When you are planning a holiday, comparing software vendors, or researching a thesis, you inevitably end up with 30 browser tabs open simultaneously. Your browser slows to a crawl, you cannot read the titles on the tabs anymore, and if your browser crashes, you lose your entire train of thought. Standard bookmarks are too rigid and disorganised for active research. If you use Windows 11, you should be using the built-in research tool: Microsoft Edge Collections.
Collections is a visual workspace integrated directly into the Microsoft Edge sidebar. It allows you to drag and drop web pages, images, and snippets of text into specific, categorised folders, creating a dynamic mood board for your active projects. In this guide, you will learn how to build and export a Collection.
Step 1: Creating a New Collection
To start using Collections, you first need to open the sidebar panel.
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Look at the top-right corner of the toolbar, next to the address bar. Click the Collections icon (it looks like a square with a small plus sign inside).
- A panel will slide out on the right side of your screen. Click Start new collection.
- Give your project a name (e.g., “Paris Holiday Itinerary” or “CRM Software Comparison”) and press Enter.
You now have an empty workspace ready to be filled.
Step 2: Adding Content to Your Collection
Unlike traditional bookmarks, which only save a URL, Collections allows you to save the exact piece of content you are currently looking at.
Adding a Full Webpage
When you are on a webpage you want to save, simply open your Collection in the sidebar and click the blue Add current page link at the top. Edge will instantly generate a visually appealing “card” containing the page title, a thumbnail image, and a short description.
Adding Specific Images
If you are looking at an article about Paris and only want to save a picture of a hotel, you do not need to save the whole page. Simply click and hold the image on the website, and drag it directly into the Collections sidebar. It will drop in as an image card.
Adding Snippets of Text
If you are researching software prices, you do not need to bookmark the entire pricing page. Highlight the text containing the specific price tier you want. Right-click the highlighted text, hover over Add to Collections, and select your specific project folder. The text snippet will appear in your sidebar.
Step 3: Organising and Exporting
Once you have dumped a dozen links, images, and text snippets into your Collection, you can reorder them by simply clicking and dragging the cards up or down the list.
The most powerful feature of Collections, however, is the ability to instantly format your chaotic research into a professional document.
- Open your completed Collection in the sidebar.
- Click the three dots (…) icon at the top of the panel.
- Select Send to Microsoft Word or Send to Excel.
Edge will automatically launch Word or Excel in your browser and format all of your saved links, images, and text snippets into a beautifully structured, cited document, instantly transforming hours of disorganised tab-hoarding into a tangible report.