Bookmarks managers have been incorporated in browsers since the ViolaWWW browser in 1992,[2] and Mosaic browser in 1993.[3] Bookmark lists were called Hotlists in Mosaic[4] and in previous versions of Opera; this term has faded from common use. Cello, another early browser, also had bookmarking features. Start page browser extensions, new tab page browser extensions, and some browser start pages, also have bookmark presentation and organization features, which are typically tile-based. Some more general programs, such as certain note taking apps, have bookmark management functionality built-in.Mozilla Firefox introduced live bookmarks in 2004,[5] which resemble standard bookmarks but contain a list of links to recent articles supplied by a news site or weblog, which is regularly updated via RSS feeds; however, Mozilla removed this feature in 2018.[6] "Bookmarklets" are JavaScript programs stored as bookmarks that can be clicked to perform a function.
Types of bookmark managers and their features
Bookmarks bar in Incognito mode
Bookmark managers can be broadly divided into several types, depending on how they are implemented and used:
Built-in browser bookmark managers
All major web browsers include a basic bookmark manager. These typically allow users to:
Save and organize bookmarks in folders
Display bookmarks in a toolbar or menu
Import and export bookmarks between browsers
While convenient, these built-in tools are often limited in terms of advanced organization, search, or collaboration.
Browser extensions and new tab/start page add-ons
Extensions for browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge often provide enhanced bookmarking features. Common functions include:
Tag-based organization instead of folders
Visual bookmark tiles with website icons or screenshots
Quick access via the browser’s new tab page
Synchronization across devices via cloud storage
Examples include start page extensions or new tab page replacements.
Dedicated web and mobile applications
Independent bookmark managers are available as cross-platform apps or web services. These often provide more advanced capabilities, such as:
Full-text search within bookmark titles, notes, or saved page content
Tagging and metadata support for flexible organization
Offline access and synchronization across multiple devices
Collaboration features for sharing collections with teams or clients
Integrations with note-taking tools, productivity apps, or enterprise systems
Security options such as encryption, single sign-on (SSO), or granular access control
Social bookmarking platforms
Social bookmarking websites emphasize public or community sharing of links. They often feature:
Public collections and discovery of popular bookmarks
Tagging (folksonomy) to support collaborative classification
Social features such as following other users or voting on links
Archiving to preserve links against link rot
Notable examples include historic platforms like Delicious, and modern services such as Pinboard, Raindrop.io, Reminde.app.
Notable bookmark managers
Over the years, a number of dedicated bookmark management tools[7] have been developed as alternatives to the built-in functionality of web browsers. These typically provide advanced features such as full-text search, tag-based organization, workspace separation, or team collaboration. Examples include:
Reminde – a cross-platform bookmarking and “save-for-later” app that lets users organise links, videos, products and notes into collections, add tags, and set reminders.[8]
Linkinize – a tag-based bookmark manager with support for collaborative workspaces and enterprise features such as SSO.[9]
Raindrop.io – a cross-platform bookmark manager with cloud sync and visual collections.[10]
Pocket – a read-it-later service with bookmarking and offline reading.[11]
Pinboard – a minimalist bookmarking service emphasizing archiving and API access.[12]
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