How to Delete All Bookmarks in Chrome

Chrome does not have a "delete all bookmarks" button, but you can clear your entire library in about 30 seconds using the Bookmark Manager and a select-all shortcut.

Before you do this, understand one thing: bookmark deletions in Chrome cannot be undone after you close the browser. There is no trash folder. If you skip the backup step and change your mind later, your bookmarks are gone.

Back up first

If there is any chance you might want these bookmarks later, export them before deleting.

1. Open Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Option+B on macOS).
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
3. Select Export bookmarks.
4. Save the HTML file somewhere you will find it later.

This takes 15 seconds and gives you a complete copy of everything you are about to delete. The backup guide covers this in more detail if you want to verify the file.

Delete all bookmarks

1. Open Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O / Cmd+Option+B).
2. Click on Bookmarks bar in the left sidebar.
3. Click on any bookmark in the list to make sure the list pane is focused.
4. Press Ctrl+A (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+A (macOS) to select all bookmarks in that folder.
5. Press Delete (or right-click and select Delete).

6. Repeat for Other Bookmarks in the left sidebar.
7. Repeat for Mobile Bookmarks if you have any.

Chrome organizes bookmarks into these three root sections. You need to select and delete within each section separately because Ctrl+A only selects items in the currently visible folder.

If you have subfolders, you do not need to go into each one individually. Selecting and deleting a folder also deletes everything inside it.

After deleting, keep Chrome open and do not restart it yet. If you realize you made a mistake, Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z may still work. Once you close Chrome, that option is gone.

What about Chrome Sync?

If you are signed into Chrome with Sync enabled, deleting your bookmarks on one device will delete them everywhere. Sync propagates deletions to all devices connected to the same Google account.

This is usually what people want when they are doing a full reset. But if you only want to clear bookmarks on one device while keeping them on others, turn off bookmark sync before deleting:

1. Go to chrome://settings/syncSetup.
2. Click Manage what you sync.
3. Toggle off Bookmarks.
4. Then proceed with the deletion steps above.

Can you undo this?

You have a short window. If Chrome is still open and you have not done much else, Ctrl+Z / Cmd+Z in the Bookmark Manager may undo the delete. But this only works for the most recent action, and it does not survive a browser restart.

Once you close Chrome, the Bookmarks.bak file (Chrome's only automatic backup) gets overwritten on the next launch. After that, the only way to get your bookmarks back is from the HTML file you exported in the backup step.

If you did not back up and you have already closed Chrome, your best option is to check the Bookmarks.bak file in your Chrome profile folder before restarting the browser again. See How to Restore Bookmarks in Chrome for the full recovery steps.

Why people delete all bookmarks

A full bookmark wipe usually comes from one of a few situations:

• Starting fresh. Years of accumulated bookmarks that no longer reflect what you actually use.
• Switching to a new system. Moving to a different browser or bookmark manager and wanting a clean break.
• Cleaning up before selling or giving away a computer. Removing personal data from the browser.
• Fixing a mess after a bad import. A botched import that flooded the library with duplicates or unwanted bookmarks.

Whatever the reason, the key is the same: export first, delete second. The export file is your insurance.

Going forward

If you are starting fresh and plan to rebuild your bookmark library, consider protecting the new collection from the start. TrueBookmark keeps automatic versioned backups, so if you ever need to undo a bulk action or roll back to an earlier state, you can do it without hunting for backup files.