Creating your first bookmark in Chrome
A bookmark in Chrome is a saved link to a webpage that you can return to later without typing the address again. The fastest way to bookmark a page is to press Ctrl+D on Windows or Cmd+D on Mac while you are viewing the page you want to save. A small dialog box will appear asking where you want to store the bookmark and what name you want to give it.
Chrome suggests a name based on the page's title, but you can change it to anything that makes sense to you. For example, if you bookmark a recipe site, you might change the name from "Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe — AllRecipes" to just "Cookie Recipe". Below the name field, you will see a dropdown menu that says "Bookmarks bar" or another folder name. This is where Chrome will store your bookmark. The default location works fine for most people starting out.
After you type the name you want, click the blue "Save" button. The bookmark is now stored, and you can access it anytime without searching for the page again.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) on any webpage to open the bookmark dialog, then type a name and click Save.
- The bookmarks bar is a row at the top of your browser where your most-used bookmarks appear as clickable buttons.
- Folders inside your bookmarks let you organize related links — for example, a "Recipes" folder or a "Work Sites" folder.
- You can rename, move, or delete any bookmark by right-clicking it and choosing the action you want.
Showing and using the bookmarks bar
By default, Chrome may not display the bookmarks bar at the top of your window. To turn it on, press Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Cmd+Shift+B on Mac. A thin row will appear just below the address bar, and any bookmarks you have saved to the "Bookmarks bar" folder will show up there as clickable buttons.
The bookmarks bar is the fastest way to reach your most-visited sites. Instead of typing an address or searching, you straightforward click the button. If you have many bookmarks, the bar will only show as many as fit on your screen — the rest will be hidden under a folder icon on the right side of the bar.
If you do not use the bookmarks bar, you can still reach all your bookmarks by clicking the three-line menu button in the top right corner of Chrome, then hovering over "Bookmarks". A submenu will open showing your saved bookmarks and folders.
Creating folders to organize bookmarks
As you save more bookmarks, organizing them into folders makes them easier to find. To create a new folder, click the three-line menu, then hover over "Bookmarks", then click "Bookmark manager". A new tab will open showing all your bookmarks and folders.
In the left sidebar of the Bookmark manager, you will see "Bookmarks bar", "Other bookmarks", and any folders you have already created. To add a new folder, right-click on any existing folder in the left sidebar and select "Add folder". Type a name for the folder — for example, "Travel", "Shopping", or "Learning" — and press Enter. The folder now exists and is ready to hold bookmarks.
You can also create a folder directly from the bookmark dialog. When you press Ctrl+D to save a bookmark, click the dropdown menu that shows where to save it, then click "Create new folder". Type the folder name and press Enter, and the new folder will be selected as the save location for that bookmark.
Moving bookmarks into folders
If you have bookmarks scattered in different places and want to organize them, the Bookmark manager is the easiest tool. Open it by clicking the three-line menu, hovering over "Bookmarks", and clicking "Bookmark manager".
In the Bookmark manager, you will see all your bookmarks listed. To move a bookmark into a folder, click and drag it from the main list on the right side into the folder name on the left sidebar. For example, if you have a bookmark called "Hotel Deals" and a folder called "Travel", you would drag "Hotel Deals" onto "Travel" in the left sidebar. The bookmark will move into that folder when ready.
If dragging feels awkward, you can also right-click any bookmark and select "Move to" to see a list of folders. Click the folder you want, and the bookmark moves there. This method works the same way whether you are using the Bookmark manager or right-clicking a bookmark on the bookmarks bar.
Renaming and deleting bookmarks
To change the name of a bookmark, right-click it and select "Edit". A small dialog will appear with the current name highlighted. Type the new name and press Enter. The bookmark keeps the same web address but now displays the name you chose.
You can rename bookmarks from the bookmarks bar, from the Bookmark manager, or from the dropdown menu under the three-line menu. The process is the same no matter where you start.
To remove a bookmark you no longer need, right-click it and select "Delete". The bookmark is removed when ready and cannot be recovered, so only delete bookmarks you are certain you will not need again. If you delete a bookmark by mistake, you can press Ctrl+Z right away to undo the deletion, but this only works if you act when ready.
Syncing bookmarks across devices
If you use Chrome on more than one device — a laptop, a phone, or a tablet — you can sync your bookmarks so they appear on all of them. To set this up, click the three-line menu in the top right corner of Chrome and select "Settings".
In the left sidebar, click "Sync and Google services". You will see an option that says "Sync everything" or a list of individual items you can sync. Make sure "Bookmarks" is turned on. If you are not already signed into a Google account, Chrome will ask you to sign in. Once you are signed in and bookmarks are set to sync, any bookmark you create on one device will appear on all your other devices within a few minutes.
This is especially useful if you save a bookmark on your phone while you are out and want to access it on your computer at home, or vice versa. Syncing happens automatically in the background as long as you are signed into the same Google account on all your devices.
Backing up your bookmarks
Chrome stores your bookmarks in your Google account, so they are protected as long as you stay signed in. However, if you want an extra copy saved to your computer, you can export your bookmarks as a file.
Open the Bookmark manager by clicking the three-line menu, hovering over "Bookmarks", and clicking "Bookmark manager". In the top right corner of the Bookmark manager, click the three-dot menu button. Select "Export bookmarks". Your computer will save a file called "bookmarks.html" to your Downloads folder. This file contains all your bookmarks and folders and can be imported into Chrome again if you ever need to restore them.
You can also import bookmarks from another browser or from a bookmarks file you saved earlier. In the Bookmark manager, click the three-dot menu and select "Import bookmarks". Choose the file or browser you want to import from, and Chrome will add those bookmarks to your collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bookmark a page without using the keyboard shortcut?
Yes. Click the star icon on the right side of the address bar while viewing any webpage. The star will fill in, and a dialog will appear where you can name the bookmark and choose a folder. This method works the same way as the keyboard shortcut.
What is the difference between the bookmarks bar and other bookmarks?
The bookmarks bar is a visible row at the top of your browser where you can see your bookmarks as buttons. "Other bookmarks" is a hidden folder where Chrome stores bookmarks you save but do not put in the bookmarks bar or another folder. You can still reach them through the menu, but they do not show on the screen.
Will my bookmarks stay if I uninstall Chrome?
If you are signed into a Google account, your bookmarks are saved in that account and will return when you sign back in. If you are not signed in, uninstalling Chrome will remove your bookmarks from that computer. Exporting your bookmarks before uninstalling is a safe way to keep a backup.
Can I share a bookmark folder with someone else?
Chrome does not have a built-in sharing feature for bookmark folders. However, you can export a folder as a bookmarks file and send it to someone else, or you can share the web address of a specific page. The other person can then import the file or bookmark the page themselves.
How do I find a bookmark I saved but cannot remember the name?
Open the Bookmark manager and use the search box at the top to look for keywords from the page title or web address. You can also browse through your folders to find it. If you remember roughly when you saved it, bookmarks are listed in the order you created them, with newest first.