How to Export Chrome Bookmarks (and Import Them Anywhere)

You can export Chrome bookmarks to a single HTML file, then import that file into another browser, another computer or a bookmark manager. It takes about a minute. This guide shows the steps on desktop Chrome, how to check the file, how to import it back into Chrome, and what to expect when the file goes somewhere else.

Before you start

• Export and import are done in the Bookmark Manager on a computer. One third-party guide notes they are not available in Chrome for Android or iOS (Online Tech Tips), so use a desktop browser.
• Each Chrome profile has its own bookmarks. If you use a work profile and a personal profile, export from each separately.
• If you are signed in with sync, your bookmarks may already exist on your Google account. A file export is still worth doing because it is a copy you control, and it is the format other tools read.

How to export Chrome bookmarks to an HTML file

Google's help page describes this as opening the Bookmark Manager, using the menu there and choosing Export bookmarks (Google Chrome Help). The same help article on managing bookmarks points to "Show all bookmarks" in the Chrome menu as one way into the manager (Google Chrome Help).

1. Open Chrome on your computer.
2. Open the Bookmark Manager. You can reach it from the Chrome menu under the bookmarks entries ("Show all bookmarks").
3. In the Bookmark Manager, open the menu at the top right (the three-dot More menu).
4. Choose Export bookmarks.
5. Pick a folder and a file name. Chrome saves an .html file.
6. Store the file somewhere safe, such as a cloud drive or an external disk.

Menu labels move around between Chrome versions. If you do not see the exact wording above, look in the Bookmark Manager for an export option rather than in Chrome's main settings.

Check the file

Double-click the HTML file. It opens in a browser as a plain page of links. Scroll through and check that:

1. Your folders appear as nested lists.
2. A few links you know you saved are there.
3. The file is not tiny. The file should grow with your library; a few thousand bookmarks should not produce a nearly empty file.

You do not need to open it in an editor. If something is clearly missing, re-export instead of repairing the file.

How to import bookmarks into Chrome

If you are moving to a new machine or restoring a backup, the reverse takes a minute. The help article describes importing from an HTML file in the Bookmark Manager (Google Chrome Help).

1. Open the Bookmark Manager.
2. Open the same menu and choose Import bookmarks.
3. Select the HTML file.
4. Look for the imported bookmarks. Chrome's help says they go to the bookmarks bar if you had no bookmarks, and otherwise to an "Other bookmarks" folder (Google Chrome Help).
5. Drag the folders where you want them.

A caution: importing the same file twice can leave you with duplicates. If you are restoring into a Chrome that already has these bookmarks, look at what is there before you import.

Importing your Chrome export somewhere else

The HTML file follows the format most browsers and apps understand, so you can use it elsewhere.

Another browser

Most browsers can import a bookmarks HTML file from their bookmark manager or settings. Raindrop.io's import page links to export guides for the major browsers, which shows the HTML file is the common route (Raindrop.io Help). Folder structure normally carries across.

A bookmark manager

Bookmark managers read the same file and turn Chrome folders into their own folders or collections. In NestMarks, for example, you choose Import in the app, pick the browser bookmarks HTML option and upload the file. Folders become nested collections. Before anything is saved you see a preview with counts, duplicates skipped and invalid rows, and a single file can hold up to 20,000 rows. Other managers work similarly; Raindrop.io's import page describes confirming before the import starts (Raindrop.io Help).

What you gain by moving into a manager is search, tags and maintenance tools: NestMarks, for instance, searches titles, descriptions, URLs and your notes in one box and includes a duplicate finder and a broken-link check. What you give up is the zero-setup convenience of the built-in bookmarks bar. Both are valid. Plenty of people keep a small bookmarks bar for daily sites and a manager for the long tail.

What an HTML export does not include

The HTML file holds titles, URLs and folders. It has no standard field for tags, notes or highlights, so those do not exist in a Chrome export to begin with.

Because bookmark HTML is a simple format, it also does not guard against dead links. If your library is old, expect some links to be broken when you import. That is a good argument for running a broken-link check after the move rather than before.

Make exports a habit

A file export is the cheapest backup you can make. Set a calendar reminder for every few months, export, and drop the file in cloud storage with the date in the name. If you ever lose a profile or switch tools, you can restore in minutes. For ideas on how to structure what you keep, see how to organize bookmarks.

This article only covers Chrome. For other sources, formats and what each kind of export keeps, see how to move your bookmarks between browsers and apps. If you want to change how you save links in the first place, read how to save links in Chrome so you can find them later.

If you would rather keep this library somewhere searchable, you can start a free NestMarks library and import your Chrome export from Import/Export in the app.

Troubleshooting your export

You cannot find the export option

Make sure you are in the Bookmark Manager and not the bookmarks bar. The export option sits in the manager's menu. If the manager looks empty, check that you are in the right Chrome profile, since each profile keeps its own bookmarks.

The file looks smaller than expected

Open it in a browser and scroll. If a folder is missing, it may live in another profile or may have been in a managed work profile. If it is a managed work profile, an administrator may restrict what you can do, so ask your IT team.

Imported folders are in the wrong place

Imports land on the bookmarks bar or in "Other bookmarks" depending on what you already had. Drag the imported folder to where you want it, then delete the empty duplicate if one appears.

Links open the wrong page later

Bookmarks store the address you saved. If a site changed its structure, the link may redirect or fail. After a big move, a broken-link check is a quick way to find these. NestMarks has one built in, which runs as a manual scan and as a daily check.

Frequently asked questions

Where does Chrome save the exported bookmarks file?

Chrome asks you where to save it when you export, so it goes wherever you choose. If the file is not where you expect, check your Downloads folder and the date of the file.

What format is a Chrome bookmarks export?

It is an HTML file. Most browsers and bookmark managers can read that format, which makes it the most portable way to move bookmarks.

Can I export Chrome bookmarks from my phone?

Not through the Bookmark Manager route described here, which is a desktop feature. Export from a computer, then use the file where you need it.

Will importing a Chrome export overwrite my existing bookmarks?

Chrome adds imported bookmarks rather than replacing what you have, according to its help page placing them on the bookmarks bar or in "Other bookmarks". Importing the same file twice can create duplicates.

Sources

• Import Chrome bookmarks & settings, Google Chrome Help
• Create, find and edit bookmarks in Chrome, Google Chrome Help
• Import, Raindrop.io Help
• How to Export and Import Chrome Bookmarks, Online Tech Tips