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How to back up and export Chrome bookmarks (HTML or JSON)

Chrome can export your bookmarks in one click, but it gives you a single flat HTML file with no folder control. If you want per-folder exports, JSON, or a real backup workflow, there's a better way.

8 May 2026 · 4 min read

Why it's worth exporting before you need to

Chrome bookmarks live in a single file on your local drive, and Chrome syncs them to your account — so you might assume they're safe. Usually they are. But there are a few scenarios where a separate export earns its five minutes of effort.

You're about to do a major cleanup and might delete something you'll regret. You're switching browsers or setting up a new machine with a different profile. You want a searchable archive of everything you've ever saved, not just what's currently in Chrome. Or you simply want a copy that lives outside Google's infrastructure.

Any of these is reason enough. The export takes under two minutes.

Method 1: Chrome's built-in export

This is the fastest path. It exports your entire bookmark library as a single HTML file.

How to do it

  1. Open Chrome Bookmark Manager: press Ctrl+Shift+O (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+O (Mac), or go to chrome://bookmarks.
  2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right corner.
  3. Choose Export bookmarks.
  4. Pick a location and save the .html file.

That's the whole process. The file contains every bookmark in every folder, in a format every major browser understands for import.

What you get

A flat HTML file. It preserves your folder structure as nested <DL> elements, which most browsers parse correctly when you import it. It doesn't include your folder organisation as distinct files — just one document with everything in it.

The limitation

No way to export a single folder. No JSON. No per-selection control. If that's what you need, Method 2 has you covered.

Method 2: Export with Easy Bookmark Manager

Easy Bookmark Manager adds the things Chrome's export doesn't have: per-folder exports, per-selection exports, and JSON format.

How to do it

  1. Install Easy Bookmark Manager and open the side panel (click the extension icon or use Chrome's side panel button).
  2. To export everything: click the menu icon and choose Export → select HTML or JSON.
  3. To export a single folder: right-click the folder in the tree → Export folder.
  4. To export a selection: check the boxes next to the bookmarks you want, then click the bulk-action menu → Export selected.

When JSON is the better choice

JSON exports each bookmark as a structured object with its URL, title, folder path, and date added. Use JSON when:

Use HTML when you're migrating to another browser or want a backup you know you can import anywhere.

Building a backup habit

A one-time export is useful; a monthly export is a safety net. The simplest approach:

  1. Export to a clearly named file: chrome-bookmarks-2026-05-01.html.
  2. Drop it into a cloud folder (Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud) so it's off the browser.
  3. Keep the last three months' worth and delete older ones.

If you're on a Mac, you can also point Time Machine at ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Bookmarks and let it handle the backup automatically — but the HTML export remains the most portable format for restoring into any browser.

Common mistakes

Exporting after you've already lost something. If you accidentally deleted a bookmark folder, the only thing that saves you is a pre-existing backup. Export before major cleanup sessions.

Keeping the backup file in the browser's download folder. If something goes wrong with your profile, the downloads folder might not be the first thing you restore. Move the export to cloud storage or an external drive.

Using JSON when you just need to migrate browsers. JSON is a structured format that most browsers don't accept as an import. If you're switching to Firefox or Edge, export as HTML.

Never doing it because it feels like too much effort. Once you've done it once, the whole process takes about 90 seconds. It's worth it.

FAQ

Where does Chrome store bookmarks on disk?

On macOS, Chrome bookmarks live at ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Bookmarks (a JSON file). On Windows, it's at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Bookmarks. You can copy this file directly for a raw backup, but importing it elsewhere requires the HTML format produced by the export function.

Can I export just one folder of bookmarks?

Chrome's built-in export always exports everything. Easy Bookmark Manager lets you select a single folder (or any set of bookmarks) and export only those — useful if you want to share a research collection or migrate one folder to another browser.

What's the difference between HTML and JSON export formats?

HTML is the format every browser understands for importing bookmarks — use it when you're moving to Firefox, Edge, or Safari. JSON is more useful for programmatic work (feeding into a personal knowledge tool, writing a script, or just having a structured backup).

How often should I back up my bookmarks?

Once a month is plenty for most people. If you're actively organizing or doing a cleanup, back up before you start so you have a clean snapshot to restore from if you delete something important.

Can I import an HTML file back into Chrome?

Yes. Open Chrome Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O or Cmd+Shift+O), click the three-dot menu in the top right, and choose "Import bookmarks." Select your HTML file and Chrome merges them in.