# How to export Internet Explorer bookmarks: Saving your favourites from Microsoft’s browser For whatever reason, if you’re still using Internet Explorer to go online, the Microsoft browser gives you numerous features and options that are standard for modern Internet browsers. Like Chrome, Firefox and other browsers, Microsoft Internet Explorer has a **built-in bookmarks manager** for saving and managing frequently visited websites. --- ### Note Internet Explorer is **not recommended** as a web browser for personal use because it is **no longer being developed**. Use the new Edge browser instead, or try other alternatives like Firefox, Chrome or Safari. --- The manager also includes a handy export function. If you’re about to **switch to a different browser** or if you want to use Internet Explorer on another device, you don’t have to lose all your favourites: You can easily export your Internet Explorer bookmarks to save them to a local HTML file. This guide will show you exactly how it’s done. ## How to export Internet Explorer bookmarks: A quick guide (including shortcut) To export your Internet Explorer bookmarks, you don’t need an add-on or any knowledge of where your bookmarks are stored. Thanks to a built-in feature, you can do the import directly in your browser. Here’s the **fastest way**: 1. Open Internet Explorer. 2. Open your bookmarks by clicking the **star icon** (at the top right of the search bar) or by pressing **\[Alt\]** + **\[C\]**. 3. Click the small **down arrow** next to “Add to Favourites” and select **Import and Export** from the dropdown menu. 4. Choose the **Export from a file** option and click “Next”. 5. Select the Favourites **checkbox** and then choose “Next” again. 6. **Select** the entire bookmarks library (Favourites folder) or an individual bookmark folder for export and continue by choosing “Next”. 7. Enter the location where you want to save the bookmarks HTML file and choose **Export**. --- ### Tip To learn how to add exported favourites or bookmarks from another browser to Internet Explorer, see our separate [article on importing bookmarks into Internet Explorer](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/websites/web-development/internet-explorer-import-bookmarks/ "Internet Explorer: Import bookmarks"). --- ## Export Internet Explorer bookmarks with ease: A step-by-step guide Compared to other browsers, Internet Explorer requires more steps to back up your bookmarks, but the process isn’t very complicated, as you can see from the quick guide above. Nevertheless, we’ll explain **the steps of the export process** in more detail in the following sections. Once you’ve opened Internet Explorer, the first step in the export process is to open the bookmarks manager. To do this, click the **star icon** next to the search bar in your browser’s menu bar: [![Image: Internet Explorer 11: Star icon in the menu bar](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/6/0/csm_internet-explorer-11-star-icon-in-the-menu-bar_9bb09aa16a.webp "Internet Explorer 11: Star icon in the menu bar")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/internet-explorer-11-star-icon-in-the-menu-bar.jpg) The browser then opens another window **listing your favourites**. You can switch between tabs to display all the feeds you’re following as well as your search history. To continue the export process, open the drop-down menu next to “Add to Favourites” by clicking the small down **arrow** and choosing the **Import and Export** option: [![Image: “Favourites” menu: Internet Explorer 11](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/f/d/csm_favorites-menu-internet-explorer-11_10d17c90eb.webp "“Favourites” menu: Internet Explorer 11")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/favorites-menu-internet-explorer-11.jpg) In the window that appears, choose the **Export from a file** option and confirm your selection by clicking “Next”. Now you must select the data you want to export. Along with your favourites, you can also back up feeds you subscribe to and current cookies. To do this, simply **select the appropriate** **checkboxes** and then choose **Next**: [![Image: Internet Explorer 11: Selecting items to be exported](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/2/f/csm_internet-explorer-11-selecting-items-to-be-exported_ed6d96006d.webp "Internet Explorer 11: Selecting items to be exported")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/internet-explorer-11-selecting-items-to-be-exported.jpg) Next, you must **specify the bookmarks folder** that you want to define for the backup. Simply select the “Favourites” folder at the top if you want to export all your Internet Explorer favourites (including the various subfolders): [![Image: Exporting Internet Explorer bookmarks: Folder selection](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/8/1/csm_exporting-internet-explorer-bookmarks-folder-selection_43420efb5f.webp "Exporting Internet Explorer bookmarks: Folder selection")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/exporting-internet-explorer-bookmarks-folder-selection.jpg) The final step is to choose **where you want to save the bookmarks file**. You can save it locally on your device or to an external storage device. Simply click the “Browse” button and then search for a suitable location using the File Explorer. Finally, click **Save** and then **Export**: [![Image: Internet Explorer 11: Saving the bookmarks file](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/5/6/csm_internet-explorer-11-saving-the-bookmarks-file_50f1e84afb.webp "Internet Explorer 11: Saving the bookmarks file")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/internet-explorer-11-saving-the-bookmarks-file.jpg) If the export was successful, Internet Explorer will display a success message, which you can close by choosing **Finish**. [![Image: Internet Explorer: Success message for Bookmarks export](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/_processed_/6/3/csm_internet-explorer-success-message-for-bookmarks-export_0ce08f68da.webp "Internet Explorer: Success message for Bookmarks export")](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/fileadmin/DigitalGuide/Screenshots_2020/internet-explorer-success-message-for-bookmarks-export.jpg) [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lnVs61gHTo) This is a markdown version of: [https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/websites/web-development/how-to-export-internet-explorer-bookmarks/](https://www.ionos.co.uk/digitalguide/websites/web-development/how-to-export-internet-explorer-bookmarks/) for AI/LLM consumption.