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Backing Up Bookmarks in Firefox

I have been wanting to make frequent backups of my bookmarks in Firefox for a while. I have found two methods that work for me.

Note that I use a linux system. If you use Windows, a Mac, or something else, your milage may vary with the methods described below.

Method 1: places.sqlite

Since Firefox version 3 (released June 17, 2008) bookmarks are not saved in a `bookmarks.html` file anymore. Instead, bookmarks are saved in a file called `places.sqlite`. This file can be found in your profile folder:

`~/.mozilla/firefox/*.default-release/places.sqlite`

To back this file up in an organized way you can move `places.sqlite` file out of this directory and into `~/Backup/`, for example, and create a symbolic link back into Firefox' profile directory. This makes a very easy way to back bookmarks up to a remote location, whether it is an external drive, a NAS, and/or cloud storage.

Note that `places.sqlite` is not only used to store bookmarks, but also annotations, favorite icons, input history, keywords, and browsing history. To see, and possibly modify, what is stored, you can use `sqlite3` on the command line, or a graphical sqlite browser such as DB Browser for SQLite.

Method 2: bookmarks.html

It is possible to automatically export Firefox' bookmarks to an HTML-file:

1. Browse to the page `about:config` (and accept the risks, if needed)

2. Find the setting `browser.bookmarks.autoExportHTML` and set it to `true`

Firefox will now automatically export the bookmarks to `bookmarks.html` in it's profile folder whenever the browser shuts down.

It is possible to change the location of this HTML-file:

3. On the `about:config` page, set the location of this file by adding or changing the `browser.bookmarks.file` option.

This option does not exist by default—you need to add it (as a string) if it's not already there. Set it to a location like `/home/tarial/Backup/bookmarks.html`, or `D:\Backup\bookmarks.html`.