From MozillaZine Knowledge Base

This article explains how to alphabetically sort, organize, or rearrange your Firefox bookmarks.

Sorting bookmarks alphabetically

There are several methods you can use to sort your bookmarks, which are explained below. Note: In Firefox 3 you can no longer right-click an individual bookmark to "Sort By Name", you can only do that for folders.

Bookmarks menu

(Drop-down bookmark menus, toolbar menus, and bookmarks sidebar)

1. Open the Bookmarks menu and select the item you wish to sort.
   • Firefox 3: Context click (right-click) the specific bookmarks folder that you want to alphabetize.
   • Firefox 2: Right-click any bookmark inside the bookmarks folder you want to alphabetize.
2. From the context-menu, click "Sort By Name". The bookmarks in the selected folder will be sorted alphabetically.

You will have to do the same for subfolders, if you want them sorted as well by this method.

Bookmarks Manager or Library window

Note: The View(s) menu in the Firefox Bookmarks Manager or Library window is for displaying bookmarks in different sorting orders and doesn't actually sort the bookmarks. If you want to sort your bookmarks or bookmarks folders alphabetically, you must make sure that you choose "View -> Unsorted" (Firefox 2) or "Views -> Sort -> Unsorted" (Firefox 3).

1. Bring up the Bookmarks Manager or Library window ("Bookmarks -> Organize Bookmarks")
   • Firefox 3: In the left pane, context click (right-click) the specific bookmark folder that you want to alphabetize.
   • Firefox 2: In the left pane, select the specific bookmark folder that you want to alphabetize. This will display its contents in the right pane. Context click (right-click) on any individual bookmark.
2. From the context menu, select "Sort By Name". The bookmarks in the selected folder will be sorted alphabetically.

Using an extension to sort bookmarks recursively

Many users prefer an alphabetized list of bookmarks in all folders, even within the Bookmarks Toolbar. You can install a Firefox extension to sort all bookmarks folders recursively. In the bookmarks toolbar you may want to modify names with preceding spaces and with separators to get the exact order desired. For best results try to keep only folders on the bookmarks toolbar and use very short names (1-4 characters). [1]

• Firefox 3: The SortPlaces extension was designed for Firefox 3. It is very fast and will sort subfolders and contents recursively. Use the addon's option to indicate whether or not you want your Bookmarks Toolbar sorted. It can be started from Bookmarks menu, Status Bar, or Toolbar button. It will not sort the folder named "Unsorted Bookmarks" for which you would use the above Bookmarks menu method within bookmark menu drop-downs or bookmarks sidebar.
• Firefox 2: The "Bookmark Sorting" extension (for Firefox 1.5-2.0.*) will sort all bookmarks folders, recursively. Be sure to review the add-on's options.

Rearranging bookmarks

You can use drag-&-drop or cut-&-paste to rearrange your bookmarks or reorganize your bookmarks into different folders.

• In the Bookmarks menu, click and drag a bookmark, or hold down the SHIFT key to click and drag a bookmark folder and then drop the item to reposition it or place it in a different folder. If you do not hold the SHIFT key when dragging, you will copy the bookmarks rather than move the bookmarks. (See Mouse tips.)

OR:

• In the Bookmarks Manager or Library window, go to "View -> Unsorted" (Firefox 2) or "Views -> Sort -> Unsorted" (Firefox 3) and simply click-drag-&-drop an item in the right-side pane to reposition it. You can select more than one item with Shift or Ctrl/Cmd as usual.

Instead of Drag-&-Drop you can also use Cut-&-Paste from the context menu (or from the Bookmarks Manager "Edit" menu, or the Library window "Organize" menu). If you want to create a new folder , select "New Folder" from the context menu (or from the Bookmarks Manager "File" menu, or the Library window "Organize" menu).

Firefox 3 only: (multiple selection) You can select multiple entries without invoking the bookmark for dragging, copying, moving or deleting, (similar to how you can select multiple browsing history items) with use of the Ctrl/Cmd key (to add to a selection) & Shift key (to extend a selection) by clicking to the left of the favicon (webpage icon) in the list to make selection(s). To extend from the last selection made of discontiguous entries use Cntr/Cmd+Shift+click. Makes moving several bookmarks from different places to a new location easier. Multiple selection is not available in the drop-down menus, and in Firefox 3 only is not available in left pane of Library List. [2]

Using separators to group bookmarks

Bookmark separators can be used for a visual separation of bookmarks into groups. Entities are sorted within each group, independently of the other groups when bookmarks are sorted.

To create a separator, right -click on a bookmark or folder, then choose "New Separator". This can be done from the Bookmarks menu, on or within the bookmarks toolbar, or from "Organize Bookmarks" (Bookmarks Manager using "Views -> Sort -> Unsorted"). Such separators are normally added before the entity selected.

For an obstinate case trying to place a single bookmark separator after a single bookmark and before a folder, you may need to place the separator between two folders and then move the single bookmark before the separator.

Removing a separator can't be done from the Bookmarks menu or drop-downs, but can be done from both the sidebar (Ctrl/Cmd + B) and from "Organize Bookmarks", where the separator is part of a larger space. Right-click on the separator and choose "Delete".

The difference between Firefox 2 and Firefox 3 is that, in Firefox 2 sorting, you selected an item within a folder to sort the folder. In Firefox 3, you select the folder to sort items within a folder. Both versions sort everything in the folder that gets sorted. Sorting folders recursively is not available in Firefox 3 at this time.

All sorting explained here is from the context menu, use of column sorting within the Bookmarks Manager in a different view than the normal hierarchy order will not be permanent.

Viewing bookmarks in the Bookmarks Manager or Library window

The right pane of the Bookmarks Manager or Library window provides a listing that can be sorted by clicking on a column. This does not permanently sort your bookmarks, and only applies within this list (bug 405108). It will not affect the left pane, nor your bookmarks menu, nor your bookmarks toolbar. Multiple-selection is possible in both left and right panes of the Bookmarks Manager in Firefox 2 but only in the right pane of the Library window in Firefox 3 (bug 440119).

Unlike the Bookmarks Sidebar, the left pane of the Library list never displays individual bookmarks.

When a search is not involved, the right pane displays the folders and bookmarks within folder(s) selected on the left, but in Firefox 3 only one folder can be selected on the left and only one level of that folder is displayed.  When a search is involved, the right pane displays all of the bookmarks (and only bookmarks) within the folder(s) selected on the left pane.  In Firefox 3 after a search has been invoked check the scope of the search in the box below the search box. (bug 440119, bug 424076, bug 469441).

The Library Search box applies to all bookmarks (or all history, but never both bookmarks and history). Starting with Firefox 3.5 you can easily check whether you are searching bookmarks or history by the gray wording in the Library Search box "Sort Bookmarks" or "Sort History". You will see item counts at the bottom of the window after first touching the vertical scroll bar.

Firefox 3 also introduced arrowpoints instead of less ambiguous [-] and [+] symbols to collapse or expand a folder, and in Firefox 3 the right pane folders can not be expanded. (bug 440119)

Note: You can add additional columns in Firefox 3 by right-clicking on a column heading and choosing columns to be shown and you can drag the column headings to rearrange the columns in the listing. The View Menu also allows you to choose the column to be sorted on, even if not visible, and also offers an unsorted order. In Firefox 2, you can click on the icon to the right of the column headings (above the scrollbar) and choose the columns to be shown.

Finding a forgotten bookmark within a Date Range

To find a bookmark that you know was created within a date range, you have to use the Library List.

• Starting with Organize Bookmarks (under Bookmarks Menu, or use Ctrl+Shift+B if it works)
• On the left Select "Bookmarks Menu" folder in Firefox 3 ( or "Bookmarks" folder in Firefox 2)
• On the right side, Right click on column label, select "Added" (timestamp). Available in Firefox 2 using View Menu
• (Firefox 3) In the search box type in http (make it generic as it could be https: or just use //) The purpose of this simple search is to eliminate display of folders, so you have bookmarks that have at least some part of a url presented in chronological order.
• (Firefox 3) If you know of any other strings in the Title and/or in the url include them in any order so you might have

http .gov

• (Firefox 2) Search options are more limited, even with an extension
• Click on the "Added" label so that you have an Ascending Sort (do this last) -- the triangle on the label tells you that you are sorting on that column, and the ascending or descending direction is noted by the direction of the triangle.

Notes:

1. (Firefox 3) You can search on any part of Title, url, or tags, but keywords and description can not be included. [[3]]
2. (Firefox 3) Unfortunately due to the restructuring of your view of bookmarks in Firefox 3 choosing "All Bookmarks" is not an option, you will have to do this separately for "Bookmarks Menu", "Bookmarks Toolbar" and the other one named either "Unsorted Bookmarks" or "Unfiled Bookmarks". [4] Firefox 2 users can simply choose "Bookmarks" folder.

Location Bar autocomplete searches

There are modifier prefixes to limit the location-bar autocomplete results to searching for bookmarks ("*"), history ("^"), tags ("+" ) and also for limiting to title ("#") and limiting to url ("@").  [5] Bug 393574 Bug 393584. See Location Bar search and Changing autocomplete behavior - Firefox for more information on customizing Location Bar autocomplete results.

See also

• Viewing the browsing history - Firefox - Explains how to view and sort a list of visited web pages stored in the browsing history. (History shares the same database and many features of bookmarks.)
• Import bookmarks - Adds to existing bookmarks from an HTML file or from another browser.
• Backing up and restoring bookmarks - Firefox - Explains how to revert your bookmark changes by restoring a bookmark backup file.

External links

• Sorting bookmarks (Firefox Support)

Tools for sorting and viewing bookmarks

The following are for sorting bookmarks in Firefox 2 (or below), which uses bookmarks.html:

• Bookmark Sorting extension for Firefox 1.5-2.0.* - will sort all bookmarks folders, recursively, at once [6].
• Mozilla Bookmark Sorter is a standalone Java program for sorting bookmarks in Firefox 2 and below.

The following extensions allow you to sort bookmarks in Firefox 3, which uses places.sqlite:

• SortPlaces extension for Firefox 3.* - will sort optionally "Bookmarks Menu", and/or "Bookmarks Toolbar" and/or "Unsorted Bookmarks" (also seen as "Unfiled Bookmarks). The auto-resort option provides for resorting a folder automatically after changes and a specified delay, but makes it harder to locate and modify a recent bookmark then changing it at the bottom of the folder and then later sorting all bookmarks.

The following are not directly related to sorting, but sorting can be invoked from within for folders, and these extensions will help you work through the folders hierarchy in your bookmarks:

• Manage Folders extension, quickly access folder listing from the context menu of a bookmark folder to bring up the folder within the Library list. (Firefox 3)
• Go Parent Folder extension, locate the Bookmark folder for a Bookmark in Bookmarks search results. (Firefox 3)
• Show Parent Folder extension, adds a column to list view of Library (Organize Bookmarks), especially useful if view is of search results. Must add column through View menu (Firefox 3)

Viewing a sorted list of Bookmark Keywords:

• keywordManager extension is a small tool to manage bookmarks keywords (Firefox 3)
• KeywordBar extension, sidebar with all bookmarks that contain a defined keyword (shortcuts) (Firefox 1.0-2.*)

Addition to Bookmarks Toolbar Menu

• Unsorted Bookmarks Folder Menu, adds Unsorted Bookmarks Folder to Bookmarks Menu (Bug 428411)

Displaying Bookmarks Menu in multiple columns:

• Column Bookmarks FF3 0.2 (Firefox 3)
• Column Bookmarks 0.1 (Firefox 2)