Manual method
- On desktop open the Firefox menu > Bookmarks > Manage bookmarks.
- In Library choose Import and Backup > Export Bookmarks to HTML and save.
- For history/settings open Help > More troubleshooting information and find Profile Folder (Show in Finder/Open Folder). Close Firefox completely before copying that profile folder; follow Mozilla’s linked profile-backup guide for your operating system.
- Test the HTML in a browser. Label a copied profile as an application backup, not a portable HTML history export.
Coverage and limitations: Bookmark JSON/JSONLZ4 backup is Firefox-specific and is not browsing history. A whole profile may contain cookies and login material; keep it encrypted and do not upload it casually.
Size and time to allow
Illustrative planning size: 0.1 GB; scenario range 0.001–2 GB. This is a storage-planning example, not a measured average. Your archive may be smaller or larger. Bookmarks plus an optional retained browser profile; profile caches and extensions can make it much larger.
Preparation and hands-on time: Plan 5–20 minutes plus profile-copy time; local operation.
For the 0.1 GB example, network transfer alone is approximately:
| Connection download speed | Transfer estimate |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbit/s | 2 min |
| 50 Mbit/s | 23 sec |
| 100 Mbit/s | 12 sec |
These calculations use decimal GB and 70% of the advertised speed. Tiny transfers can take longer because of startup overhead. Local exports do not need an internet download; use these numbers only for a network transfer. Preparation, retries, extraction, checking and a cloud upload are additional; use upload speed for the latter.
Where and how to keep it
An encrypted USB key can hold this example, but keep another independent copy on an external drive or in private encrypted cloud storage. A USB key alone is easily lost and is not a complete preservation plan.
Create a dated firefox/YYYY-MM-DD/ folder. Keep received originals unchanged, use a separate working copy, and note the account/profile, selected dates, formats and known gaps in a private README. Compare file sizes, check any supplied checksums, and open sample files from the backup before considering the task finished. Repeat after meaningful additions. Follow the storage, archive-checking and large-file guide.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.