How to Import Bookmarks and Other Browsing Data to Firefox

Transfer your bookmarks to Firefox

By
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
Scott Orgera
Writer
Scott Orgera is a former Lifewire writer covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years' experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications including MCSE, MCP+I, and MOUS. He is also A+ certified.
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Updated on November 19, 2021

What to Know

  • Select Library > Bookmarks > Show All Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Import Data from Another Browser.
  • The Import Wizard will start. Select the browser that has your desired source data, and select Next. 
  • Choose what you want to import and select Next again. When the import process finishes, choose Finish.

The Firefox web browser offers an array of features, along with thousands of extensions, making it one of the more popular browsers. If you are new to Firefox, you may want to import website bookmarks from a different browser, such as Safari or Chrome.

How to Import Bookmarks to Firefox

Transferring your Bookmarks or Favorites to Firefox is a fairly easy process. It can be completed in a couple of minutes. This tutorial walks you through the process.

  1. Open Firefox and select the Library icon, located to the right of the Search bar.

    The Library icon in Firefox

  2. Select Bookmarks.

    Bookmarks in Firefox

  3. When the drop-down menu appears, select Show All Bookmarks.

    You can use a keyboard shortcut to open the same window. In Windows, press Ctrl+Shift+B. On a Mac, press Command+Shift+B. In Linux, press Ctrl+Shift+O.

    The "Show All Bookmarks" command

  4. The All Bookmarks section of the Firefox Library interface displays. Select the Import and Backup button, indicated by an icon with an up and down arrow.

    The Import and Backup button in Firefox

  5. A drop-down menu appears, containing the following options.

    Firefox import options
    • Backup: Allows you to back up your Firefox Bookmarks as a JSON file.
    • Restore: Allows you to restore your Bookmarks from a previous date and time or from a saved JSON file.
    • Import Bookmarks from HTML: Allows you to import Bookmarks that were saved in HTML format, whether from Firefox or another browser.
    • Export Bookmarks to HTML: Allows you to store your Firefox Bookmarks in an HTML file.
    • Import Data from Another Browser: Opens the Firefox Import Wizard, which allows you to import Bookmarks, Favorites, cookies, history, and other data components from another browser. For the purposes of this tutorial, we will select this option.

  6. The Firefox Import Wizard should be displayed, overlaying the main browser window. The first screen of the wizard lets you select the browser from which you wish to import data. The options shown vary depending on which browsers are installed on your computer, as well as which are supported by the Firefox import functionality.

    Select the browser that contains your desired source data, and select Next (or Continue on macOS). You can repeat this import process multiple times for different source browsers if necessary.

    Firefox import wizard

  7. The Items to Import screen displays, which allows you to select which browsing data components you wish to migrate to Firefox. The items listed vary, depending on the source browser and the data available. If an item is accompanied by a check mark, it will be imported. To add or remove a check mark, select it.

  8. Once you are satisfied with your selections, select Next (or Continue on macOS). The import process begins. The more data you transfer, the longer it takes. Once complete, a confirmation message lists the data components that were imported. Select Finish (or Done on macOS) to return to the Firefox Library interface.

    Firefox items to import

  9. Firefox now contains a new Bookmarks folder, containing the transferred sites, as well as the other data you chose to import.

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