diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp b/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp
--- a/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/main.cpp
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
                 i18n("The name of the theme which the shell will use"),
                 QStringLiteral("themeName")));
 
+    parser.addPositionalArgument(QStringLiteral("externalData"), i18n("Data that should be passed to the applet as 'externalData' event"));
 
     parser.addHelpOption();
     parser.addVersionOption();
@@ -135,6 +136,11 @@
         QPixmapCache::setCacheLimit(parser.value("pixmapcache").toInt());
     }
 
+    // emit externalData event so we you can launch e.g. an icon applet already with a proper URL
+    if (parser.positionalArguments().count() == 1) {
+        v->emitExternalData(parser.positionalArguments().constFirst());
+    }
+
     v->show();
 
     return app.exec();
diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/view.h b/plasmoidviewer/view.h
--- a/plasmoidviewer/view.h
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/view.h
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
     void addContainment(const QString &containment);
     void addFormFactor(const QString &formFactor = QStringLiteral("planar"));
     void addLocation(const QString &location = QStringLiteral("floating"));
+    void emitExternalData(const QString &data);
     bool konsoleVisible();
 
     Q_INVOKABLE void changeFormFactor(int formFactor);
diff --git a/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp b/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp
--- a/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp
+++ b/plasmoidviewer/view.cpp
@@ -223,6 +223,23 @@
     setLocation(locationType);
 }
 
+void View::emitExternalData(const QString &data)
+{
+    if (data.isEmpty()) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    Plasma::Applet *applet = containment()->applets().constFirst();
+
+    QObject *graphicsObject = qobject_cast<QQuickItem *>(applet->property("_plasma_graphicObject").value<QObject *>());
+    if (!graphicsObject) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    QMetaObject::invokeMethod(graphicsObject, "externalData", Q_ARG(QString, QString()),
+                                                              Q_ARG(QVariant, data));
+}
+
 bool View::konsoleVisible()
 {
     return m_konsoleVisible;