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Posted on Oct 16

Firefox Data Export: Bookmarks, Passwords, History, and Profile Migration Guide

#firefox #productivity #tutorial #data

Your browser data belongs to you. Firefox makes it relatively straightforward to export and migrate your bookmarks, passwords, history, and settings. Here's the complete guide.

What You Can Export from Firefox

Data Type	Export Format	Where
Bookmarks	HTML or JSON	Library → Bookmarks → Import/Export
Passwords	CSV	about:logins → Export
History	Not directly exportable (SQLite database)	Profile folder
Cookies	Not directly exportable	Profile folder (SQLite)
Extensions	Not exportable (re-install required)	—
Settings	Not directly exportable	Profile folder (prefs.js)
Certificates	Varies	Settings → Privacy → Certificates

Bookmarks Export

Quick export:

Press Ctrl+Shift+O (or Bookmarks → Bookmarks menu → Bookmarks toolbar → Manage bookmarks)
In the Library window: Import and Backup → Export Bookmarks to HTML
Save the HTML file

HTML format: The exported file is a standard Netscape Bookmarks HTML format, compatible with every browser. You can import it into Chrome, Edge, Safari, or a new Firefox profile.

JSON backup (Firefox-specific, preserves more metadata):
Library → Import and Backup → Backup → saves as .jsonlz4 file
This format is Firefox-specific but captures folders, dates, and Firefox-specific data.

Import bookmarks: Library → Import and Backup → Import Bookmarks from HTML

Import from Chrome: Library → Import and Backup → Import Data from Another Browser → Select Chrome

Passwords Export

Export as CSV:

Go to about:logins in address bar
Click the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top right
Select "Export Logins"
Firefox warns you the CSV will be unencrypted — confirm
Save the CSV file

CSV format:

"url","username","password","httpRealm","formActionOrigin","guid","timeCreated","timeLastUsed","timePasswordChanged"

This CSV can be imported into:

Bitwarden: Import → Firefox CSV
1Password: Import → Firefox
KeePass: Import via browser extension or CSV import
Chrome: Settings → Passwords → Import (CSV)
Another Firefox profile: about:logins → Import from a file

Important security note: The exported CSV contains all your passwords in plain text. Delete it after importing, or store it encrypted.

Your Firefox Profile Folder

For data types without GUI export, access the profile directly:

Find your profile folder: about:support → Profile Folder → Open Folder

The profile folder contains:

File	Contents
`places.sqlite`	Bookmarks AND history (SQLite database)
`key4.db`	Encrypted passwords (master password key)
`logins.json`	Encrypted passwords (the actual data)
`cookies.sqlite`	Cookies
`prefs.js`	All Firefox preferences
`extensions/`	Installed extensions
`sessionstore-backups/`	Recent session data
`cert9.db`	Certificate trust store

To backup everything: Copy the entire profile folder. Restoring it on another Firefox installation restores everything.

Note: key4.db and logins.json work together. Copy BOTH to transfer passwords without going through CSV. The passwords stay encrypted.

Exporting History

History is stored in places.sqlite — a SQLite database.

With SQLite tools:

# Install sqlite3
apt install sqlite3  # Linux
brew install sqlite3  # macOS

# Export as CSV
sqlite3 ~/.mozilla/firefox/PROFILE/places.sqlite \
  ".mode csv" \
  ".output history.csv" \
  "SELECT url, title, visit_count, last_visit_date FROM moz_places WHERE visit_count > 0 ORDER BY last_visit_date DESC;"

Windows: Profile is at %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\PROFILE\places.sqlite

Python export:

import sqlite3
import shutil
import os

profile_path = os.path.expanduser("~/.mozilla/firefox")
profiles = [d for d in os.listdir(profile_path) if d.endswith('.default-release')]
db_path = os.path.join(profile_path, profiles[0], 'places.sqlite')

# Copy to avoid lock issues
shutil.copy(db_path, '/tmp/places_copy.sqlite')
conn = sqlite3.connect('/tmp/places_copy.sqlite')
cursor = conn.execute("""
    SELECT url, title, visit_count, 
           datetime(last_visit_date/1000000, 'unixepoch') as last_visit
    FROM moz_places 
    WHERE visit_count > 0 
    ORDER BY last_visit_date DESC 
    LIMIT 1000
""")

for row in cursor:
    print(row)

Note: Copy the database before accessing it — SQLite will refuse to open a locked database (and Firefox locks it while running).

Migrating to a New Computer

Easiest method (Firefox Sync):

On new computer, install Firefox
Sign in to Firefox Account
Sync handles bookmarks, passwords, history, extensions, preferences

Manual migration:

On old computer: about:support → Open Profile Folder
Close Firefox
Copy the entire profile folder to new computer
On new computer: about:support → Open Profile Folder → replace contents
Or: Firefox → about:profiles → Create New Profile pointing to the copied folder

What sync doesn't cover:

Local site permissions (camera/mic access)
Certificates you've manually added
Custom user.js overrides
Session manager extension data (if not using Firefox Sync for extension storage)

Importing to Chrome

If you're switching:

Chrome import wizard:

Chrome → Settings → Import bookmarks and settings
Select "Mozilla Firefox"
Check: Bookmarks, History, Passwords
Click Import

This reads Firefox's profile directly (not via export file). Works on Windows/macOS. On Linux, Chrome can sometimes import directly but may need the HTML export method.

Exporting Passwords TO Firefox FROM Chrome

Chrome export:
Chrome → Settings → Passwords → Export → save CSV

Firefox import:
about:logins → Import from a file → select the CSV

Firefox Lockwise / about:logins

Firefox's password manager (about:logins) has no web portal anymore (Lockwise.firefox.com was shut down). All access is via:

Firefox desktop (about:logins)
Firefox mobile (three-dot → Passwords)

There's no way to access Firefox passwords from the web without having Firefox open.

Recommendation: If you need web access to passwords or a standalone password manager app, export from Firefox and import into Bitwarden (free, open source, excellent Firefox extension, has web portal).

Summary

Quick reference:

Bookmarks: Library → Export Bookmarks to HTML
Passwords: about:logins → ⋮ → Export Logins (CSV)
Everything: Copy profile folder (about:support → Profile Folder)
History: SQLite query of places.sqlite in profile folder
Cross-device sync: Firefox Account → Sync

Your data is yours — Firefox makes it accessible even if the tools for doing so aren't prominently advertised.

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