Export Firefox bookmarks to an HTML file
Updated
To export bookmarks from Firefox, open the Library window (Ctrl+Shift+O, or ⌘+Shift+O on a Mac), click Import and Backup, and choose Export Bookmarks to HTML…. Firefox saves a file named bookmarks.html that every major browser can import. These steps follow Mozilla Support, checked in October 2026.
How to export bookmarks from Firefox
- Click the menu button (☰) in the top-right corner, then Bookmarks > Manage bookmarks. The Library window opens. Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows and Linux, or ⌘+Shift+O on a Mac.
- In the Library window's toolbar, click Import and Backup and choose Export Bookmarks to HTML….
- In the Export Bookmarks File window, choose where to save. The file is named
bookmarks.htmlunless you change it. - Click Save, then close the Library window.
The file holds every bookmark and folder, including those on the Bookmarks Toolbar, in the Bookmarks Menu and in Other Bookmarks.
HTML export or JSON backup?
The Import and Backup menu offers two ways to save your bookmarks, and they do different jobs:
| Export Bookmarks to HTML… | Backup… | |
|---|---|---|
| File type | bookmarks.html |
.json |
| Opens in | Any browser and most bookmark tools | Firefox only, through Restore |
| Use it to | Move bookmarks or open them elsewhere | Put Firefox back to an earlier state |
Firefox also makes automatic .jsonlz4 backups and keeps the 15 most recent. They appear as dated entries under Import and Backup > Restore. Restoring a backup replaces all your current Firefox bookmarks. Importing an HTML file adds to them instead.
Open your export in Reading Rewind
Drop bookmarks.html onto the free Bookmark Explorer, or click Browse Files and pick it. The explorer reads the file in your browser and never uploads it. You can browse your folders, search every title and link, and preview pages, all without an account.
To keep these bookmarks next to your reading list, create a free Reading Rewind account, open Bookmarks, and choose Import Bookmarks File from the ⋯ menu at the top of the list. The file is added as its own source, named after it, such as "HTML Import (bookmarks.html)", next to the rest of your library. Importing a file with the same name again replaces only that source.
To keep Firefox in sync instead of importing a one-off copy, try the Firefox extension (beta). Firefox removes it on every restart for now, so Chrome is the smoother option for ongoing sync.
Merging exports from several browsers? Remove duplicate bookmarks combines them into one clean file. Got years of old links? The dead link checker finds sites that no longer respond.
FAQ
Can I open a Firefox JSON backup in the Bookmark Explorer?
No. The explorer reads HTML bookmark files only, and other browsers can't import Firefox backups either. Use Export Bookmarks to HTML… to get a file that opens anywhere.
Where are Firefox's automatic bookmark backups?
In the bookmarkbackups folder inside your Firefox profile, as compressed .jsonlz4 files. Restore them from Import and Backup > Restore in the Library window. Only Firefox can read them.
Will importing my export into another Firefox overwrite its bookmarks?
Not if you use Import Bookmarks from HTML…, which adds the bookmarks alongside the ones already there. Restore is the option that replaces everything.