Bookmarks (English: bookmarks) is a feature where web addresses (URLs) are recorded in web browsers for easy access in the future. Bookmarks in web browsers are tools that allow the user to easily access web pages that he or she frequently visits. With bookmarks, the user can save web addresses for easy re-access without the need for non-browser saving tools (Text Document, etc.).

Bookmarks is also used as a Word Processor term. Bookmark operation/definition is used to specify the location of files opened using word processors on electronic writing machines.

Bookmarks were first included in the Mosiac web browser, which was introduced to the user in 1993, under the name “Hotlists”. This name was also used in previous versions of the Opera web browser. However, over time, this name was replaced by bookmarks.

There are still some web browsers that use different names instead of bookmarks. The most commonly known among these web browsers are “Internet Explorer” and “Microsoft Edge” browsers. “Favorites” are used instead of bookmarks in Microsoft web browsers and are located in browser menus this way. The widespread use of Microsoft browsers has led to favorites being considered a synonym for bookmarks.

internet bookmark

Bookmarks are available in all web browsers. Bookmarks are web page URLs saved in web browsers. When creating a bookmark, a name can be assigned instead of a URL. In this way, web pages can be accessed via bookmarks by name instead of the web page address.

Bookmarks are accessed from the web browser menu. Additionally, web browsers have a “Bookmarks Bar” or “Bookmarks Bar” feature on the top panel. Web addresses saved in bookmarks appear here for quick access. The bookmarks bar is editable according to user habits/requests.

All web browsers have a built-in tool for managing bookmarks lists. In addition to the built-in bookmark manager in web browsers, there is also a bookmark manager extension or plug-in. Web addresses to be saved in bookmarks can be organized under folders.

Bookmarks created in desktop web browsers can also be used in mobile versions of the browser. This process requires logging in to the browser. As long as the session is open, “synchronization” or “synchronization” should occur. This process provides access to the relevant current bookmark list on all platforms such as mobile and desktop. Additionally, other browser settings are also moved between platforms with this process.

Mozilla launched a project called live bookmarks in 2004. Live bookmarks are a version of standard bookmarks that are constantly updated via RSS feeds provided by weblogs and news sites. However, the live bookmarks feature was discontinued by Mozilla in 2018.

social bookmark

Social bookmarks is a tool that enables the consolidation of web resources and the storage of bookmarks independently of a computer/browser, facilitating accessibility for users. Web-based bookmarking services (iCloud Bookmarks, Google Bookmarks, Digg, etc.) allow users to save their bookmarks to a web server that allows remote access from anywhere.

Bookmarks storage location

Bookmarks are located in web browser menus. When the addresses of web pages are saved in bookmarks, they are stored on the user’s computer. The storage process of the bookmarks list varies depending on the browser version and the operating system it runs on (Windows, MacOs, Linux). For example; Web browsers running on the Windows operating system usually store bookmarks in a local file on the Windows C drive on the user’s computer.

Free and open source web browsers such as Netscape and Mozilla Firefox store bookmarks in a single HTML-coded “bookmarks.html” file. Thus, it allows platforms to publish/print bookmarks in accordance with the principles of “freedom in the digital world”. It also gains interoperability across different platforms. All edits to the save files outside the browser require HTML editing.

In the current version of Mozilla Firefox, bookmark storage is carried out in SQLite format together with “browser history”, “browser cookies” and “browser preferences”.

By Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge, “Favorites” are named with the original link name and file extension (e.g. “Homepage.URL”) and are stored in separate files. Folder names for subdirectories of favorites in the browser must be unique.

With the “Export Bookmarks” support available in web browsers, all bookmarks are downloaded to the computer as files. The downloaded bookmarks file can be loaded into a new web browser with the “Import Bookmarks” option.