How to back up and restore your browser passwords and bookmarks across devices

Losing access to saved passwords and bookmarks can disrupt your business. If a laptop fails, a profile becomes corrupted, or you move to a new computer, having a recent backup means you can restore your logins for banking, supplier portals, email, and other critical services without resetting each one. This guide covers the three most common browsers used by Australian small businesses: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox. You can back up manually or use each browser’s built-in sync feature for ongoing protection.

Before you begin

Identify which browser you use most often. The steps below are specific to each browser, but the principles are the same: export your data to a file you control, store that file somewhere safe, and test the restore process before you need it.

Google Chrome

Back up passwords and bookmarks in Chrome

1. Open Chrome on the computer that currently has your saved passwords and bookmarks.
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Passwords and autofill → Google Password Manager.
4. Click Settings (the gear icon) on the left side of the Password Manager page.
5. Under Export passwords, click Download file.
6. Chrome will ask you to confirm. Click Export passwords and enter your Windows or macOS login password when prompted.
7. Save the .csv file to a secure location, such as an encrypted external drive.
8. To back up bookmarks, click the three-dot menu again and select Bookmarks and lists → Bookmark manager.
9. In the Bookmark manager, click the three-dot menu (⋮) at the top right and select Export bookmarks.
10. Save the .html file to the same secure location.

Restore passwords and bookmarks in Chrome

1. Open Chrome on the new or repaired computer.
2. To restore passwords, go to three-dot menu → Passwords and autofill → Google Password Manager.
3. Click Settings (gear icon), then under Import passwords, click Select file.
4. Choose the .csv file you exported earlier. Chrome will import all saved passwords.
5. To restore bookmarks, go to three-dot menu → Bookmarks and lists → Import bookmarks and settings.
6. In the drop-down menu, select Bookmarks HTML file, then click Choose file and select your exported .html file.
7. Click Done. Your bookmarks will appear in the bookmarks bar and manager.

Microsoft Edge

Back up passwords and bookmarks in Edge

1. Open Edge on the computer that currently has your saved data.
2. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Settings.
4. In the left sidebar, click Profiles, then select Passwords.
5. Next to Saved passwords, click the three-dot menu (⋯) and select Export passwords.
6. Confirm the export and enter your Windows login password when prompted.
7. Save the .csv file to a secure location.
8. To back up bookmarks (called Favourites in Edge), click the three-dot menu and select Favourites.
9. In the Favourites panel, click the three-dot menu (⋯) and select Export favourites.
10. Save the .html file to the same secure location.

Restore passwords and bookmarks in Edge

1. Open Edge on the new or repaired computer.
2. Go to Settings → Profiles → Passwords.
3. Next to Saved passwords, click the three-dot menu (⋯) and select Import passwords.
4. Choose Passwords CSV file and select your exported .csv file.
5. To restore favourites, click the three-dot menu → Favourites.
6. In the Favourites panel, click the three-dot menu (⋯) and select Import favourites.
7. Choose Favourites or bookmarks HTML file and select your exported .html file.
8. Click Open. Your favourites will be restored.

Mozilla Firefox

Back up passwords and bookmarks in Firefox

1. Open Firefox on the computer that currently has your saved data.
2. Click the hamburger menu (☰) in the top-right corner.
3. Select Passwords.
4. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) at the top right of the Password Manager page.
5. Select Export logins.
6. Firefox will warn you that the file is not encrypted. Click Export and enter your computer login password if prompted.
7. Save the .csv file to a secure location.
8. To back up bookmarks, click the hamburger menu (☰) again and select Bookmarks → Manage bookmarks.
9. In the Library window, click Import and Backup at the top and select Export bookmarks to HTML.
10. Save the .html file to the same secure location.

Restore passwords and bookmarks in Firefox

1. Open Firefox on the new or repaired computer.
2. To restore passwords, click the hamburger menu (☰) → Passwords.
3. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) and select Import from a file.
4. Choose your exported .csv file. Firefox will import all saved logins.
5. To restore bookmarks, click the hamburger menu (☰) → Bookmarks → Manage bookmarks.
6. In the Library window, click Import and Backup and select Import bookmarks from HTML.
7. Choose your exported .html file. Your bookmarks will be restored.

Choosing the right backup method for your business

Manual exports are useful for one-off migrations or as an additional safety net. However, for most small businesses, enabling the browser’s built-in sync is the most reliable approach. It requires no ongoing effort and protects you against hardware failure, theft, or accidental deletion.

• Use built-in sync if you are comfortable signing in to a Google, Microsoft, or Firefox account on your work devices.
• Use manual exports if you prefer not to store your passwords in the cloud, or if you need a portable backup for compliance or disaster recovery purposes.
• Combine both methods for maximum protection: enable sync for daily convenience, and perform a manual export once per quarter as an offline archive.

Troubleshooting common issues

I can’t find the export option in Chrome

Older versions of Chrome hide the export function behind a flag. Update Chrome to the latest version by going to Settings → About Chrome. If the option is still missing, sign in to Chrome with a Google account and enable sync instead.

Edge says “Your organisation has disabled password export”

This occurs when a group policy or Microsoft Intune setting blocks password export. If your device is managed by 220 Internet Services or another IT provider, contact your administrator to request an exception or use the sync method instead.

Firefox won’t let me export logins

Firefox requires you to set a Primary Password before exporting logins in some versions. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Logins and Passwords and enable Use a Primary Password. Then try the export again.

Imported passwords are missing or incomplete

Check that the .csv file was not opened and edited in Excel before importing. Excel can alter the formatting and cause rows to be skipped. Always import the original exported file directly.

Bookmarks import but appear in the wrong folder

Imported bookmarks are usually placed in a folder named Imported or From Google Chrome in the bookmarks manager. Open the bookmarks manager and drag the imported items to your desired location.

Related articles

For broader data protection, see How to backup photos to external drive. If you need assistance with browser backup or any other IT issue, Open a Ticket and our support team will help.