You save Chrome bookmarks like the little odds and ends buried in a shoebox. Each of these links can be a precious corner of the web for you. That's why it's important to export Chrome bookmarks, passwords, plus other data and keep them backed up always.

Fortunately, Chrome lets you back up bookmarks in a single HTML file and sync them automatically across devices. So let's see how easy it is to back up and export your Chrome bookmarks---both manually and automatically.

How to Back Up Chrome Bookmarks to an HTML File

Chrome makes it easy to create a manual backup of your bookmarks. The bookmarks are saved as a single HTML file which you can import into any other browser or another Chrome profile. Let's go through the five easy steps.

Step 1: Launch Chrome.

Step 2: Click the Chrome Customize and Control button (the three dots on the top right). Select Bookmarks > Bookmark Manager from the menu. Alternatively, right-click anywhere on the Bookmarks bar if it's visible.

The Chrome shortcut to open the Bookmark Manager is Ctrl + Shift + O.

Open Chrome's Bookmark Manager

Step 3: In the Bookmark Manager window, click the Organize menu button (the three dots on the top right). Then select Export bookmarks.

Export and Import Chrome Bookmarks from here

Step 4: Chrome opens the File Explorer dialog box so that you can save your bookmarks as an HTML file. Use this file to import your bookmarks into another Chrome browser or any other browser via its import dialog screen.

Exported Chrome Bookmarks HTML File

Step 5: Save this Chrome bookmarks HTML file in a designated place like the Documents folder. You can export it directly to a connected flash drive or save it to the cloud on Dropbox or Google Drive.

You can also choose to organize your bookmarks before you export them by selecting Sort by name on the above menu in the Bookmark Manager.

Restore Your Chrome Bookmarks From a Backup

To restore your bookmarks, you have to import them back into the browser from the same Bookmark Manager window. Click the three dots in the top right corner, then select Import bookmarks.

Chrome will display the Open file dialog box. Go to your bookmark HTML file, select it, then click on Open to import your bookmarks. Your browser will retrieve the bookmarks will be retrieved.

How to Back Up Chrome Bookmarks From the Hidden Folder

There is another way to back up your Chrome bookmarks manually. You have to make an effort to locate the hidden folder in your Windows PC or macOS. Then copy and paste the Bookmarks file from the Chrome profile folder to another secure location.

Follow the steps below.

Drill down to the User Data folder on your PC. This is the default location for your entire browser profile (it includes Bookmarks, Passwords, Extensions, and Settings).

In Windows (Windows 10, 8, 7 & Vista), the default location is:

            C:\Users\<strong><Your_Username></strong>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
    

In macOS, the default location is:

            Users/<strong><Your_Username></strong>/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default
    

For both paths, replace Your Username with the account name you use on the computer.

The Chrome bookmarks folder in Windows 10

Back Up the Chrome Bookmarks Manually in Windows 10:

  1. Close the Chrome browser.
  2. Go to File Explorer and enable the Hidden items view. (You can also do it from Folder Options > View tab)
  3. Navigate to the path mentioned above and shown in the screenshot from Windows 10.
  4. Copy and save the Bookmarks file somewhere else.
  5. To restore, copy the same file from the backup location and paste it into the Default folder.

What if you have multiple Chrome profiles?

If you share a computer, then maintaining separate Chrome profiles with their own set of bookmarks is always better. The User Data folder has a folder for each profile that you create in Chrome. If you only have one profile, that folder will be called Default, as you see above. For more than one profile, File Explorer will list the folders with the profile names.

Recover Chrome Bookmarks From the Bookmarks.bak File

The Bookmarks.bak file in Chrome

You will also notice that the same location has another file called "Bookmarks.bak". This is the most recent backup of your Chrome bookmarks file created when you last opened the browser. It is overwritten every time you launch a new session of the browser.

If your Bookmarks file ever disappears or is damaged for some reason, you can recover all your saved bookmarks from this backup file. Just rename the backup file by removing the ".bak" file extension.

How to Sync Your Chrome Bookmarks Across Devices

Your Google account acts as a hub to sync your bookmarks and other browser settings across your devices. If you have multiple computers and Android or iOS devices, you can sync your entire profile and select what you want to include or exclude.

Step 1: Open Chrome and click on More > Settings.

Step 2: Sign into the Google account you want to use with Chrome.

Step 3: Go to You and Google. Click on the tiny arrow for Sync and Google Services.

Sync and Google Services in Chrome Settings

Step 4: In the next screen, click the arrow for Manage sync. You can also explore the encryption options for added security.

The Manage sync settings in Chrome

Step 5: If you want to sync everything in your Chrome profile, keep the Sync everything toggle enabled.

Sync everything in Chrome

Step 6: Want to sync specific data? Turn off Sync everything and go down the list to enable the profile information you want to be synced.

Optionally encrypt your Chrome bookmarks and other synced data. Secure your data with your Google account's passphrase or a custom passphrase for extra security. You will need to enter the same passphrase into the Chrome installs for all devices you want the data synced to.

If you use multiple Chrome profiles, you can sign into each and keep all your data synced across devices and your Google accounts. Even if you lose your bookmarks on one device, you can recover them with simple sync.

Related: How to Manage Years of Browser Bookmarks: 5 Steps to Tidiness

Manage Your Chrome Bookmarks Well

You realize how much you miss your bookmarks when you don't have them (try a browser where you don't have them around!).

Browser bookmarks are more accessible than using specialized bookmarking software. Be selective about choosing the right ones to save and fussy about maintaining them over the years.