How to Export Microsoft Edge Bookmarks to an HTML File

Microsoft Edge has a built-in export tool for saving favorites as an HTML file, and the process starts from the Favorites list rather than the browser toolbar menu. You choose where the file is saved and what it is called, so it can be kept as a separate copy or imported later. A separate Edge add-on called export bookmarks edge is also listed as an optional export route, but the built-in favorites workflow is the primary method covered here.

Export favorites from Edge with the built-in menu

The export command is inside the Favorites list, not in the toolbar menu that opens the list. This is the detail that most often confuses people, because the browser has two separate three-dot menus.

Follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Select Settings and more, the three-dot button in the upper-right corner of the browser window.
3. Choose Favorites. This opens the Favorites panel or manager. You can also open it by typing edge://favorites in the address bar.
4. Look above the favorites list for the More options menu, also shown as three dots.
5. Select Export favorites.

The More options menu above the favorites list is the one that contains the export command. The browser toolbar's three-dot menu lets you reach Favorites, but it does not include Export favorites in the standard workflow. If you only look in the toolbar menu, it is easy to conclude that the option is missing.

Choose a save location and filename

After you select Export favorites, Edge opens a standard save dialog. This is where you decide where the HTML file will go. You are not required to accept a single fixed location.

In the save dialog, complete these choices:

• Choose a destination folder you can find later, such as Documents, Desktop, a network home directory, or connected removable storage.
• Give the file a recognizable name if the suggested name is not clear enough. A filename that includes the browser and date can help later.
• Select Save.

An institutional support guide from Metropolitan Community College describes the same basic sequence: choose a location for the HTML file and select Save. The important step is to note the folder and filename you chose. When you later need to import or retrieve the file, the save dialog will not reappear to show you where it went.

Understand what the exported HTML file is for

A favorites export is a portable list of bookmark links. It records the addresses, page titles, folder structure, and related link data needed to move or restore those favorites. It is useful for transferring favorites to another profile, importing them into a different browser that supports bookmark HTML files, or keeping a separate copy outside the browser.

The HTML file is not a download of the webpages themselves. Opening the file shows a list of bookmarks, not saved page content. It is also not a password export and should not be treated as a complete backup of all Microsoft Edge data. It is specifically a favorites export. That distinction matters if you are preparing a backup or moving to a new device.

Import the HTML file when moving or restoring favorites

Once the HTML file exists, you can bring the favorites back into Microsoft Edge or use them in another browser's import workflow.

To import the saved file back into Edge:

1. Select Settings and more, then choose Settings.
2. Open Profiles, then select Import browser data.
3. Under Other import locations, select Import browser data now.
4. In the Import from list, choose Favorites or bookmarks HTML file.
5. Select Choose file, find the HTML file you exported, and select Open.
6. When Edge shows that the import is complete, select Done.

Imported favorites appear in a folder on the Favorites bar. The folder may be named Imported, so do not be surprised if the favorites are grouped that way after import.

Other browsers also support bookmark HTML imports, but the menu labels and exact steps vary. The file format is widely compatible, but you should use the import option available in the browser you are moving to.

Know the limits of folder selection and favorites sync

The built-in export is all-or-nothing. Community answers and help guidance describe the standard command as exporting the favorites set as a whole, not offering a folder-only selection. If you open the export from two different folders, the resulting HTML file can still contain all favorites rather than only the folder you were viewing. Do not assume that selecting a folder first restricts the export.

A saved HTML file is also different from favorites sync. Sync keeps favorites available across devices where you are signed in with the relevant account, and it can be turned on or off in Edge's profile settings. Sync does not create the same standalone HTML file. The exported file is a manual snapshot for safekeeping or import, while sync is a continuous cross-device availability feature.

If your goal is a physical copy you can store, email, or move to another computer, use the HTML export. If your goal is simply to see the same favorites on multiple signed-in devices, sync is the appropriate tool.

To export Microsoft Edge favorites, open the Favorites list, use the More options menu above that list, choose Export favorites, and remember the folder and filename from the save dialog. The resulting HTML file is a portable copy of your favorites links and can be imported later. Sync is a separate feature: it keeps favorites available across signed-in devices but does not create the same saved file.