Microsoft Edge can import favorites or bookmarks from Internet Explorer and Chrome. For some users, Chrome may not be listed in the Import Favorites panel in Microsoft Edge, although the latest build of Google Chrome is installed and bookmarks present.
This happened in my Windows 10 system, and I managed to fix the problem by moving the Chrome bookmarks database file to a specific location where Edge expects it to be. Today, I will show how I managed to get Chrome listed in Edge’s Import Favorites panel.
Note: Information in this article does not apply to the new Microsoft Edge (Chromium). It applies to the old Microsoft Edge browser only.
Add “Chrome” to MS-Edge’s Import Favorites List
Google Chrome, as you know, supports multiple browser profiles. The Chrome profile folders are present under the following directory in Windows Vista and higher.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\
…which expands to:
C:\Users\{username}\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\
Note: %LOCALAPPDATA% is an environment variable that exists since Windows Vista, that points to the “AppData\Local” folder in your user profile — e.g., “C:\Users\Ramesh\AppData\Local”. To access the folder, copy the above path, paste it in the File Explorer Address bar, or run it using the Run dialog (WinKey + R).
Under the User Data folder, each Chrome user profile folder is listed, such as Default, Profile 1, Profile 2, and so forth. The problem is that when you use the Import Favorites option in Microsoft Edge, it looks for Chrome’s bookmarks database only in Chrome’s Default profile. So, if you’re using a profile other than Default in Chrome, Microsoft Edge wouldn’t list Chrome as an option.
The workaround is to create a folder named “Default” (if it doesn’t already exist) underneath “User Data”, and then copy the file named Bookmarks from your existing browser user profile to the “Default” folder here.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default
In my case, my bookmarks, caches, and entire settings were stored in a profile named Profile 1, and for some reason, the Default profile folder didn’t exist in the first place. All I had to do was create the Default folder and copy the database file named Bookmarks from Profile 1 to the Default folder.
Closed all instances of Edge and reopened it. This got Chrome listed in the Microsoft Edge Import Favorites panel, and the import worked well!
Chrome canary builds
If you have Chrome Canary installed, it uses the following folder to store the Bookmarks database and cookies and cache.
%LocalAppData%\Google\Chrome SxS\User Data\Default
Edge doesn’t read from the above path anyway. You need to copy Bookmarks to the regular path (used by Chrome stable) so that Edge lists Chrome as the option in the Import Favorites bar.
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Thank you SO MUCH!!!! I looked for a way to import my bookmarks from Chrome but every page I found (besides this one) said to click the “Import Bookmarks” button which I can no longer find. (Very new to Windows 10 btw). This page was a HUGE help for me because I just could not figure out why I couldn’t import my Chrome bookmarks but you explained it so well that a computer illiterate person could (probably) understand easily. I greatly appreciate you sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Thanks again.
Thank you very much!
Fantastically explained. Have been trying for weeks. I liked Microsoft Edge from the beginning, yet because of the problem I switched back to Chrome, even though I was managing to manually move the bookmarks one by one (did only a few!!!!).
I really recommend this procedure to those who gave up or giving up! You can do it man!! BIG THANKS TO THIS WEBSITE. 🙂
Thank you! Exactly what I was looking for and needed!
I did exactly as you said but there is already a Default folder with my bookmarks and Edge still does not give me the option to import from Google Chrome/Canary
@inzombiak: Which version of Edge/Windows 10 build? Type chrome://version in Address bar and press ENTER. What’s the user profile path shown?
Thanks! <3
Fantastic – I’ve seen several more complicated (and potentially dangerous!) solutions suggested on other forums and none of them inspired me to try them; but this sounded totally logical and it certainly works. Thank you so much.
Glad to hear that, Caroline. Thanks for writing.