Export Safari bookmarks to an HTML file

Updated

To export bookmarks from Safari on a Mac, choose File > Export Browsing Data to File, select Bookmarks, and save. Safari creates a .zip file. Unzip it to get the HTML bookmarks file that other browsers and tools can read. These steps follow Apple's Safari User Guide, which covers macOS Ventura 13 through macOS 27, checked in October 2026.

How to export bookmarks from Safari on a Mac

  1. Open Safari.
  2. Choose File > Export Browsing Data to File.
  3. Select Bookmarks. Leave passwords and credit cards unselected unless you need them.
  4. If you use Safari profiles, choose a profile or All Profiles. Bookmarks are the same in every profile, so either choice gives you all of them.
  5. Click Export or Download. The button name depends on your version of macOS.
  6. Name the file, choose a location, and click Save.
  7. Find the .zip file in Finder and double-click it to unzip it. Inside is an HTML file with your bookmarks. That's the file to open.

Some Safari versions also have File > Export > Bookmarks. It saves a single file named Safari Bookmarks.html, with no unzipping needed (Apple Support).

How to export Safari bookmarks on iPhone

  1. Open the Settings app and tap Apps > Safari.
  2. Below History and Website Data, tap Export.
  3. Select Bookmarks, and choose a profile if you use them.
  4. Tap Save to Downloads. Safari saves a .zip file to the Downloads folder in the Files app.

Move the .zip file to your computer, for example with AirDrop or iCloud Drive, and unzip it there. Source: Apple's iPhone User Guide, iOS 18 and later.

Open your export in Reading Rewind

Unzip the export first, because the explorer opens .html files, not .zip files. Then drop the HTML file 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.

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

Does a Mac export include bookmarks from my iPhone and iPad?

Yes, if you sync Safari with iCloud. With Safari turned on in iCloud on each device, your Mac has the same bookmarks as your iPhone and iPad, so one export from the Mac covers them all.

Is my Reading List included?

Apple doesn't document this. Safari exports often include Reading List items as a folder named Reading List, as plain links. Safari's saved offline copies stay behind. Open the file in the Bookmark Explorer to see what came through.

Should I delete the export afterwards?

If you exported passwords or credit cards, yes. Apple warns that exported data isn't encrypted and anyone who can access the files can read it. A bookmarks-only export is less sensitive, but still treat it as a private file.