Export Chrome bookmarks to a portable HTML file

Chrome exports bookmarks from Bookmark Manager as an HTML file. Make the export before changing browsers, keep a dated copy, and import that file into the new browser when you are ready. Google Chrome Help identifies HTML as the export format.

Make the transfer copy

1. In Chrome, open More, choose Bookmarks and lists, and open Bookmark Manager. This is the documented path to the export control, even if you usually access bookmarks another way.
2. In Bookmark Manager, open More and choose Export Bookmarks. Chrome exports the bookmarks to an HTML file. If you are offered a choice of where to save it, choose a location you can find again. Make a note of that location before moving on.
3. Locate the exported file on your computer. Check that it is an HTML file and that its name identifies it as the bookmark export you just made. If several files look plausible, compare their names and dates rather than assuming the first match is the new copy. An older export might omit bookmarks you added recently.
4. Keep a dated copy somewhere you can reach during the browser change. For example, place a copy in a folder named Bookmarks transfer 2026-09-29. Keep the .html extension and leave the file’s contents alone. The date will help you distinguish this copy if you make another export later.
5. When the new browser is ready, follow its bookmark import instructions and select the saved HTML file. Import controls vary by browser. After the import, check the bookmarks in the destination browser before considering the transfer complete.

Check before you switch

• You have identified the HTML export from this session by its name and date.
• You can access your dated copy from the computer where you will import it. If you are changing computers too, transfer the copy to the other computer first.
• After importing, you can find a few bookmarks and folders you recognize in the destination browser. Check items from different parts of your collection to make a mistaken or incomplete import easier to spot.

The filename and .html extension help you identify the file; they cannot confirm that a later import worked. That check happens in the destination browser. Keep the dated copy until you have done it, especially if you expect to set up the new browser on another day.

If you cannot find the export, repeat the Chrome export steps and locate the new file before continuing. If the destination browser cannot find or accept the file, confirm that you selected your dated HTML copy, then consult that browser’s instructions for importing bookmarks from HTML. Its menus may differ from Chrome’s.

Treat this as a bookmarks transfer. Chrome’s export documentation describes an HTML file for bookmarks. Do not expect that file to transfer passwords, browsing history, or the content of bookmarked pages. Arrange separately for any other data you need when changing browsers.

If Firefox is the destination, Mozilla’s HTML import instructions add the file’s bookmarks to existing ones and warn that duplicates can result. Preserve the destination bookmarks before import, then inspect its Bookmarks Menu for the transferred links. This destination check matters more than the export dialog reporting completion.

Documentation check: Chrome Help, Mozilla Support, reviewed September 29, 2026. The menu paths and feature limits come from these pages; the result checks are steps for the reader. This workflow was not run in a live product profile. Check the current interface and your saved result before relying on either.