Boot a Mac straight into a website

For an unattended screen, an exhibit, a sign, a demo, you want the Mac to come up already showing your website, with no login screen and no one to open a browser. That’s two pieces: get past login automatically, and start into the site and stay there.

A plain login item that opens Safari isn’t enough, it’s not escape-proof and won’t re-seal itself. Canned Web handles the second half: it auto-starts at login, re-seals your site, keeps the display awake, and relaunches itself if it’s ever closed. One-time €49 per machine, no MDM, 14-day trial.

The four pieces

Log in automatically

Set the Mac to log in without a password (System Settings → Users & Groups). This is what lets it get past the login screen with nobody there after a restart.

Start into the site

Canned Web auto-starts at login and re-seals your site, so the Mac comes up already locked to your page, no app to open, no URL to type.

Survive a power cut

When the power comes back, the Mac boots, logs in, launches Canned Web, and re-seals the site. A watchdog relaunches it if it ever exits.

Stay awake, stay put

Canned Web holds the display awake while sealed and locks navigation to your domain, so the screen doesn’t sleep and the page doesn’t wander off.

FAQ

How do I make a Mac open a website automatically on startup?

Turn on automatic login (System Settings → Users & Groups) so the Mac gets past the login screen unattended, then use Canned Web, which auto-starts at login and seals your site. The Mac boots straight into the page with no one touching it.

Will the Mac go back into the website after a reboot or power cut?

Yes. With automatic login and Canned Web’s auto-start, a restart or power outage brings the Mac back up, logs in, and re-seals your site on its own. A watchdog also relaunches the kiosk if it ever quits.

Can I do this without an app, just with macOS?

You can set a login item to open a browser, but full-screen Safari isn’t escape-proof and it won’t re-seal or block shortcuts. To boot into a website that visitors can’t leave, you need a kiosk app on top of auto-login.

Does the screen stay awake?

Yes. Canned Web keeps the display awake for the whole sealed session, so you don’t have to fight Energy settings to stop it sleeping.

What does it cost and what’s required?

Canned Web is a one-time €49 per machine with a 14-day free trial, on macOS 14.0 or later. No MDM, no subscription.