Backups and Restore
What it does
The Backups tab stores complete snapshots of your bookmark library locally on your device. You can create manual backups at any time, preview what a restore will do before applying it, export backups as HTML files, and delete old backups you no longer need.
How to open it
- Click the TrueBookmark icon to open Quick Find.
- Click the hard drive icon in the popup header, or click "Open Full Search" and then the Backups tab in the Manager.
Backup types
| Type | When created |
|---|---|
| Initial | Automatically when you first install TrueBookmark. Captures your entire bookmark library at that moment. |
| Manual | When you click "Create Backup" in the Backups tab. Use this before making big changes to your bookmarks. |
| Safety | Automatically before any destructive action (bulk delete, duplicate removal, empty folder cleanup). Acts as your safety net. |
| Scheduled | Automatic daily backups (Pro feature, coming soon). Free users create manual backups. |
Creating a manual backup
- Open the Backups tab in the Manager.
- Click "Create Backup". TrueBookmark snapshots your entire bookmark library (all bookmarks and folders).
- The new backup appears in the list with a "Manual" badge, showing the bookmark count, folder count, and storage size.
Each backup shows: the type badge, creation date and time, bookmark count, folder count, detected duplicates (if any), and estimated storage size.
Restoring from a backup
Restores are non-destructive. TrueBookmark creates a new folder (for example, "Restore from Jan 3, 2026 1:06pm") and places the restored bookmarks inside it. Your existing bookmarks stay exactly where they are.
- Find the backup you want to restore and click "Restore".
- A Restore Preview panel opens showing:
- The name of the restore folder that will be created
- Where it will be placed (usually "Other Bookmarks")
- How many bookmarks and folders will be recreated
- A list of the folders and bookmarks (first 10 of each, with "and X more" for larger restores)
- Click "Confirm Restore" to apply. The message at the bottom confirms: "No existing bookmarks will be deleted."
- After restore, a toast notification shows the result: "Restored X bookmarks and Y folders into 'Restore from...'"
Old backups: If a backup is more than 30 days old, TrueBookmark asks for extra confirmation before restoring. This is a safety check, not a limitation. The restore works the same way regardless of age.
Exporting a backup as HTML
- Find the backup you want to export and click the download icon.
- A file downloads in Chrome-compatible Netscape Bookmark format. The filename includes the backup date and time, for example:
TrueBookmark_2026-01-03_13-06-00.html - You can import this file into any browser using Chrome's Import bookmarks dialog, or keep it as an offline backup.
How to import the HTML file into Chrome
- Open chrome://bookmarks in your browser.
- Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select "Import bookmarks".
- Select the exported HTML file. Chrome imports the bookmarks into an "Imported" folder.
Deleting a backup
- Click the trash icon next to the backup you want to remove.
- A confirmation dialog appears: "Delete this backup? This cannot be undone."
- Click OK to delete. The backup is permanently removed from local storage.
This is permanent. Unlike bookmark deletions (which can be undone), deleting a backup cannot be reversed. Export the backup as HTML first if you want to keep a copy.
Backup storage
Backups are stored locally in IndexedDB within your browser profile. The total size is shown at the top of the Backups tab (for example, "3 backups stored locally on your device (2.1 MB)").
- Each backup stores a complete snapshot of every bookmark and folder, including metadata like date added and folder paths.
- Storage is not shared across Chrome profiles or devices. Each profile has its own backup set.
- If you uninstall TrueBookmark, all backups are removed. Export important backups as HTML before uninstalling.
A notice in the Backups tab reminds you: "Backups are stored locally in this extension. Export them first if you plan to uninstall."
Good to know
- Safety backups are created automatically before bulk deletes, duplicate removal, and empty folder cleanup. You do not need to create a manual backup before cleanup operations.
- If a parent folder no longer exists when restoring, TrueBookmark creates a recovery folder in "Other Bookmarks" to hold the restored items.
- The restore preview shows the exact state of the bookmarks at the time the backup was taken. If you have edited a bookmark since the backup, the restored copy will have the old title/URL.
Related guides
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