Backup & Delete Chrome Bookmarks

Conversation with ChatGPT

Nik

I am wondering if it is possible to back up my chrome bookmarks, and also programmatically delete all of those created before a certain date?

ChatGPT

Yes, it's certainly possible to back up your Chrome bookmarks and to programmatically delete those created before a specific date. Here's a step-by-step approach:

Backing Up Chrome Bookmarks

1. Manual Backup:
   1. Open Chrome.
   2. Click on the three-dot menu at the top-right corner.
   3. Go to Bookmarks > Bookmark manager.
   4. In the Bookmark Manager, click on the three-dot menu.
   5. Select Export bookmarks. Choose a location and save the HTML file.
2. Programmatic Backup (Optional):
   1. You can use a scripting language like Python to read the Chrome bookmark file (Bookmarks), which is typically a JSON file. This file is usually located in Chrome's user data directory.

Programmatically Deleting Bookmarks Created Before a Certain Date Deleting bookmarks created before a specific date programmatically is a bit more complex. Chrome doesn't store the creation date of bookmarks in its Bookmarks file. However, if you have been syncing your bookmarks with a Google account, there might be ways to access creation dates via Google's APIs, but this is not straightforward and would require significant programming expertise.

If you're comfortable with coding, here’s a high-level approach using Python:

1. Locate the Bookmarks File:
   1. Find the Bookmarks file in Chrome's user data directory.
2. Read and Parse the Bookmarks File:
   1. This file is in JSON format. You can use Python's json module to read and parse it.
3. Identify and Delete Bookmarks:
   1. Since Chrome doesn’t store creation dates, you would need to work with other criteria (like URL, folder, etc.) to identify which bookmarks to delete.
   2. Modify the JSON structure by removing the entries you want to delete.
4. Write Changes Back to the Bookmarks File:
   1. Save the modified JSON back to the Bookmarks file.

Note: Be cautious with this approach as it directly modifies Chrome’s bookmark data. It’s recommended to backup the original Bookmarks file before making any changes. Also, Chrome should be closed while performing these operations to prevent conflicts.

Given your background in data and analytics engineering, you might find the programmatic approach within your skill set. However, always ensure you have a backup before attempting any modifications.