The fastest way to save a page in Chrome
To bookmark a page in Chrome, click the star icon in the address bar at the top of your browser. The star fills in solid, and the page is saved. That's the whole action — you're done.
The star appears to the right of the address bar, next to the refresh button and the menu icon (three horizontal lines). If you don't see it, the page may already be bookmarked. Click the star again to remove the bookmark if you change your mind.
When you bookmark a page, Chrome saves the web address and the page title. You can find it later by clicking the bookmark icon (which looks like an open book) in the toolbar, or by using your keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+B on Windows or Cmd+B on Mac.
Key Takeaways
- Click the star icon in the address bar to bookmark any page in one click.
- Your bookmarks appear in the bookmark bar below the address bar, or you can open them through the bookmark menu using Ctrl+B (Windows) or Cmd+B (Mac).
- You can organize bookmarks into folders by right-clicking the star and choosing a folder, or by moving them later in the bookmark manager.
- Bookmarks sync across all your devices if you sign into the same Google account on each one.
Where your bookmarks actually live
When you bookmark a page, it goes into your Bookmarks Bar by default — the row of buttons that appears just below the address bar. You can click any bookmark there to jump straight to that page.
If you don't see the Bookmarks Bar, turn it on by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Cmd+Shift+B on Mac. The bar will appear and stay visible until you hide it again with the same shortcut.
If your Bookmarks Bar gets crowded, you can hide individual bookmarks inside folders. Right-click any bookmark in the bar and select "Edit" to rename it or move it to a folder. You can also drag bookmarks around to reorder them.
Organizing bookmarks into folders
When you click the star to bookmark a page, a small window pops up. Instead of just clicking "Done," you can click the dropdown that says "Bookmarks Bar" and choose a different folder — or create a new one right there.
To create a new folder while bookmarking, click the dropdown, then click "New folder." Type a name like "Recipes" or "Work Projects," and that bookmark will go into the new folder. The folder appears in your Bookmarks Bar, and you can click it to see all the bookmarks inside.
If you want to reorganize bookmarks you've already saved, open the Bookmark Manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows or Cmd+Shift+O on Mac. You can drag bookmarks between folders, rename them, or delete ones you no longer need.
Syncing bookmarks across your devices
If you sign into Chrome with a Google account, your bookmarks automatically sync to every device where you use that same account. A bookmark you save on your laptop appears on your phone or tablet within seconds.
To turn on syncing, click the profile icon (your initial or photo) in the top right corner of Chrome, then click "Sync is on." If you see "Sync is off," click it and follow the prompts to sign in with your Google account.
Syncing works in the background — you don't have to do anything after you turn it on. If you sign out of your Google account or turn off sync, your bookmarks stay on that device but won't update on your other devices anymore.
Bookmarking without using the star
You can also bookmark a page by right-clicking anywhere on the page and selecting "Bookmark this page" from the menu. This opens the same bookmark window as clicking the star, and you can choose a folder the same way.
On a Mac, you may need to right-click with two fingers on the trackpad, or use Ctrl+click. The menu that appears includes the bookmark option along with other choices like "Open in new tab" or "Search Google for."
Some people find the keyboard shortcut faster: press Ctrl+D on Windows or Cmd+D on Mac to bookmark the current page instantly. This opens the bookmark window so you can choose a folder if you want, or just press Enter to save it to your Bookmarks Bar.
Finding bookmarks you've already saved
The simplest way to find a bookmark is to look for it in your Bookmarks Bar. If you see it there, just click it. If your bar is full and you've organized bookmarks into folders, click the folder to see what's inside.
To search through all your bookmarks at once, open the Bookmark Manager with Ctrl+Shift+O (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+O (Mac). Type a word from the page title or the folder name in the search box at the top, and Chrome shows you matching bookmarks.
You can also use the address bar to find bookmarks. Type a word from the bookmark's title, and Chrome shows matching bookmarks at the top of the dropdown list, marked with a star icon. Click one to go to that page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bookmark a page without showing it in my Bookmarks Bar?
Yes. When you click the star, the bookmark window lets you choose which folder to save it in. Select a folder other than "Bookmarks Bar" — like "Other Bookmarks" or a custom folder you created — and the bookmark won't appear in your bar. You can still find it in the Bookmark Manager or by searching.
What happens to my bookmarks if I uninstall Chrome?
If you signed into Chrome with a Google account, your bookmarks are saved to your Google account and will come back when you reinstall Chrome and sign in again. If you didn't sign in, your bookmarks are stored only on that computer and will be deleted when you uninstall.
Can I export my bookmarks to use in a different browser?
Yes. Open the Bookmark Manager (Ctrl+Shift+O on Windows, Cmd+Shift+O on Mac), click the menu icon (three dots) in the top right, and select "Export bookmarks." Chrome saves them as an HTML file you can import into Firefox, Safari, Edge, or most other browsers.
Why does the star icon sometimes look empty instead of filled?
An empty star means the page is not bookmarked. A filled star means it is. Click the star to toggle between bookmarked and not bookmarked. If you bookmark a page and the star doesn't fill in, try refreshing the page or restarting Chrome.