How to make Chrome's bookmarks toolbar better

Martin Brinkmann
Sep 8, 2014
Updated • Sep 8, 2014
Google Chrome
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If you are using Google Chrome's -- or any Chromium-based browser actually -- bookmarks toolbar you may have noticed that it does not provide you with many options.

You can add folders and pages to it and that is about it. While that may be sufficient for many users of the browser, others may say that lumping every bookmark together this way hurts the overview and makes it difficult to pick the right one.

If you look at other browsers, Firefox for example, you see that the browser supports separators as well which Chrome does not support out of the box.

First the basics: to display the bookmarks bar in Chrome, it is not displayed by default, press Ctrl-Shift-b. You can click on the Hamburger icon and select Bookmarks > Bookmarks Bar to display it this way instead, but the keyboard shortcut is usually the faster option.

Here you may find listed bookmarks already. Some show only an icon while others may show an icon and text.

chrome bookmarks bar

To create a new folder to aid with the manageability of bookmarks right-click on the bar and select add folder from the menu. Folders are a great way of listing multiple matching bookmarks. You could create a folder for work, your next vacation or a temp folder that you put all pages in that you find interesting but do not have time to work with at the time you do so.

One thing you need to know is that you can edit the name of any bookmark. Right-click an item in the bar and select edit from the options menu. You can remove the full name which leaves the icon in the bar or change the name instead if you prefer that. This works similar for folders, only that you select rename from the context menu.

It is possible to add separators to Chrome's bookmarks bar without the use of extensions. To do so visit the following page and drag the "me" link to the bar.

Repeat the process for as often as you want. You will notice that it will add a single separator to the bar whenever you do so. If you prefer horizontal separators instead, drag the "here" link instead to the bar.

How this works? The favicon of the website uses a vertical or horizontal separator icon which Chrome uses to display the bookmark on the bar.

Have another trick to make the bar better? Feel free to share it with everyone in the comments below.

Summary
How to make Chrome's bookmarks toolbar better
Article Name
How to make Chrome's bookmarks toolbar better
Description
Find out how you can improve the display and manageability of bookmarks in Google Chrome's bookmarks bar.
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Comments

  1. Mia Z said on April 28, 2019 at 3:47 pm
    Reply

    Thank you for this.

  2. Dwight Stegall said on May 22, 2015 at 1:47 pm
    Reply

    Import bookmarks from all browsers & set default browser to get out of using Chrome’s ridiculous new (2015) Bookmarks Manager http://tinyurl.com/lld7qg6 No more Auto Folder crap.

    Now I’ll just use the Bookmark Toolbar for various Javascript buttons.

    I tested it. Works great. Drag URLs to add them to Portable URL Gather.

    Now you can have all of your browser’s bookmarks in one place.

  3. Dave Green said on May 8, 2015 at 6:47 pm
    Reply

    I use this method for a separator:
    Name: ▼──────────────────────
    URL: javascript:void(0)

    1. Dwight Stegall said on May 22, 2015 at 1:50 pm
      Reply

      I’ve been doing that since Chrome started.

  4. Pete S. said on September 30, 2014 at 4:27 am
    Reply

    Great tip.
    I’d add that the site http://www.favicon.cc has a huge number of favicons, including all kinds of separators. Just find what you like and drag it to the bookmark bar. Note that there is a Search box in the mid-left of the page, so you can type “separator” or anything else and search for favicons.

  5. Dwight Stegall said on September 8, 2014 at 2:18 pm
    Reply

    I use the vertical bar key| to make separators.

    In Firefox I got rid of all Bookmarks Toolbar icons with userChrome.css and use the vertical bar key as a separator between folders and bookmarks. Getting rid of the icons frees up a lot of space on the toolbar for more folders and links. I also use Theme Font & Size Changer addon to make more room by making the font as small as possible.

    /* Remove Firefox Bookmark Toolbar Icons */

    #PlacesToolbarItems .bookmark-item[type=”menu”] .toolbarbutton-icon {
    display:none !important
    }

    #PlacesToolbarItems .bookmark-item:not([type=”menu”]) .toolbarbutton-icon {
    display:none !important
    }

    #page-proxy-deck {
    display: none !important; }

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on September 8, 2014 at 2:20 pm
      Reply

      Great tip. Firefox as always is more customizable than other browsers.

  6. BD said on September 8, 2014 at 11:27 am
    Reply

    I can’t see the link for the separators page.

    I know it’s at http://separator.mayastudios.com/
    but there doesn’t appear to be a link.

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on September 8, 2014 at 12:11 pm
      Reply

      Right, sorry for that. Added.

      1. BD said on September 8, 2014 at 12:31 pm
        Reply

        Ta

  7. Ahmed said on September 8, 2014 at 9:36 am
    Reply

    me and here are not – currently -links :)

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