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If you are moving to a new computer, reinstalling Microsoft Edge, or simply want a separate copy of your saved sites, you can use the Export Bookmarks Edge option to save your favorites to a file. The process has two parts: export your favorites as an HTML file, then move that file to the Edge installation where you want to restore or transfer them.

In Edge, bookmarks are called favorites. The exported HTML file contains your saved website links and is useful for a one-time transfer, a local backup, or importing a collection into Edge. It is not a complete browser backup, as it does not include passwords, history, autofill data, extensions, open tabs, or all Edge settings.

Decide whether you need a file transfer or sync

An HTML export is a good choice when you want a file you can keep, move to a new computer, or import after reinstalling Edge. Because it is a separate file, you decide where to store it and when to use it.

Edge may also offer account sign-in and sync controls for making favorites available across devices. That can be worth investigating if your goal is ongoing access on multiple computers rather than a one-time move. It is optional, though. You do not need to sign in or enable sync to export and import an HTML favorites file.

Before exporting, choose a location you will be able to find later. A folder such as Documents is usually easier to manage than a temporary download location. Give the file a recognizable name, such as edge-favorites-august-2026.html.

Treat the file as private. It may reveal the websites and interests represented in your saved links, so store and transfer it with the same discretion you would use for other personal files.

Export your Edge favorites to an HTML file

The names and placement of Edge menus can change somewhat between versions. The reliable path is to start in the Favorites area and look for its settings or more-options menu. A Huawei support guide notes that its menu steps can vary by Edge version, so do not worry if an icon or label is slightly different on your screen.

  1. Open Microsoft Edge on the computer that currently has the favorites you want to save.
  2. Open the Favorites area from the Edge toolbar. Depending on your Edge layout, this may appear as a favorites icon near the upper-right part of the browser.
  3. In the Favorites panel, open the settings menu or overflow menu. Look for an option labeled Export favorites or similar.
  4. Choose Export favorites. Edge should open a save dialog.
  5. Select the folder where you want to keep the backup. Use a filename that tells you what it is and when you made it, then save the file.
  6. Confirm that the saved item is an HTML file, usually with an .html extension. Before closing Edge, note its exact folder. This matters when you later copy it to another computer or browse for it during import.

The exported HTML file is the item you need. Do not try to recreate the transfer by copying individual links from the Favorites panel. Keeping the exported file gives you a single, portable copy of the saved links.

Move the HTML file to the destination computer

Before you can import favorites, the exported HTML file must be accessible from the computer where you will run Edge. Copy the actual file you exported, not a shortcut to it and not a list of links pasted into another document.

Common ways to move it include:

USB and email are examples included in guidance on moving bookmark files between computers. If you use email or shared storage, remember that the file can disclose your saved browsing interests. Choose a transfer method appropriate for that level of privacy, then download or copy the file to a folder you can identify easily on the destination computer.

It can help to place the transferred file in Documents or on the desktop temporarily. That reduces the chance of losing track of it when Edge asks you to browse for the import file. Once you have confirmed the import, you can retain the HTML file as a backup in a private location if you want a reusable copy.

Import the HTML file into Microsoft Edge

Use these steps on the computer or Edge installation that should receive the favorites.

  1. Open Microsoft Edge and go to the Favorites area from the toolbar.
  2. Open the Favorites settings or more-options menu. Look for Import favorites or an equivalent import option.
  3. Select the import command. Edge may show choices for importing from another installed browser as well as from a file. Choose the option for a Favorites or Bookmarks HTML file when it asks for an import source.
  4. Select the option to choose a file, browse to the HTML file you exported and transferred, and select it.
  5. Complete the import by choosing Open, Import, or the comparable confirmation shown by your Edge version.
  6. Return to Favorites and check that the imported links are visible. Open one or two familiar favorites to verify that the transfer produced the result you expected.

The key is to select the exported HTML file as the import source. Edge may make importing directly from another browser convenient in some situations, but that is a different path from restoring the backup file you created.

For another version of the same core workflow, see this Edge favorites export and import guide. Menu wording may differ, but the common pattern is Favorites, export to HTML, then Favorites, import from HTML.

If the menus look different or Edge cannot find the file

If you do not see the exact wording in these steps, start again from the Favorites area and look for export or import choices in its settings or more-options menu. Edge versions can use slightly different labels and layouts.

If the import dialog cannot find your backup, check these points:

If your real need is continuous access to favorites across several devices, Edge account sync is an alternative to investigate in its profile or sync settings. For a backup or one-time transfer, however, the HTML export and import path above keeps the task focused on your favorites alone.