--- title: "How to restore deleted Chrome bookmarks" description: "Deleted a Chrome bookmark or a whole folder? How to undo it, recover it from Chrome's backup file on Mac and Windows, and stop it happening again." source: https://savepad.app/blog/restore-chrome-bookmarks --- [Blog](https://savepad.app/blog) · 17 June 2025 # How to restore deleted Chrome bookmarks Deleted a Chrome bookmark or a whole folder? How to undo it, recover it from Chrome's backup file on Mac and Windows, and stop it happening again. *A bookmarks folder restored with all its links in Savepad* **TLDR** - **Just deleted it?** Open `chrome://bookmarks` and press ⌘Z (Mac) or Ctrl+Z (Windows). Done. - **Closed Chrome since?** Turn off sync, quit Chrome, and swap the `Bookmarks.bak` file in for `Bookmarks` in your profile folder. - **Neither worked?** Your computer’s backup (Time Machine, File History) might have an older copy. After that, it’s gone. Export your bookmarks from now on. ## 1. Undo in the bookmark manager This only works if you haven’t closed the bookmark manager since. 1. Open `chrome://bookmarks`. 2. Press **⌘Z** on a Mac or **Ctrl+Z** on Windows. The deleted bookmark or folder comes back. If nothing happens, move on. ## 2. Turn off sync, right now If Chrome sync is on, the deletion has already gone to your phone and every other computer. It’ll also happily overwrite anything you restore. So before anything else: 1. Go to `chrome://settings/syncSetup`. 2. Turn off sync, or at least untick **Bookmarks**. ## 3. Restore from Bookmarks.bak Chrome keeps one backup of your bookmarks, from roughly the last time you opened it. If you haven’t restarted Chrome many times since the delete, it might still have your stuff. 1. **Quit Chrome completely.** On a Mac, ⌘Q. On Windows, check it isn’t still in the system tray. 2. Open your profile folder: (**Mac:** in Finder, press ⌘⇧G and paste `~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/`, **Windows:** press Win+R and paste `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\`, If you use more than one Chrome profile, the folder might be `Profile 1` instead of `Default`.) 3. Find two files: `Bookmarks` and `Bookmarks.bak`. 4. Rename `Bookmarks` to `Bookmarks.old` (don’t delete it, just in case). 5. Rename `Bookmarks.bak` to `Bookmarks`. 6. Open Chrome and check. If it worked, turn sync back on. If it didn’t, put the old file back by reversing the names. ## 4. Check your computer’s backups If you use **Time Machine** on a Mac or **File History** on Windows, go back to the profile folder above and restore an older `Bookmarks` file from before the delete. Same swap as step 3. ## Stop it happening again The honest answer: export your bookmarks every few months. It’s a single HTML file, and the [export bookmarks](https://savepad.app/blog/export-bookmarks) guide has the steps for every browser. Or keep them somewhere that isn’t tied to one browser profile. Savepad keeps every link as a full-page snapshot, and deleted saves go to a bin first, so a slip of the trackpad isn’t permanent. You can import your Chrome bookmarks file in one go and keep your folders. The [how to organize bookmarks](https://savepad.app/blog/how-to-organize-bookmarks) post has a structure worth using once they’re back, and the free [bookmarks converter](https://savepad.app/free-tools/bookmarks-converter) turns the HTML file into a CSV if you’d rather keep a spreadsheet. *A mock pricing page for the fictional SaaS Lumen* 0275 · Bookmarks bar / Pricing *A mock dev tool homepage for the fictional brand Tidepool* 0372 · Bookmarks bar / Dev tools *A map pin on the restaurant Contramar in Mexico City* 0469 · place · Roma Norte, Mexico City A Chrome bookmarks folder after an import into Savepad: the same links, with snapshots that survive a delete. ## FAQ ### Can I undo deleting a bookmark in Chrome? Yes, if you act fast. Open the bookmark manager (chrome://bookmarks) and press Ctrl+Z, or ⌘Z on a Mac. It only works in the same session. ### Where is Chrome's bookmarks backup file? On a Mac it's in ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/, and on Windows in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\. The file is called Bookmarks.bak. ### Does Google keep a copy of my deleted bookmarks? No. With sync on, a deletion syncs to every device within seconds. That's why you should turn sync off before trying the backup file. [Join the waitlist](https://savepad.app/#waitlist) ## Read these next - [How to export bookmarks from Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge: Where the export button hides in every browser, what you get, and how to turn the file into a spreadsheet if you need to.](https://savepad.app/blog/export-bookmarks) - [How to organize your bookmarks so you can find them again: Bookmarks bar at 400 links and no idea what's in it? Here's how to sort them once, keep them sorted, and actually find the thing you saved.](https://savepad.app/blog/how-to-organize-bookmarks) - [The best bookmark managers: The bookmark managers worth using in 2026, from free browser bookmarks to Raindrop, Pinboard, and Savepad, with what each is best at, prices, and which ones use AI.](https://savepad.app/blog/best-bookmark-managers)