The bookmark bar is the row of saved website shortcuts that sits just below the address bar

Chrome comes with a bookmark bar built in, but it is hidden by default. To see it, you use a keyboard shortcut or the menu. Once it is visible, you can drag websites into it from your address bar, and they will appear as clickable buttons. This saves you from typing URLs or searching for sites you visit often.

The bookmark bar takes up a small amount of screen space — roughly the height of one line of text. If you do not use bookmarks, you can leave it hidden. If you bookmark sites regularly, turning it on makes those shortcuts when ready available. The bar persists across sessions, so once you enable it, it stays visible every time you open Chrome until you turn it off again.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Command+Shift+B on Mac to show or hide the bookmark bar in one keystroke.
  • You can also open the Chrome menu (three vertical dots in the top right), click Bookmarks, then click Show Bookmarks Bar.
  • Once the bar is visible, drag any website from your address bar into the bookmark bar to save it as a shortcut.
  • The bookmark bar stays visible until you hide it again using the same keyboard shortcut or menu option.
  • You can organize bookmarks into folders within the bar to prevent it from becoming crowded as you add more sites.

Using the keyboard shortcut (fastest method)

The quickest way to show the bookmark bar is with a keyboard shortcut. On Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+B. On Mac, press Command+Shift+B. The bar will appear when ready below your address bar. Press the same keys again to hide it.

This shortcut works whether Chrome is in full screen or windowed mode. If you use bookmarks regularly, this is the fastest toggle. You can press it as many times as you want without any side effects — it straightforward switches the bar between visible and hidden.

Using the Chrome menu

If you prefer using the mouse, open Chrome and look for the three vertical dots in the top right corner of the window. Click those dots to open the menu.

In the menu, hover over or click Bookmarks. A submenu will appear. At the top of that submenu, you will see Show Bookmarks Bar. Click it. The bookmark bar will appear below your address bar. To hide it later, return to the same menu and click Hide Bookmarks Bar.

Adding websites to your bookmark bar

Once the bookmark bar is visible, you can add sites to it. The easiest way is to drag: navigate to any website, then click and drag the site icon (the small image to the left of the URL in the address bar) down onto the bookmark bar. Release the mouse button, and that site is now saved as a shortcut.

You can also right-click the star icon in the address bar (which appears when you are on any webpage) and choose Edit to rename the bookmark before saving it. This is useful if the site name is long and you want a shorter label on the bar. For example, you might bookmark a news site but label it straightforward "News" to save space.

Organizing bookmarks on the bar

Once you have bookmarks on the bar, you can rearrange them by dragging them left or right. Click and hold a bookmark, then drag it to a new position. You can also right-click any bookmark to delete it, edit its name, or move it to a folder.

If your bookmark bar gets crowded, you can create folders within it. Right-click on an empty space in the bookmark bar and select Add Folder. Name the folder, and you can then drag bookmarks into it to keep the bar organized. For instance, you might create a folder called "Work" and place all work-related bookmarks inside it, then click the folder to see them when needed.

Bookmark bar settings and customization

Chrome does not offer many visual customization options for the bookmark bar itself — you cannot change its color or font size. However, you can control what appears on it by adding, removing, or organizing bookmarks as described above.

If you sync your Chrome account across devices, your bookmarks will appear on the bookmark bar on every device where you are signed in. This means your shortcuts follow you whether you use Chrome on your laptop, desktop, or tablet. To set up sync, click your profile picture in the top right of Chrome, then make sure the Sync toggle is turned on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the bookmark bar stay visible after I close Chrome?

Yes. Once you show the bookmark bar, it remains visible every time you open Chrome until you hide it again using the keyboard shortcut or menu. Your choice is saved automatically.

Can I have multiple rows of bookmarks?

No. Chrome displays only one bookmark bar row. If you have many bookmarks, organize them into folders within the bar to keep it from becoming too crowded.

What if I accidentally delete a bookmark from the bar?

Press Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac) when ready to undo the deletion. If you wait too long, you can also find deleted bookmarks in the Trash folder within your Bookmarks menu.

Does the bookmark bar work the same way on mobile Chrome?

Mobile Chrome does not display a bookmark bar in the same way as the desktop version. On mobile, you access bookmarks through the menu (three dots) and then tapping Bookmarks. The functionality is the same, but the layout is different.

Can I hide the bookmark bar on just one website?

No. The bookmark bar setting applies to all websites in Chrome. When it is visible, it appears on every page. You can only hide it globally using the keyboard shortcut or menu option.