How to Export Safari Bookmarks to Chrome

If you have been using an Apple Mac for years and finally decided to switch your primary web browser from Apple Safari to Google Chrome, you likely have dozens of carefully organized bookmarks, saved folders, and favorite news sites tied up in Safari. You do not need to manually copy and paste every single URL to rebuild your collection.

Web browsers use a standardized file format (.html) to store bookmark data, making it incredibly easy to export your entire library from Safari and import it directly into Chrome in less than two minutes.

Step 1: Export Bookmarks from Safari

The first step is to generate a master file containing all your Safari data.

1. Open the Safari browser on your Mac.
2. Look at the very top menu bar of your screen and click on File.
3. Look near the bottom of the dropdown menu and hover over Export.
4. Select Bookmarks… from the sub-menu.
5. A “Save As” dialog window will appear.
   • Choose a location that is easy to find, such as your Desktop or Downloads folder.
   • The file will automatically be named Safari Bookmarks.html. Leave this name as is.
6. Click the blue Save button.

You can now close Safari. You have successfully created a backup file containing your entire bookmark hierarchy.

Step 2: Import the Bookmarks into Google Chrome

Now, you must instruct Chrome to read the file you just created and integrate the data.

1. Open the Google Chrome browser on your Mac.
2. Look at the top right corner of the browser window and click the three vertical dots (the Chrome menu).
3. Hover your mouse over Bookmarks and lists.
4. Select Bookmark manager from the menu. (A new tab will open showing your currently empty Chrome bookmark library).
5. In the new Bookmark Manager tab, look in the top right corner for a different set of three vertical dots (located on the blue bar, not the main browser menu) and click them.
6. Select Import bookmarks.
7. A file explorer window will open. Navigate to your Desktop (or wherever you saved the file).
8. Select the Safari Bookmarks.html file you created in Step 1.
9. Click Open.

Where Did They Go?

The import process is instantaneous, but Chrome manages the new data slightly differently than Safari. Chrome will not overwrite any existing bookmarks you might have already saved.

Instead, Chrome creates a brand new folder specifically for the imported data. Look at your Chrome Bookmarks Bar (just below the URL address bar). You will see a new folder named Imported or Imported from Safari.

Click on that folder, and you will see your entire Safari library exactly as you left it, complete with all your sub-folders and saved links. You can now click and drag these individual folders out of the “Imported” folder and arrange them directly onto the Chrome Bookmarks Bar however you prefer.