (Optional) Switch the engine first in Settings → Wallpaper.
Because Url wallpapers run inside a browser engine, mouse and keyboard input are forwarded into the page when the desktop is focused. Whether the page actually responds depends on the site — a static page just sits there; an interactive site (a game, a shader toy) can react to the cursor.
Url wallpapers are convenient but come with real trade-offs:
-
No Sucrose live data. Sucrose's audio-reactive and system-status callbacks are injected only into the local Web type. An external URL does not receive
SucroseAudioDataor theSucrose*Datasystem objects. If you need audio reactivity or system stats, host your page as a Web wallpaper instead. - Requires a network connection. The page loads from the internet every time. If you are offline, or the site is down, the wallpaper will not display its content.
- You don't control the page. External sites can change, show ads, redirect, or break. Heavy pages can use significant CPU/GPU and network.
- Bandwidth and privacy. A live external page may continuously fetch resources and may track visits.
- Performance. A full website running in Chromium is heavier than a video or GIF. Sucrose's Performance Rules can pause/close it on lock, fullscreen, or battery.
Url wallpapers use the browser engine, so the engine's Customize panel applies where relevant (the same CSS-style filter set as other browser-served types: scale/zoom, saturate, hue-rotate, brightness, contrast, blur, grayscale, sepia, invert, mirror, animation). Because the page is external, filters style the rendered page; you cannot inject custom controls into a site you don't own. See Customizing Wallpaper.
- Prefer a page you control (e.g. one you host) so it stays stable and lightweight.
- For full interactivity plus audio/system data, package the page locally as a Web wallpaper instead of pointing at a URL.
- If a site refuses to render in an embedded browser, try the other engine (CefSharp ↔ WebView).
- Use a lightweight, fullscreen-friendly page; sites with fixed layouts or sticky ads look poor as wallpapers.
- Wallpaper Types — all six types and the engine mapping
- Type-Web — local interactive themes with live data
- Type-YouTube — a specialized Url type for YouTube
- Engine-CefSharp and Engine-WebView — the browser engines
- Performance Rules — automatic pause/close behavior