How to Copy Bookmarks from Chrome

"Copy bookmarks" means different things depending on what you are trying to do. You might want to copy a single bookmark URL to paste somewhere. You might want to copy all your bookmarks to a different browser. Or you might want to copy your bookmark files to a different computer. This guide covers all three.

Copy a bookmark URL

If you just need the URL from one of your bookmarks:

1. Open Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Option+B on Mac).
2. Find the bookmark you want.
3. Right-click it and select Copy URL (or Copy link address, depending on your Chrome version).

You can also right-click a bookmark on the bookmarks bar and select Copy URL.

The URL is now on your clipboard. Paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V (or Cmd+V).

Tip: If you want to share a specific bookmark with someone, this is the fastest method. Just copy the URL and send it.

Copy bookmarks to another browser

To move your entire bookmark library from Chrome to a different browser (Firefox, Edge, Safari, or any other), you need to export from Chrome and then import into the other browser.

Step 1: Export from Chrome

1. Open Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O / Cmd+Option+B).
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of Bookmark Manager.
3. Select Export bookmarks.
4. Choose a location (like your Desktop) and save the file.

Chrome creates an HTML file containing all your bookmarks and their folder structure. For a detailed walkthrough, see How to Export Bookmarks from Chrome.

Step 2: Import into the other browser

Every major browser can import a bookmarks HTML file:

• Firefox: Click the menu button > Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks. Click Import and Backup > Import Bookmarks from HTML.
• Edge: Go to edge://favorites > click the three-dot menu > Import favorites. Choose "Favorites or bookmarks HTML file."
• Safari (Mac): Go to File > Import From > Bookmarks HTML File.

After importing, check the other browser's bookmark manager to verify that your bookmarks and folder structure came through correctly.

What the export includes and excludes

The HTML file includes every bookmark URL, name, folder structure, and the date each bookmark was added. It does not include favicons, browsing history, passwords, or extensions. For full details, see What Gets Exported When You Export Chrome Bookmarks.

Copy bookmarks to another computer

If you want the same bookmarks on a different machine, you have three options.

Option 1: Chrome Sync (easiest)

If you sign into Chrome with the same Google account on both computers, Chrome Sync handles everything automatically.

1. On the new computer, open Chrome and sign in with your Google account.
2. Go to chrome://settings/syncSetup and make sure Sync is on and Bookmarks is enabled.
3. Wait a few minutes. Your bookmarks will appear.

This is the easiest method, but it requires both machines to use the same Google account. For more details, see How to Sync Bookmarks in Chrome.

Option 2: HTML export and import

If the two computers use different Google accounts, or if you do not want to use Sync:

1. Export your bookmarks on the old computer.
2. Transfer the HTML file to the new computer (email it to yourself, use a USB drive, or upload it to cloud storage).
3. Import the file on the new computer.

Watch for duplicates. If the new computer already has bookmarks in Chrome, importing will add the file's bookmarks on top of what is already there. Chrome does not check for duplicates during import. Back up the new computer's bookmarks first, then review and remove any duplicates after importing.

Option 3: Copy the bookmark files directly

For advanced users, you can copy Chrome's internal bookmark files from one computer to another. This method preserves everything, including data that the HTML export leaves out.

1. Close Chrome completely on both computers.
2. On the old computer, navigate to the Chrome profile folder:
   • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\
   • Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/
   • Linux: ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/
3. Copy the Bookmarks file (and optionally Bookmarks.bak).
4. Transfer the file to the same profile folder on the new computer.
5. Open Chrome on the new computer.

Important: This replaces the existing bookmarks on the new computer. Back up the new computer's Bookmarks file first if it has bookmarks you want to keep.

For more on where Chrome stores bookmarks and what these files contain, see Where Are Chrome Bookmarks Stored.

Which method to use

TrueBookmark keeps automatic backups of your bookmark library, so if you ever need to copy your bookmarks to a new setup, you always have a recent backup ready to go without needing to remember to export first.