---
title: "Bookmarks Diff"
description: "Compare two bookmarks.html exports and see which links were added, removed, renamed or moved to another folder. Nothing is uploaded."
url: https://findutils.com/convert/bookmarks-diff/
category: convert
---

# Bookmarks Diff

Compare two bookmarks.html exports and see which links were added, removed, renamed or moved to another folder. Nothing is uploaded.

**Use this tool:** [Bookmarks Diff](https://findutils.com/convert/bookmarks-diff/)

## Programmatic access

- REST id `bookmarks-diff`: POST https://api.findutils.com/api/tools/bookmarks-diff/execute (reference: https://findutils.com/api/bookmarks-diff/)
- MCP tool `bookmarks_diff` on https://mcp.findutils.com (reference: https://findutils.com/mcp/bookmarks-diff/)

## Why Use Our Bookmarks Diff?

A bookmarks export is a snapshot, and two snapshots rarely tell you what happened between them. After a sync goes wrong, a colleague reorganizes a shared set, or a browser migration finishes, the question is simple: what is new, what disappeared, and what was renamed or moved? Opening two files of hundreds of links side by side does not answer it, and a plain text diff drowns in reordered lines and tracking tags. Bookmarks Diff reads both bookmarks.html files, matches links by address, and lists only the differences, with the new and the removed links ready to download as files a browser imports.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How do I compare two bookmarks files?

Export bookmarks from the browser as bookmarks.html at the two points you want to compare, or take two existing backups. Put the older one under Before and the newer one under After. The page lists every link that was added, removed or changed, with counts for each and a count of the links that stayed the same.

### How are links matched between the two files?

By address. Two links are the same when their addresses match after lower-casing the host and dropping a default port and a trailing slash. With the default options, utm_ tracking parameters, fbclid, gclid and the #fragment are ignored as well. Titles and positions are not used for matching, so a link that was renamed or moved is still recognized as the same link.

### What counts as a changed bookmark?

A link found in both files is changed when its title is different, or when it sits in a different folder and Count folder moves as changes is on. The table labels each one as Renamed, Moved, or both, shows the old title struck through above the new one, and shows the old folder, an arrow, then the new folder.

### Can I ignore links that only moved to another folder?

Yes. Turn off Count folder moves as changes. A link that moved but kept its title is then counted as unchanged, and only renames, additions and removals are listed.

### How do I get back bookmarks that disappeared?

Compare an older backup with your current export, then use Removed as bookmarks.html. The file holds only the links that are missing from the newer file, in their original folders with their titles and dates, and the browser's import adds them next to the bookmarks you already have.

### What is in the report CSV and JSON?

The CSV has one row per difference with seven columns: change, url, before_title, after_title, before_folder, after_folder and fields. The JSON holds the same differences plus the four counts. A link at the top level has an empty folder in both, and folder paths are joined with a slash.

### Does it check whether my links still work?

No. No bookmark is opened, fetched or checked. The comparison uses only the addresses, titles and folders written in the two files.

### Does it work with Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari exports?

Yes. All four export the same Netscape bookmark file format. Comparing two exports from the same browser works best: each browser names its top folders differently, such as Bookmarks bar in Chrome and Bookmarks Toolbar in Firefox, so between two browsers most links would show as moved. Turn off Count folder moves as changes for that comparison.

### Are my bookmarks uploaded?

No. Both files are read and compared in your browser and no request carries them. It is also not a live sync: the page compares the two files you give it, once, and never touches the bookmarks in your browser.

### What happens to links saved twice in one file?

An address saved more than once on one side is compared once, using its first copy, and the Notes list says how many addresses that applied to. To clean those copies out first, run the file through [Dedupe Bookmarks](https://findutils.com/convert/dedupe-bookmarks/).

## Related Tools

- [Merge Bookmarks](https://findutils.com/convert/merge-bookmarks/)
- [Dedupe Bookmarks](https://findutils.com/convert/dedupe-bookmarks/)
- [Bookmarks HTML to CSV](https://findutils.com/convert/bookmarks-html-to-csv/)
- [JSON Diff](https://findutils.com/developers/json-diff/)
- [SQLite Diff](https://findutils.com/developers/sqlite-diff/)
- [Diff Checker](https://findutils.com/text/diff-checker/)