Restore Firefox bookmarks from a backup with an overwrite check

To recover a Firefox bookmark set from one of your own backups, save a copy of the bookmarks you have now, then use Library > Import and Backup > Restore to choose a backup date or file. Treat that choice as a replacement: Mozilla warns that restoring a backup overwrites your current bookmarks. If you only need to add links from an HTML file, HTML import can merge bookmarks instead. Mozilla’s restore guide explains the distinction.

Check the overwrite before you start

Identify the set you want to recover. A dated automatic backup is a candidate if you know roughly when your bookmarks were still correct. Choose a backup file if you already saved a particular Firefox bookmark backup. Mozilla documents automatic and manual backups, along with the option to restore by date or from a file. A date or filename helps you choose a candidate, but it cannot confirm which folders and links are inside. See Mozilla’s restore instructions.

Look through your current bookmarks and note any recently added folders or links you want to keep. Then export the current set to an HTML file before restoring, and keep that file separate from the backup you plan to use. Mozilla provides instructions for exporting Firefox bookmarks. This is your overwrite check: do not assume bookmarks in the current set will survive a restore. The HTML export gives you a way to bring links back later, though importing it would not be an exact undo of the restore.

Restore the chosen backup

1. In Firefox, open Library > Import and Backup > Restore, following Mozilla’s documented procedure.
2. Choose a dated backup from the period you need, or choose the Firefox bookmark backup file you saved. If you cannot identify a suitable source, pause here and review the dates or files available to you. Choosing a different point in time may replace the current set with another set that lacks the links you need.
3. Complete the restore with the overwrite in mind. The chosen backup replaces the bookmarks currently in Firefox; the operation does not combine the two sets. Mozilla warns about this replacement.
4. Open the restored bookmark folders. Check that the folders you expected have returned, then inspect the specific links you were trying to recover. A completed restore alone does not tell you whether you chose the right backup.

If the result is not the set you need

If expected folders or links are missing, reconsider the backup date or file. Another documented backup may represent a better point in time. Before another restore, preserve anything in the bookmarks currently showing that you need to keep: the next restore will overwrite them too. Mozilla’s restore guide describes the available restore choices.

If the restored set is right but you also want links from the HTML copy you made, use HTML import to add them. Import can merge links, whereas Restore replaces the set. Inspect the resulting folders afterward so you can see what was added. Mozilla describes the HTML import option. Keep your exported copy until you have checked any newer links you wanted to retain.

If you need to add an HTML set without replacing the current Firefox collection, Mozilla’s HTML import path places the incoming bookmarks in Bookmarks Menu and warns about possible duplicates. That is a different recovery decision from Restore. Make a backup of the present collection first, then inspect both missing and duplicated links after the import.

Documentation check: Mozilla Support 1, Mozilla Support 2, Mozilla Support 3, 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.