Import Bookmarks from Safari to Chrome (and Back) on a Mac

Move bookmarks from Safari to Chrome or Chrome to Safari on a Mac: export an HTML file, then import it. Folders come too. No Google account needed.

August 24, 2026 · Updated September 27, 2026 · 6 min read

Quick answer:

Safari to Chrome: In Safari, choose File > Export > Bookmarks to save an HTML file. In Chrome, open chrome://bookmarks, open the menu, choose Import bookmarks, and pick that file.
Chrome to Safari: In Chrome, open chrome://bookmarks, open the menu, and choose Export bookmarks. In Safari, choose File > Import From > Bookmarks HTML File and pick that file.

Folders come with your bookmarks either way, and you don't need a Google account. The details for each step, including newer Safari menu names, are below.

You already saved those links.

They're in Safari or Chrome, sitting in folders you stopped opening months ago. Articles, docs, videos, tools you meant to come back to.

Do not re-save them one by one. You'll quit after twenty, and the rest stay buried in the browser.

Import the file. Then keep capturing new pages with a shortcut. The same HTML file also moves bookmarks from Safari to Chrome, or from Chrome to Safari.

Why import the pile

Browser bookmarks are a stack of "I'll need this later" pages. Some are still useful. Some aren't. You find out once you can search them and see a preview, not a truncated title.

Re-saving by hand is how you keep the ones you remember and lose the GitHub repo you bookmarked last fall.

Import brings your existing bookmarks over. They stay usable. You can file them later. You don't have to start from an empty library.

That's why I built StowLink. I already had years of bookmarks on my Mac. I was not going to copy URLs one at a time.

Export bookmarks from Safari

Safari writes bookmarks to an HTML file.

On a Mac, open Safari and look for Export Bookmarks. It is often under Bookmarks, or under File > Export. Newer Safari builds may say Export Browsing Data to File. If that is what you see, export bookmarks and use the HTML file you get. If Safari gives you a zip, open it and grab the bookmarks HTML inside.

Save it somewhere obvious, like Downloads. Older Safari versions name the file Safari Bookmarks.html.

You don't need to clean folders first.

Export bookmarks from Chrome

In Chrome, open the bookmarks manager. That's Bookmarks > Bookmark manager, or chrome://bookmarks in the address bar.

Open the menu in that window and choose Export. Chrome writes a bookmarks.html file.

Same idea. Export what you have. Don't reorganize in Chrome just to make the file "ready."

Firefox and Edge can export a bookmarks HTML file too. StowLink imports those browsers as well.

How to import Safari bookmarks into Chrome on a Mac

You already have the Safari HTML file from the export above.

Open Chrome. Go to chrome://bookmarks, or Bookmarks > Bookmark manager.

Open the menu in that window and choose Import. Pick the Safari HTML file.

Chrome adds those bookmarks. Folders come with them. You can delete the HTML file after.

If Chrome asks which bookmarks to import, choose the file you just exported. You do not need a Google account for HTML import.

How to import Chrome bookmarks into Safari on a Mac

Export from Chrome first, same as above. You want bookmarks.html.

Open Safari. Use File > Import From > Bookmarks HTML File. Newer Safari builds may say File > Import Browsing Data from File or Folder. If your Safari build lists it under File > Import, use that.

Choose the Chrome HTML file. Safari adds the bookmarks. Folders come with them.

You can keep both browsers' bookmarks this way. You can also skip the extra import and bring both files into StowLink instead.

Open StowLink and import the file

If you'd rather not hop between browsers, skip the HTML shuffle.

Download StowLink if you don't have it yet. It runs on macOS 14 or later, and it does not need a StowLink account.

Open the app and import the HTML file you just saved. You can also import directly from Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or Edge on this Mac if you'd rather skip the export.

Folders come with the links. After that, you can search, add notes, and move things around without going back to the browser's bookmark manager.

Import does not use your 10 free saves

StowLink lets you try the app without a license. You get 10 free new saves. Those are links you capture with the shortcut, the share sheet, or paste.

Import does not spend those 10.

The bookmarks you bring over stay usable. You can open them, search them, and keep them. The free count is for what you save next, not for what you already had in Safari or Chrome.

After 10 new saves, a one-time $29 license lets you keep saving on up to two Macs. No subscription.

Then keep capturing with the shortcut

Once the old bookmarks are in, stop using the browser star for new pages.

Copy a URL. Save it with StowLink's global shortcut, even when the app isn't open. File it when you have a second.

The pile is already in your library. New links should take seconds.

Frequently asked questions

Can I import Safari bookmarks into Chrome without a Google account?

Yes. HTML import in Chrome works without signing in. Sign-in only matters if you want Chrome to sync those bookmarks to other devices.

Do my bookmark folders carry over?

Yes. The HTML file keeps your folder structure, and both Safari and Chrome rebuild the folders when you import it. Chrome usually puts them inside a folder named "Imported" or similar, which you can move or rename.

Will importing delete the bookmarks I already have?

No. Importing adds bookmarks alongside the ones already there. If you import the same file twice, you'll get duplicates, so import once.

Can Chrome import directly from Safari without a file?

Chrome's import menu has offered Safari as a source on some versions, but it depends on your Chrome version and macOS permissions. The HTML file works every time, which is why this guide uses it.

Where does Safari save the exported bookmarks file?

Wherever you choose in the save dialog. Downloads is the easiest place to find it again. Older Safari versions name it Safari Bookmarks.html.

Does this work on iPhone or iPad?

No. Exporting and importing bookmark files is a Mac thing. On iPhone, Safari bookmarks sync through iCloud, and Chrome bookmarks sync through your Google account.