The fastest way to save a page

To bookmark a page in Chrome, press Ctrl+D on Windows or Cmd+D on Mac while you are viewing the page you want to save. A small popup will appear asking where you want to store the bookmark and what name you want to give it. Press Enter or click the "Save" button, and the bookmark is stored immediately.

That keyboard shortcut is the quickest method because it takes two seconds and you do not have to move your hand to the mouse. If you prefer using the menu instead, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner of Chrome, hover over "Bookmarks", then click "Bookmark this page". This opens the same popup and works exactly the same way.

The bookmark now appears in your bookmarks bar — the row of buttons below the address bar — or in your bookmarks menu if you have not turned the bar on. You can click it anytime to return to that page instantly.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+D (Windows) or Cmd+D (Mac) to bookmark any page in one keystroke, without using the menu.
  • The bookmark popup lets you rename the page and choose which folder to save it in before you confirm.
  • Bookmarks appear in your bookmarks bar by default, but you can organize them into folders to keep your bar clean.
  • You can sync your bookmarks across all your devices by signing into the same Google account on each one.

Where bookmarks are stored and how to find them

When you save a bookmark, Chrome stores it in one of two places: your bookmarks bar (the row of buttons below the address bar) or your bookmarks menu. By default, new bookmarks go into the bar, but you can change this when you save.

To see all your bookmarks at once, press Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Cmd+Shift+B on Mac. This toggles the bookmarks bar on and off. If the bar is already visible, you can click any bookmark button to open that page. If you want to see bookmarks that are not in the bar, click the folder icon at the far right of the bookmarks bar — this opens a dropdown menu showing all your saved bookmarks organized by folder.

You can also reach your bookmarks through the menu: click the three dots in the top right, hover over "Bookmarks", and you will see a list of your recent bookmarks plus an option to open the "Bookmark manager". The bookmark manager is a full page showing every bookmark you have ever saved, organized by folder, with a search box at the top.

Creating folders to organize your bookmarks

If you bookmark many pages, your bookmarks bar will become crowded and hard to use. The solution is to create folders that group related bookmarks together — for example, a folder for recipes, a folder for work sites, a folder for news sources.

To create a new folder, open the bookmark manager by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B to show the bookmarks bar, then clicking the folder icon on the right. In the bookmark manager window, click the three dots in the top right and select "Add folder". Type a name for the folder and press Enter. The folder now appears in your bookmarks bar.

Once you have created a folder, you can move bookmarks into it. When you save a new bookmark using Ctrl+D, the popup shows a dropdown menu labeled "Folder" — click it and choose which folder you want to save the bookmark in. To move a bookmark that is already saved, open the bookmark manager, click and drag the bookmark onto the folder you want to move it to, and release the mouse button.

Renaming and editing bookmarks

When you first save a bookmark, Chrome uses the page title as the bookmark name. Often this title is long or unclear, so you can rename it to something shorter and more useful. The easiest time to rename is right when you save: press Ctrl+D, and the name field in the popup will be highlighted and ready to edit. Delete the old name and type a new one, then press Enter.

To rename a bookmark you saved earlier, open the bookmark manager, right-click the bookmark you want to change, and select "Edit". A small window will appear with the name field highlighted. Type the new name and press Enter. You can also change the URL (the web address) in this window if the page has moved, though this is rarely necessary.

If you want to delete a bookmark, right-click it in the bookmark manager and select "Delete". Chrome will ask you to confirm, and the bookmark will be removed. You can undo a deletion by pressing Ctrl+Z immediately after you delete, but once you close the bookmark manager, the undo option is gone.

Syncing bookmarks across your devices

If you use Chrome on more than one device — a laptop, a phone, a tablet — you can sync your bookmarks so they appear on all of them. This means a bookmark you save on your phone will automatically show up on your laptop, and vice versa.

To turn on sync, click your profile picture in the top right corner of Chrome and select "Sign in to Chrome". If you are already signed in, you will see your email address instead. Sign in with the same Google account on every device where you use Chrome. Once you are signed in on all your devices, your bookmarks will sync automatically within a few minutes.

You can check whether sync is working by opening the bookmark manager on one device, saving a new bookmark, waiting a minute, and then opening the bookmark manager on another device. The new bookmark should appear there. If it does not, make sure you are signed into the same Google account on both devices and that both devices have an internet connection.

Exporting and importing bookmarks

If you want to back up your bookmarks or move them to a different browser, you can export them as a file. Click the three dots in the top right of Chrome, hover over "Bookmarks", and click "Bookmark manager". In the bookmark manager, click the three dots in the top right and select "Export bookmarks". Chrome will save your bookmarks as an HTML file to your Downloads folder with a name like "bookmarks_[date].html".

To import bookmarks from another browser or from a backup file, open the bookmark manager the same way, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Import bookmarks". A window will open asking you to choose a file. Navigate to the HTML file you want to import and click "Open". Chrome will add all the bookmarks from that file to your bookmarks bar in a new folder labeled with the import date.

This method is useful if you are switching from Firefox, Safari, or Edge and want to bring your bookmarks with you. It is also a good way to keep a backup of your bookmarks in case something goes wrong with your Chrome account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bookmark a page without the keyboard shortcut?

Yes. Click the three dots in the top right corner of Chrome, hover over "Bookmarks", and click "Bookmark this page". This opens the same popup as Ctrl+D and works exactly the same way. You can also right-click anywhere on the page and select "Bookmark this page" from the menu.

Why is my bookmarks bar not showing?

Press Ctrl+Shift+B on Windows or Cmd+Shift+B on Mac to toggle the bookmarks bar on and off. If it is still not visible after that, click the three dots in the top right, hover over "Bookmarks", and make sure "Show bookmarks bar" has a checkmark next to it. If it does not, click it to turn the bar on.

What happens to my bookmarks if I uninstall Chrome?

If you are signed into a Google account, your bookmarks are stored in the cloud and will not be deleted. When you reinstall Chrome and sign in with the same account, your bookmarks will reappear. If you are not signed in, your bookmarks are stored only on that computer and will be deleted when you uninstall Chrome.

Can I bookmark a page that requires a password to view?

Yes, you can bookmark the page itself, but when you click the bookmark later, you will need to enter the password again. Chrome does not save passwords as part of a bookmark. If you want Chrome to remember the password, it will offer to save it separately when you log in.