Delete a single bookmark in three clicks

Open Chrome and look at the top of the browser window. If you see a row of folder icons below the address bar, that is your bookmarks bar. Right-click on any bookmark you want to remove, then select Delete from the menu that appears. The bookmark disappears when ready.

If you do not see the bookmarks bar, press Ctrl + Shift + B on Windows or Command + Shift + B on Mac to make it visible. Then right-click and delete as described above.

You can also delete bookmarks from the bookmark manager, which shows all your saved pages in one organized list. Press Ctrl + Shift + O on Windows or Command + Shift + O on Mac to open it. Find the bookmark you want to remove, right-click it, and select Delete.

Key Takeaways

  • Right-click any bookmark on your bookmarks bar and select Delete to remove it in seconds.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + B (Windows) or Command + Shift + B (Mac) to show or hide your bookmarks bar.
  • The bookmark manager (Ctrl + Shift + O or Command + Shift + O) lets you see and delete all your bookmarks in one place.
  • Deleting a bookmark does not affect the website itself — only your saved link to it disappears.

Delete multiple bookmarks at once

If you have many bookmarks to remove, the bookmark manager is faster than deleting one at a time. Open it with Ctrl + Shift + O (Windows) or Command + Shift + O (Mac). On the left side, you will see folders like "Other bookmarks" or custom folders you created. Click the folder that holds the bookmarks you want to delete.

Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and click each bookmark you want to remove. They will highlight as you select them. Once you have selected all of them, right-click any highlighted bookmark and choose Delete. All selected bookmarks disappear at once.

Clear out an entire folder of bookmarks

Sometimes you want to delete a whole folder instead of individual bookmarks. Open the bookmark manager and find the folder on the left side. Right-click the folder name and select Delete. Chrome will remove the folder and every bookmark inside it.

Be careful with this step — deleting a folder removes all bookmarks in it at once, and you cannot undo it by pressing Ctrl + Z. If you are not sure, you can move bookmarks to a different folder first instead of deleting them. Right-click a bookmark, select Move to, and choose where to put it.

Find bookmarks you forgot you had

Before you delete bookmarks, you might want to see what you actually have saved. The bookmark manager shows everything organized by folder. Look at the left panel to see your folder structure. Click each folder to see what bookmarks are inside.

You can also search for a specific bookmark. At the top of the bookmark manager, there is a search box. Type a word from the bookmark name or the website address, and Chrome will show only the bookmarks that match. This is useful if you remember part of a bookmark's name but not where you saved it.

Restore a bookmark you deleted by mistake

If you delete a bookmark and when ready realize you made a mistake, press Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Command + Z (Mac) right away. This undo command works while the bookmark manager is still open. The deleted bookmark will come back.

If you close the bookmark manager or wait too long, the undo command will not work. Chrome does not keep a trash folder for deleted bookmarks the way your computer does for files. Once you close the manager, the bookmark is gone for good. If you had important bookmarks, you can export your bookmarks to a file as a backup before deleting anything.

Export bookmarks before deleting them

If you want to keep a record of bookmarks before you delete them, Chrome lets you save them to a file. Open the bookmark manager and click the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner. Select Export bookmarks. Chrome will save all your bookmarks as an HTML file to your Downloads folder.

You can open this file later to see what bookmarks you had, or import them back into Chrome if you change your mind. To import bookmarks, open the three-dot menu in the bookmark manager again and select Import bookmarks. Choose the file you saved, and Chrome will add those bookmarks back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does deleting a bookmark delete the website?

No. Deleting a bookmark only removes your saved link to the website. The website itself stays on the internet exactly as it was. You can still visit it by typing the address in the search bar or finding it through a search engine.

Can I undo a deleted bookmark after I close Chrome?

No. Once you close the bookmark manager, you cannot undo a deletion. If you need to recover deleted bookmarks, you would need a backup file you exported beforehand. This is why exporting bookmarks before a big cleanup is a good idea.

What is the difference between the bookmarks bar and the bookmark manager?

The bookmarks bar is the row of icons you see at the top of Chrome — it shows only your most-used bookmarks. The bookmark manager is a full list of every bookmark you have saved, organized in folders. You can delete from either place, but the manager gives you a better overview if you have many bookmarks.

Can I delete bookmarks on my phone the same way?

On Chrome for Android or iPhone, tap the three-dot menu and select Bookmarks. Find the bookmark you want to delete, swipe left on it (iPhone) or long-press it (Android), then select Delete. The process is similar but adapted for a touch screen.