The fastest way depends on which browser you use

Moving your bookmarks or favorites to a new computer takes between five and twenty minutes, depending on whether you sync them automatically or export and import them manually. Most modern browsers—Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge—let you sign in with your existing account on the new machine and pull your bookmarks down automatically. If you do not want to use an account, or if your browser does not support syncing, you can export your bookmarks as a file, transfer that file to the new computer, and import it there.

The method you choose depends on three things: whether you have an account with your browser maker, whether the new computer is already set up, and whether you want your bookmarks synced across all your devices going forward. Syncing is the easiest long-term solution because any bookmark you add on one computer appears on the others automatically. Exporting and importing is a one-time transfer that does not require an account.

Key Takeaways

  • Signing into your browser account on the new computer is the fastest method and automatically syncs all your bookmarks without manual steps.
  • If you do not have a browser account or do not want to create one, you can export bookmarks as an HTML file on the old computer and import that file on the new one.
  • Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge all support bookmark syncing, but the steps and account requirements differ slightly for each.
  • Exported bookmark files are plain HTML and can be imported into almost any browser, even if you switch browsers on your new computer.

Syncing bookmarks through your browser account

If you use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, the simplest approach is to sign into your account on the new computer and let the browser read your bookmarks automatically. This method requires that you already have an account with that browser maker—Google for Chrome, Mozilla for Firefox, Apple for Safari, and Microsoft for Edge.

On your new computer, open the browser, look for a sign-in button (usually in the top right corner), and enter your email and password. The browser will ask which data you want to sync; make sure bookmarks is checked. Within a few minutes, all your bookmarks will appear in the new browser. This method also syncs your bookmarks across any other devices where you sign in with the same account, so they stay up to date everywhere.

If you do not remember your password, use the "Forgot password" link on the sign-in screen. You will need access to the email address associated with your account to reset it.

Exporting bookmarks from your old computer

If you do not have a browser account, or if you want to transfer bookmarks without signing in, you can export them as a file. This file is called an HTML file and contains all your bookmark names, URLs, and folder structure in a format that almost any browser can read.

The export process is slightly different for each browser. In Chrome, click the three-line menu in the top right, go to Bookmarks, then select "Export bookmarks." Choose where to save the file—your Desktop is easiest to find later. In Firefox, click the menu button (three horizontal lines), go to Bookmarks, then "Manage Bookmarks," click the gear icon, and select "Export Bookmarks." In Safari, go to File menu, then "Export Bookmarks," and choose your save location. In Edge, click the three-dot menu, go to Favorites, then "Manage favorites," click the three dots next to "Favorites," and select "Export favorites."

After you export, you will have a file named something like "bookmarks.html" or "bookmarks_[date].html" on your old computer. This file is now ready to move to the new computer.

Moving the bookmark file to your new computer

Once you have exported your bookmarks, you need to get that file onto your new computer. The easiest methods are email, cloud storage, or a USB drive.

Email: Attach the bookmarks file to an email and send it to yourself. On the new computer, read the attachment and save it somewhere you can find it—your Desktop or Downloads folder works well.

Cloud storage: If you use Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or iCloud, upload the bookmarks file to your cloud storage on the old computer. Sign into the same account on the new computer and read the file.

USB drive: Plug a USB drive into your old computer, copy the bookmarks file onto it, then plug the USB drive into the new computer and copy the file to your Desktop or Downloads folder.

Importing bookmarks on your new computer

Once the bookmarks file is on your new computer, open your browser and import it. The import process is also slightly different for each browser.

In Chrome, click the three-line menu, go to Bookmarks, then "Import bookmarks and settings." A window will open asking you to choose a file; navigate to your bookmarks.html file and select it. Chrome will ask which data to import—make sure only "Bookmarks" is checked—then click "Import." Your bookmarks will appear in a folder called "Imported" at the bottom of your bookmarks list.

In Firefox, click the menu button, go to Bookmarks, then "Manage Bookmarks," click the gear icon, and select "Import Bookmarks from HTML." Find your bookmarks file and select it. Firefox will import them into a folder called "Imported Bookmarks."

In Safari, go to File, then "Import From," and select "Bookmarks HTML File." Navigate to your bookmarks file and click Import. In Edge, click the three-dot menu, go to Favorites, then "Manage favorites," click the three dots, and select "Import bookmarks." Choose your file and select which browser you are importing from (or select "Bookmarks HTML file" if you exported from another browser).

Organizing imported bookmarks

After you import, your bookmarks will appear in a new folder rather than in their original locations. This is normal and prevents accidentally overwriting bookmarks that already exist on the new computer. You can move them to the right place by dragging and dropping them into your preferred folders.

If you want to keep the imported folder separate while you check that everything came through correctly, leave it as is for a few days. Once you confirm all your bookmarks are there, you can delete the "Imported" folder and reorganize as needed.

Switching browsers during the transfer

One advantage of exporting as HTML is that you can import your bookmarks into a different browser than the one you used before. If you were using Chrome on your old computer but want to use Firefox on your new one, export from Chrome and import into Firefox. The HTML format is universal, so your bookmarks, folder structure, and URLs will transfer perfectly.

This is also useful if you decide to switch browsers partway through. You can export bookmarks from your old browser, import them into your new browser on the same computer, and then sign into your new browser account on any other device to keep them synced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my passwords transfer with my bookmarks?

No. Bookmarks and passwords are stored separately. If you want to transfer saved passwords, you must export them through your browser's password manager settings, which is a different process. Bookmarks alone do not include login information.

What if I have bookmarks in different folders?

When you export, all your folders and the bookmarks inside them are included in the HTML file. When you import, the folder structure comes through intact, though the imported items may land in a single "Imported" folder that you can then reorganize by dragging bookmarks back to their original folders.

Can I import bookmarks from one browser into a completely different browser?

Yes. As long as you export as HTML, you can import into any browser. Chrome bookmarks exported as HTML can go into Firefox, Safari, or Edge without any conversion needed.

Do I need to delete bookmarks from my old computer after transferring them?

No. Exporting creates a copy; it does not remove the bookmarks from your old computer. You can keep using the old computer with all your bookmarks intact, or delete them if you prefer to clean up before passing the computer on or recycling it.

What if the import does not show all my bookmarks?

Check that the bookmarks.html file is complete by opening it in a text editor—it should contain many lines of code, not just a few. If the file is very small, the export may have failed. Try exporting again on your old computer. If the file looks normal but bookmarks are still missing, some bookmarks may have been in a separate folder or toolbar that was not included in the export.