Recover lost or missing Bookmarks

Revision Information
  • Revision id: 182690
  • Created:
  • Creator: Rok
  • Comment: Minor typo
  • Reviewed: Yes
  • Reviewed:
  • Reviewed by: feer56
  • Is approved? Yes
  • Is current revision? No
  • Ready for localization: No
Revision Source
Revision Content

If your bookmarks have suddenly disappeared, don't worry - you should be able to recover them. This article explains how to get back your bookmarks if they disappeared unexpectedly.

My Bookmarks Toolbar is missing

If you were using the Bookmarks Toolbar for quick access to your favorite bookmarks and the toolbar is now missing, you may have turned off the option to display the Bookmarks Toolbar. To turn it back on:

  • Right-click on an empty section of the navigation bar and select Bookmarks Toolbar in the pop-up menu.
  • On the menu bar, click View, select Toolbars, and then select Bookmarks Toolbar.

For more information, see the Bookmarks Toolbar - Display your favorite websites at the top of the Firefox window article.

I can't find all of my bookmarks and folders

Follow these steps to add a Bookmarks Menu toolbar button that shows all of your bookmarks and folders:

  1. Click the Library button 57 library icon on the toolbar, then click Bookmarks.
  2. Click Bookmarking Tools.
  3. Click Add Bookmarks Menu to Toolbar.

A Bookmarks Menu toolbar button Bookmark Menu icon (star on tray) will appear on the toolbar next to the Library button.

My bookmarks have disappeared

To recover bookmarks that were previously saved in the Bookmarks menu or on the Bookmarks toolbar but are now missing, see Restore bookmarks from backup or move them to another computer.

There is an "Old Firefox Data" folder on my desktop

In some cases, Firefox may create a folder on your desktop called "Old Firefox Data". This folder contains a complete backup of your Firefox profile and can be used to restore bookmarks and other missing information. If you have this folder on your desktop, see Recovering important data from an old profile.

No bookmarks are visible after installing an add-on

If you have restarted Firefox after installing an add-on and your bookmarks are gone, it's possible that Firefox did not close properly before restarting itself. To recover your bookmarks, restart your computer.

I can't find my bookmarks after importing them

If you have imported your bookmarks from another browser, they may appear in the Bookmarks menu in a specific folder. To find your imported bookmarks, do the following:

  1. Click the menu button Fx89menuButton to open the menu panel. Click Bookmarks and then click the Manage bookmarks bar at the bottom.
  • Depending on the type of browser from which you imported, your bookmarks may appear in a specially named folder in the Bookmarks list.
    • Internet Explorer - Folder name is From Internet Explorer.
    • Opera - Folder name is From Opera.
    • Bookmarks imported from other browsers follow a similar pattern.
  • If your source bookmarks were stored in a hierarchy of folders, the folder structure is preserved inside the specially named folder.

If desired, you can move your imported bookmarks to other folders. For more information, see Bookmarks in Firefox.

I can see only the default set of bookmarks in the Bookmarks folder

Your bookmarks are associated with the Firefox profile you are using. Most Firefox users only have a single, default profile. However, there may be instances when you or Firefox creates a new profile. When this new profile is activated, it contains the default set of bookmarks which may give you the impression that you have lost your personal bookmarks. This troubleshooting sequence helps you to identify if a new profile has been created and how to restore your previous profile.

Determine if Firefox has created a new profile

You can open the Profile Manager to see if another profile exists, which may contain your missing bookmarks, as follows:

Type about:profiles into the Firefox address bar and press the EnterReturn key. This will open the About Profiles page.
Fx52aboutprofiles-Winabout:profiles macOS Fx52_about-profiles-linux

This page should list at least one profile and could list many. The profile that Firefox is currently using will have this:
This is the profile in use and it cannot be deleted.

If you have another profile listed on this page, it may contain your lost bookmarks. You can click the Launch profile in new browser button to open another Firefox window using that profile. If it contains your missing bookmarks, you can set it as the profile that Firefox will open by default.You can click the Launch profile in new browser button to open another Firefox window using that profile. If it contains your missing bookmarks, you can set it as the profile that Firefox will open by default. Click the Set as default profile button for that profile and Firefox will use it automatically the next time you open Firefox.



Based on information from Lost bookmarks (mozillaZine KB)