Install the extension

Bookmarks But Better replaces your new-tab page with a dashboard of your bookmarks. There is no account to create. The extension collects no analytics, and it never collects your bookmarks.

Chrome

1. Open the Chrome Web Store listing.
2. Add the extension to Chrome.
3. Open a new tab. The setup wizard starts on its own.

Firefox

1. Open the Firefox Add-ons listing.
2. Add the extension to Firefox.
3. Open a new tab. The setup wizard starts on its own.

Safari

The Safari version is coming soon. It is not yet available from the Mac App Store or as a signed download. If you need it now, you can build it from source. It works differently from Chrome and Firefox and needs the local daemon. See Safari for what that means and how to build it.

The setup wizard

The wizard only shows the steps your browser needs. A counter at the top shows where you are, for example Step 1 of 3. Skip setup is on every step except the last one, and pressing Escape does the same. Skipping leaves your sources as they are and keeps the suggested root folder.

1. Your bookmarks. Choose where the dashboard gets bookmarks from, using two switches:

   • Browser bookmarks: the bookmarks already in this browser. This is on by default.
   • Local vault: bookmarks kept in a folder on your computer by the Bookmarks But Better daemon.

   You can turn on one or both, but at least one stays on. With both on, you switch between them from the top of the dashboard. The two are never mixed. See Bookmark sources.

2. Connect your vault. This step only appears when Local vault is on. It shows the command that installs the daemon (npx bookmarks-but-better@latest) and a form to connect to it. If you are not ready yet, click Skip for now. You can connect a vault later in Settings → Sources. See Install the daemon and Connect the extension.

3. Choose your bookmark folder. The dashboard shows only what is inside this folder. You can pick an existing folder, or type a name such as Personal Bookmarks and click Create folder to make a new one. This step only appears when there is a folder to choose.

4. You’re all set. A few tips the dashboard does not show on its own:

   • Start typing anywhere to search.
   • Use the arrow keys to move between bookmarks.
   • In Chrome and Firefox, type bb then Tab in the address bar to search your bookmarks.

   Click Open dashboard to finish.

To run the wizard again, open Settings → General and click Show setup wizard.

Choose a root folder

The root folder decides which part of your bookmarks the dashboard shows. You can change it at any time:

• From the dashboard header. The control next to the source switcher shows the folder in view. Click it to pick another. Choose All bookmarks to show everything again.
• From Settings. Open Settings → Sources. Under Browser, use Root folder. This option is only shown while Browser bookmarks is the active source.

Each source remembers its own root folder, so switching sources does not change it.

If the new tab does not load

If a new tab ever stays blank or shows an error card, you can still reach Settings from your browser’s extensions page. Open Settings → General and turn on Safe mode. The new tab then opens without drawing your bookmarks, so you can change the root folder or source that causes the problem. Turn Safe mode off again when you are done.