If you regularly use Edge as your preferred web browser, there's a good chance that you've accumulated a substantial list of favorite websites and Bookmarks over time. This guide will walk you through your options for backing up your Microsoft Edge Favorites/Bookmarks, ensuring that your bookmarks are safe and securely backed up.
Is Edge Sync a Reliable Backup for Bookmarks?
While Edge Sync offers the convenience of synchronizing your bookmarks and settings, relying on it as your only means of preserving this data can be risky. Since Microsoft Edge Sync mirrors changes across all connected devices, any accidental deletions or modifications to your bookmarks can result in permanent loss, with these changes being replicated across your entire account. This feature, designed for syncing rather than securing data, lacks the ability to roll back to previous states, which a traditional backup system would typically offer.
Therefore, if your bookmarks are valuable and irreplaceable, employing a more robust backup strategy is crucial. Regularly exporting and saving your bookmarks to an external storage solution, whether it be cloud-based or physical, ensures that you have a retrievable copy independent of the synced data on Edge. This way, you can safeguard against any unforeseeable issues or mishaps with your synced devices, keeping your important bookmarks secure and recoverable in any scenario.
Backup Bookmarks With Bookmark Llama (Automatic)
Bookmark Llama is a handy tool for backing up your Edge bookmarks that allows you to pick exactly which folders you want to backup, so you're in complete control. Plus, every time you change your bookmarks – like adding a new one or deleting an old one – Bookmark Llama saves that change. This means if you ever need to, you can go back to how your bookmarks looked at any specific moment.
- Ensure your bookmark bar is enabled and that you have folders on it.
- Signup for Bookmark Llama
- Select Sync Across my Devices and Browsers from the setup wizard
- Give Bookmark Llama access to see your shared folders by installing the extension for Edge.
- Select which folder you would like to backup.
- Click Sync
Backup Bookmarks to Cloud Storage (Manual)
- Open a Microsoft Edge window and click the Favorites icon on the top-right-hand side of the screen. Alternatively, navigate to Favorites using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+O on Windows & Linux or ⌥+⌘+B on Mac.
- Click the three dots on the right-hand side of the Favorites tray.
- From the dropdown, click Export Favorites.
- Choose Save Location: In the save dialog, navigate to your desired cloud storage folder, such as Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or another cloud service.
- Name the File: Assign a name to the file (it will save as an HTML file by default).
- Click 'Save': Save the file to export and store your bookmarks in the selected cloud storage folder.
- Verify File in Cloud Storage: Ensure the bookmarks file is successfully uploaded to your cloud storage by checking via a web browser or cloud storage app.
Backup Bookmarks to Physical Storage Device (Manual)
- Open a Microsoft Edge window and click the Favorites icon on the top-right-hand side of the screen. Alternatively, navigate to Favorites using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+O on Windows & Linux or ⌥+⌘+B on Mac.
- Click the three dots on the right-hand side of the Favorites tray.
- From the dropdown, click Export Favorites.
- Navigate to Your Physical Storage Device: In the save dialog, browse to the location of your connected physical storage device, like a USB flash drive or an external hard drive.
- Name the File: Give a name to your file (it will save as an HTML file by default).
- Save the File: Click on the 'Save' button to export your bookmarks to the chosen location on your physical storage device.
- Safely Eject the Device: After the export is complete, safely eject the physical storage device from your computer.
- Verify the Export: Optionally, connect the physical storage device to another computer to ensure the bookmarks file has been successfully saved and is accessible.
Back up Bookmarks On Other Browsers
FAQ
How do I backup my bookmarks to one drive?
To back up your Microsoft Edge bookmarks to OneDrive, follow the steps outlined in this page's Backup Bookmarks to Cloud Storage (Manual) section. The process involves opening Microsoft Edge and accessing the Favorites Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+O. Click the three-dot menu icon within the Favorites Manager and select Export Favorites. Choose your OneDrive folder as the save location in the dialog, name the file (it will be saved as an HTML file), and click Save. This action exports your bookmarks to OneDrive, providing a secure and accessible backup.
Where are Microsoft Edge bookmarks stored?
- Windows: On Windows, Microsoft Edge bookmarks, also known as Favorites, are stored in a database file within your user profile directory. Typically, you can find them at
C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default. The bookmarks are located in a file named Bookmarks. - MacOS: For MacOS users, Edge bookmarks are stored in your user library folder. The path is usually
/Users/[YourUsername]/Library/Application Support/Microsoft Edge/Default. Within this directory, the 'Bookmarks' file contains your saved favorites. - Linux: On Linux systems, Microsoft Edge saves bookmarks in a similar structure as MacOS. You can find the bookmarks in the following directory:
/home/[YourUsername]/.config/microsoft-edge/Default. The specific bookmark data is stored in a file named Bookmarks.
Does Edge automatically backup bookmarks?
No, Microsoft Edge does not automatically backup bookmarks. While Edge does offer a built-in sync feature when you log in with a Microsoft account, this should not be considered a backup. The sync feature ensures that your bookmarks are the same across all devices logged into the same account, but it doesn't create a separate, retrievable backup. This means that any changes made to your bookmarks, including deletions or modifications, are immediately synced and mirrored across all devices, without the ability to roll back to a previous state. For a true backup, it's recommended to manually export and save your bookmarks using the methods outlined in this guide.