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Importing and migrating6 min read

How to Export Raindrop Bookmarks From Raindrop.io (and Move Them)

Raindrop.io lets you download your whole library, one collection or a few selected items. Here is how to export, which format to pick, and how to move the file.

By , Founder, Amanix Labs

Raindrop.io is a popular bookmark manager, and it is easy to leave. You can download everything at any time. This guide shows how to export Raindrop bookmarks, which of its formats to choose, and how to move the file into another tool, whether that is a new account, a browser or a different bookmark manager. Everything here comes from Raindrop's own help center unless noted.

What Raindrop lets you export

Raindrop's help says you can download the whole account, a single collection, or a few selected items. The available formats are HTML, CSV and TXT, and its advice if you are unsure is to choose HTML: it produces a Netscape Bookmarks file that browsers and most third-party apps support (Raindrop.io Help).

In practice:

ExportGood forCaveat
HTMLMoving into any browser or most appsBrowser HTML has no standard slot for every Raindrop field, so check what your destination reads
CSVKeeping more fields for tools that read Raindrop CSV (NestMarks reads tags, notes and highlights from it)Only useful if the destination understands it
TXTA plain list of linksNo structure
Backup (whole account)A safety copy, or moving to another Raindrop accountDoes not include uploaded files

How to export Raindrop bookmarks (whole library)

Raindrop describes the backup route like this: go to Settings, then Backups, and create a new one. You get an email when it is ready and download the files from the same page. The backup covers bookmarks, collections, tags, highlights and notes, but not uploaded files such as PDFs and images (Raindrop.io Help).

  1. Sign in to the Raindrop.io web app.
  2. Open Settings, then Backups.
  3. Click Create new.
  4. Wait for the email notification.
  5. Return to the Backups page and download the files.

Raindrop's transfer page says the backup produces an HTML file you can import into another account (Raindrop.io Help). Open that file in a browser to see your links as a list before you move it anywhere.

Export uploaded files separately

If you uploaded PDFs, images or other files, Raindrop says to open All bookmarks in the web app and click Export, then ZIP. The archive holds the original files from across your collections (Raindrop.io Help). Most other bookmark tools do not take uploaded files from an import, so keep this ZIP as your own archive.

How to export one collection or a few bookmarks

To export a subset, Raindrop's help says to hover over items and click the checkbox to select them, then click Export in the toolbar and choose a format (Raindrop.io Help). Exporting a single collection is also supported in the same formats (Raindrop.io Help).

This is useful when you are testing a new tool. Export one small collection first, import it, and see if the result suits you before moving the whole library.

Check the file before you leave

  1. Open the HTML file in a browser. You should see your collections as folders with links inside.
  2. If you exported CSV, open a copy in a spreadsheet and look for columns for the URL, title, tags and notes. Do not re-save the original from the spreadsheet.
  3. Skim a collection you know well and confirm the counts look right.
  4. Keep the original export file. Treat it as your backup.

Also remember Raindrop's Trash. Deleted bookmarks go to Trash rather than disappearing at once (Raindrop.io Help), so empty or restore anything you care about before you export.

How to move the export into NestMarks

NestMarks is a hosted bookmark manager that can read Raindrop exports. It imports Raindrop CSV, including tags, notes and highlights, or Raindrop HTML. If you want tags, notes and highlights to come along, use the CSV where you can.

  1. Create a free NestMarks account.
  2. Open Import/Export in the app and choose the Raindrop option.
  3. Select your CSV or HTML file.
  4. Read the preview. It shows counts, duplicates skipped and invalid rows.
  5. Confirm. Then check a few collections, your tags and a bookmark with a note.

A file can have up to 20,000 rows, and an account can hold up to 50,000 bookmarks (fair use). For a bigger library, export by collection and import in several rounds.

What to expect

Raindrop folders ("collections") map onto NestMarks collections, which also nest. NestMarks searches titles, descriptions, URLs and your notes in one box, and it has a duplicate finder and a broken-link check. It exports your bookmarks as browser HTML at any time, which means you are not locked in. Raindrop is the more mature product here: it has desktop, web and mobile apps (Raindrop.io Help), while NestMarks has no iOS app and its Chrome extension is still coming to the Chrome Web Store. If you rely on Raindrop's mobile apps or other features, think hard about whether a move makes sense. A fair comparison of the options is the point of Raindrop.io alternatives: what to use and when to stay.

Moving somewhere else

Because the HTML export is a standard bookmarks file, you can bring it into any browser or most bookmark tools. For a general walkthrough of formats and what gets lost, see how to move your bookmarks between browsers and apps.

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

Before you cancel anything

Do not delete your Raindrop account or downgrade straight after exporting. Raindrop's help says that after a downgrade your bookmarks, collections, tags and highlights stay in the account, while Pro-only features such as automatic backups and web archive copies stop (Raindrop.io Help). So there is no pressure to act the same day.

A safe order looks like this:

  1. Export in the formats you need, plus the ZIP of uploaded files if you have any.
  2. Import into the new tool and check counts, tags and a handful of notes.
  3. Use both for a week or two.
  4. Download one more backup so the export reflects any last-minute changes.
  5. Only then decide whether to close the account.

If you saved web archive copies in Raindrop, note that those are a separate feature from a bookmark export, so assume they will not travel with the file.

Frequently asked questions

Can I export Raindrop bookmarks without a paid plan?

Raindrop's help describes export as something you can do at any time, with no plan requirement mentioned on that page. Automatic daily backups, however, are listed as a Pro feature that stops after a downgrade (Raindrop.io Help).

Which format should I pick?

HTML if you are moving into a browser or an app that reads browser bookmarks, since Raindrop recommends it as the broadly supported format. Choose CSV if your destination reads it and you want tags, notes and highlights to travel.

Are my uploaded files included in the export?

Not in the backup. Raindrop says to download uploaded files separately as a ZIP from All bookmarks.

Can I export just one collection?

Yes. Raindrop supports exporting a single collection or selected items in HTML, CSV or TXT.

Sources

  • raindrop
  • export
  • import
  • migration

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