Import bookmarks into Screenie

Exporting bookmarks feels like admitting defeat. Four hundred links in Unsorted, folders named after projects that ended in 2021, duplicates you forgot existed.

Import is not confession. It is recovery — making old saves queryable without reliving every decision that created the mess.

Do not re-file on import. Search is the new organization.

Before you import

1. 1Export bookmarks from your browser as HTML (standard on Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge).
2. 2Skim the file size — large imports may take a minute to process.
3. 3Accept that folder structure will not map one-to-one. Content matters more than hierarchy.

For the philosophy behind leaving bookmarks behind, read Move bookmarks into a capture inbox.

Import steps

1. 1Open Settings → Import in Screenie
2. 2Upload your .html export file
3. 3Wait for processing — titles and page text are extracted in the background
4. 4Open inbox and search a few links you remember by topic, not folder name

After import

• New saves go to Screenie only — stop adding to the browser bookmark bar
• Search by memory — pricing annual toggle, not Folder > Subfolder > Link 47
• Let collections form — related imports may cluster without manual filing

Troubleshooting

• Missing titles — some exports lack metadata; page content still indexes on fetch
• Dead links — saves remain searchable by their stored text even if the URL 404s
• Duplicates — merge or delete after import; do not pre-clean the export

The point

The bookmark bar was a storage format, not a strategy. Import it, search it, move forward.

Join the waitlist if you need beta access before importing.