How to Export Bookmarks from Chrome

Save your Chrome bookmarks to a file you can use for backup, migration, or safekeeping

BackupImport to ChromeBy TrueBookmark TeamPublished March 12, 2026

Chrome can export all your bookmarks to a single HTML file. The process takes about 30 seconds and gives you a portable file you can use to import into another browser, move to a new computer, or keep as a manual backup.

Export your bookmarks

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. Open Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows/Linux, Cmd+Shift+O on macOS).
  3. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of Bookmark Manager.
  4. Select Export bookmarks.
  5. Choose a location and filename, then save.

Chrome saves an HTML file containing every bookmark in your library, organized by folder.

What the export file includes

The HTML file contains:

  • every bookmark URL
  • the name you gave each bookmark (or the page title Chrome used)
  • the folder structure, preserved as nested lists
  • the date each bookmark was added

You can open the file in any browser to browse the links, or open it in a text editor to see the raw structure.

What the export file does not include

The export is a snapshot. It does not include:

  • favicons (the small site icons next to each bookmark)
  • any bookmarks added after the export
  • browsing history or passwords
  • bookmark metadata from extensions or third-party managers

If you need an ongoing backup rather than a one-time snapshot, the backup guide covers the tradeoffs.

When exporting makes sense

Export is the right tool when you need to:

  • move bookmarks to a different browser
  • transfer bookmarks to a different computer without using Chrome Sync
  • create a one-time safety copy before a big reorganization
  • share a bookmark collection with someone else

When exporting is not enough

Exporting works well as a one-time action. It falls short as an ongoing protection strategy because:

  • you have to remember to do it
  • old exports go stale quickly
  • there is no versioning, so you only have the most recent export
  • restoring from an export replaces your current bookmarks with the file contents, which can cause duplicates

If your goal is reliable ongoing backup and easy restore, TrueBookmark handles that automatically. It keeps versioned backups so you can roll back to any point, not just the last time you remembered to export.

When TrueBookmark helps

Native Chrome steps are the fastest way to finish the task once. TrueBookmark is the better fit when you want Backup, Restore, Find, or Organize to stay reliable over time.

Try TrueBookmark Free

Related guides

Import to Chrome, Organize, Backup

How to Import Bookmarks Into Chrome

Step-by-step guide to importing bookmarks into Chrome from an HTML file or directly from another browser, plus what to do after the import.

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How to Back Up Chrome Bookmarks

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Restore, Backup

How to Restore Bookmarks in Chrome

Step-by-step guide to restoring Chrome bookmarks using Chrome Sync, the Bookmarks.bak file, and HTML import. Covers what to check first and what Chrome cannot recover.