How to Export and Back Up Microsoft Edge Favorites to an HTML File

Microsoft Edge can save your favorites outside the browser as an HTML file, which gives you a manual copy that does not depend on account sync. The built-in export is the most direct route because it turns the favorites collection into a file you can place on a USB drive, SD card, network drive, or another location. The Edge Add-ons catalog also includes a tool listed as export bookmarks edge, described there as a bookmark-export tool, but this guide keeps the browser's built-in method as the baseline and treats the add-on only as an optional alternative. The focus here is on making a manual backup, not on automatic backup or a promise that any file will restore without issues.

Export favorites with Edge's built-in option

The export begins from Edge's Favorites area, not from the general Settings menu. Wording can vary between versions, but the core action is the same.

1. Open Microsoft Edge.
2. Open Favorites. This may be a star icon near the upper-right corner, or you can open the Settings and more menu, select Favorites, and then choose Manage favorites if that link appears.
3. In the Favorites pane, find the More options control above the list. Depending on the version, it may look like three dots or three horizontal lines.
4. Select Export favorites.
5. In the file dialog, choose where to save the file, give it a recognizable name, and select Save.
6. Look for the new file at that location. It should end with the .html extension.

Because guides describe the Favorites control or menu layout differently, the exact labels may not match every Edge installation. If you do not see Export favorites right away, try opening the More options menu after choosing Manage favorites. The destination prompt is the important checkpoint: once you are asked where to save the file, the browser is ready to export.

Choose a destination and name the backup

The default save prompt can lull you into accepting a folder you will later forget. Spend a moment choosing a location and filename that make the backup easy to use.

Choose a location that remains available when you need it. A University of Oregon support page recommends a personal drive or USB stick in an easy-to-find location. UCSF IT guidance points its users to a network home directory and keeps the default HTML filename that contains date fields. A file saved only to the same computer is not the same as a truly external copy. If the computer is lost, replaced, or reimaged, a copy on that computer may disappear with it.

Use a filename you can interpret later. A name such as favorites-2026-06-12.html tells you when the export was created. Some guides keep the default name because it already contains date-like fields, but the important part is that you can recognize the file and know which snapshot it represents. If the filename already includes a date, avoid replacing it with a vague name like favorites-final.html.

Also note that the save location is not part of the favorites data itself. The HTML file can be copied, moved, or kept alongside other manual backups, but those copies still come from the same export.

Understand what the exported file covers

The exported file is a favorites HTML document. Lifewire's how-to article notes that the procedure preserves the folder structure of the favorites collection. That makes the file useful for moving organized sets of links between browsers or accounts, but it does not mean the file is a complete browser backup.

Keep the scope clear: this is a favorites export. It does not save passwords, browsing history, settings, extensions, or other profile data. Those items may require separate export or sync steps, and they are outside this file. Treat the HTML file as a list of saved sites and folders, not as a full snapshot of the browser.

Selective export is less certain. Older community discussions about exporting a single Edge favorites folder report that the standard option exports the whole collection, with no native folder-only choice at the time. Some workarounds involved exporting everything and then manually editing the HTML file, which is not a simple supported method. Because those answers are dated and Edge changes over time, their value is mainly a reminder to check the current Favorites menu rather than a verified statement about every new version. If you need to share only one folder today, first look for an updated export or selection option in your version of Edge.

Finally, remember that this is a manual file copy. It captures the favorites collection at the moment you click Save. It does not update itself as you add or remove favorites, and it is not an automatic backup. To refresh the copy, go through the export steps again and save a new file. Keeping several dated files can help you recover an earlier set of links, but only if you maintain them yourself.

Where an export add-on fits

The add-on mentioned at the start is listed in the Edge Add-ons catalog as a bookmark-export tool. That is a narrow, useful context: it is an optional utility for people who want another way to export bookmarks. The listing does not document the add-on's exact workflow, output format, folder-selection behavior, or whether it offers automatic or scheduled backup.

Because those details are not available from the listing, this article does not assume that the add-on matches the built-in steps or adds features beyond its listed purpose. The built-in export is the supportable baseline. If you are following a standard procedure, start with the browser's Favorites menu and save the HTML file as described above. Treat any add-on as a separate choice to evaluate on its own, not as a replacement for the core manual export route.

Edge can save favorites to an HTML file without the need for a cloud account. The result is a manual external copy whose value depends on where you store it and how well the filename records when it was made. Choose a location you can reach if the original computer is unavailable, include a date in the name, and understand that the file covers favorites rather than passwords or other browser data. When your favorites change and you want a newer copy, export again. That repeated manual step is what keeps the backup useful.