Will my folder structure survive?

Yes, at any depth. Folder nesting is the one thing the format handles perfectly across every browser.

Can I move bookmarks from a phone to a computer?

Not as a file — mobile operating systems don't let you reach another app's storage. Use the browser's sync to bring them to a desktop copy of the same browser, then export there. See bookmarks on iPhone and Android.

Does the bookmarks bar stay the bookmarks bar?

Usually. The format marks one folder with PERSONAL_TOOLBAR_FOLDER and most browsers honour it. If it lands in a normal folder instead, drag the contents onto the bar once and you're done.

I have exports from four old machines. What order should I merge them?

Most-organised first. When the same page appears in several files, the merge tool keeps the copy from the file you added earliest, so leading with your best-organised export means its folder placement wins.

Can I import into a browser that isn't installed yet?

No, but the file waits indefinitely. That is the point of keeping one: it is not tied to any browser, account or machine.

Move bookmarks between browsers or to a new computer

Export to bookmarks.html in the old browser, import that file in the new one. Every browser reads and writes the same Netscape bookmark format, so no combination of browsers is a special case and nothing needs installing.

The two steps

Export. In Chrome, Edge, Brave or Opera: Ctrl+Shift+O (⌘+⌥+B on a Mac), then the ⋮ or ⋯ menu → Export bookmarks. In Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+O → Import and Backup → Export Bookmarks to HTML. In Safari: File → Export → Bookmarks.
Import. Same menus in the new browser, choosing Import bookmarks from HTML file.

Move the file between machines however you like — it is a single text file, usually under a megabyte unless it carries embedded favicons.

Do I need the export at all?

Not always — most browsers can read another browser's bookmarks directly, if both are installed on the same computer.

Look for Import bookmarks and settings (Chrome, Edge) or Import Data from Another Browser (Firefox, Safari) and pick the source browser rather than a file. It is quicker and it can bring passwords and history too.

Use the file instead when the browsers are on different machines, when the old browser no longer starts, or when you want a copy you keep regardless — which is the case worth making a habit of.

Moving to a new computer

Export on the old machine, move the file, import on the new one. That's the whole procedure, and it is more reliable than signing into sync on a fresh install — sync will happily populate the new machine, but it gives you nothing to fall back on if the account has already lost something.

If the old computer is dead but its disk is readable, you can pull the bookmarks straight from the profile folder. The per-browser guides give the exact paths, and our viewer and converter read Chrome's raw profile file directly, so a browser that won't launch is not a dead end.

Importing adds — it does not replace

Every browser's import merges into what is already there, usually inside a folder named "Imported" or similar.

That matters if the destination browser already holds a version of the same bookmarks — you will end up with two of everything. Two ways through it:

Clear the destination browser's bookmarks first, so the import is the only set.
Or import anyway, export the combined result, and run it through the duplicate finder to collapse the copies.

If you are combining sets from several machines, do it before importing: the merge tool takes any number of exports and produces one de-duplicated file, so the destination browser only ever sees a clean set.

What doesn't come across

The export format is a lowest common denominator. URLs, titles, folders and creation dates always survive. Firefox tags and keyword shortcuts, Safari's Reading List, and per-bookmark descriptions generally do not — the full breakdown is in the format guide.

Passwords, history and open tabs are separate systems entirely and never travel in a bookmarks file. Use the browser's own direct import for those.

Worth doing while you're here

A browser switch is the one moment you have the whole collection in a single file. Before importing, run it through the dead link checker — a set that has been carried across machines for a decade is usually 20-30% dead domains, and there is no reason to move that into a fresh browser.

Common questions

Will my folder structure survive?: Yes, at any depth. Folder nesting is the one thing the format handles perfectly across every browser.
Can I move bookmarks from a phone to a computer?: Not as a file — mobile operating systems don't let you reach another app's storage. Use the browser's sync to bring them to a desktop copy of the same browser, then export there. See bookmarks on iPhone and Android.
Does the bookmarks bar stay the bookmarks bar?: Usually. The format marks one folder with PERSONAL_TOOLBAR_FOLDER and most browsers honour it. If it lands in a normal folder instead, drag the contents onto the bar once and you're done.
I have exports from four old machines. What order should I merge them?: Most-organised first. When the same page appears in several files, the merge tool keeps the copy from the file you added earliest, so leading with your best-organised export means its folder placement wins.
Can I import into a browser that isn't installed yet?: No, but the file waits indefinitely. That is the point of keeping one: it is not tied to any browser, account or machine.