Export bookmarks from Chrome in three steps

Chrome stores your bookmarks in its own format, but you can save them as a file that other browsers can read. The process takes about two minutes and requires no extensions or special tools — Chrome has this built in.

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top right corner. Select Bookmarks and lists, then Bookmark manager. In the Bookmark manager window, click the three dots again (this time in the top right of that window) and select Export bookmarks. Choose where to save the file on your computer — your Downloads folder is the easiest place to find it later — and click Save.

Chrome will create a single HTML file containing all your bookmarks, organized in the same folder structure you set up. You now have a backup that you can import into another browser, share with someone else, or keep as a record.

Key Takeaways

  • Chrome's export feature creates an HTML file that most other browsers can read, including Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
  • The export includes all your bookmarks and the folders you organized them into, but not your browsing history or saved passwords.
  • You can export bookmarks at any time, and exporting does not delete them from Chrome — your bookmarks stay in the browser.
  • The exported file is a plain text document that you can email, upload to cloud storage, or keep on a USB drive as a backup.

Where the exported file goes and what it contains

When you click Save, Chrome creates a file called bookmarks_[date].html in the location you chose. The date in the filename helps you keep track of when you exported. This file is readable in any text editor, but you do not need to open it — you only need it when you want to move your bookmarks to a different browser.

The file contains every bookmark you saved, organized by folder. If you created folders like "Work Sites" or "Recipes," those folder names appear in the exported file too. Chrome does not export your browsing history, saved passwords, autofill information, or any other browser data — only bookmarks.

The file size is usually small, even with hundreds of bookmarks, because it is just text and links. You can safely email it, upload it to Google Drive or OneDrive, or copy it to a USB drive without worrying about storage limits.

Importing exported bookmarks into another browser

Once you have the exported HTML file, you can bring those bookmarks into Firefox, Safari, Edge, or most other browsers. Each browser has its own import process, but they all look for the same HTML file format that Chrome creates.

In Firefox, open the menu (three horizontal lines, top right), go to Bookmarks, then Manage Bookmarks. Click the three dots in the Bookmarks window and select Import and Backup, then Import Bookmarks from HTML. Navigate to your exported file and open it. Firefox will add all those bookmarks to a new folder called "Imported Bookmarks."

In Edge, click the three dots (top right), go to Favorites, then Manage favorites. Click the three dots in the Favorites panel and select Import bookmarks. Choose Bookmarks HTML file and select your exported file. Edge will import them into a folder labeled with the import date.

Exporting only specific folders of bookmarks

If you have hundreds of bookmarks but only want to export a few folders, Chrome does not have a built-in filter for that. The export feature always exports everything. However, you can work around this by creating a temporary folder, moving the bookmarks you want to export into it, exporting, and then moving them back.

Open the Bookmark manager, create a new folder called something like "Temp Export," and drag the bookmarks you want into it. Then export as usual — the file will still contain all your bookmarks, but you now know which ones are in the temporary folder. After you export, you can delete the temporary folder and your bookmarks go back to their original locations.

A simpler approach: export everything once, then when you import into another browser, delete the folders you do not need. Most browsers let you delete imported bookmarks one folder at a time, so you can keep only what matters.

Keeping your exported bookmarks up to date

Your exported file is a snapshot from the moment you saved it. If you add new bookmarks to Chrome after exporting, those new bookmarks will not appear in the file. If you plan to switch browsers or keep a regular backup, you should export again periodically.

A good routine is to export your bookmarks once a month, or whenever you have added a significant batch of new ones. Save each export with a clear date in the filename — instead of accepting the default name, you might save it as bookmarks_January_2025.html. This way, if something goes wrong, you have older versions to fall back on.

If you use Chrome on multiple devices — a work computer and a home computer, for example — remember that exporting from one device only backs up the bookmarks on that device. Chrome syncs bookmarks across devices if you are signed into the same Google account, but exporting does not include bookmarks from your other devices unless you export from each one separately.

What to do if the export button does not appear

The export option appears in the Bookmark manager on Windows, Mac, and Linux. If you do not see the three-dot menu in the Bookmark manager window, make sure you are looking at the right place — the dots should be in the top right corner of the Bookmark manager panel itself, not the Chrome window behind it.

If you are using a school or work computer where your IT department has locked down Chrome settings, the export feature might be disabled. In that case, contact your IT support to ask whether you can export bookmarks, or ask them to export on your behalf.

On a Chromebook, the export process is the same, and the file saves to your Downloads folder just like on any other device. You can then read it to another computer or move it to cloud storage from there.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export bookmarks from Chrome on my phone?

Chrome on Android and iPhone does not have a built-in export feature. The easiest way to back up phone bookmarks is to make sure you are signed into your Google account in Chrome — your bookmarks will sync to your Google account and appear in Chrome on your computer, where you can export them from there.

Will exporting bookmarks delete them from Chrome?

No. Exporting creates a copy of your bookmarks in a file. Your bookmarks stay in Chrome exactly as they were. You can export as many times as you want without losing anything.

Can I edit the exported HTML file to remove bookmarks I do not want?

Technically yes, but it is not recommended unless you are comfortable reading HTML. It is easier to export everything, import into another browser, and delete the folders you do not need there. If you do edit the file, make a backup copy first in case something goes wrong.

What if I forgot where I saved the exported file?

Check your Downloads folder first — that is the default location. If it is not there, open Chrome, press Ctrl+J (Windows) or Command+Shift+J (Mac) to open the Downloads page, and look for a file named bookmarks_ followed by a date. You can right-click it and select Show in folder to find it on your computer.

Can I import the same exported file into multiple browsers?

Yes. The exported HTML file can be imported into as many browsers as you want. You can use the same file to import bookmarks into Firefox on one computer and Edge on another, or import into multiple browsers on the same computer.