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Find folder that contains an specific bookmark

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  • Last reply by fcastro

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I have hundreds of bookmarks organized under the "Bookmarks Toolbar". Is there a way to find in which folder an specific bookmark was created? I can do a search on the "Show all Bookmarks" library but that will show the bookmark but it will not highlight the folder on the sidebar or give me any information or "path" on where to find it. I am using Firefox 45.9.0 ESR under Debian GNU/Linux 8.8 (Jessie) & Xfce.

I have hundreds of bookmarks organized under the "Bookmarks Toolbar". Is there a way to find in which folder an specific bookmark was created? I can do a search on the "Show all Bookmarks" library but that will show the bookmark but it will not highlight the folder on the sidebar or give me any information or "path" on where to find it. I am using Firefox 45.9.0 ESR under Debian GNU/Linux 8.8 (Jessie) & Xfce.

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There were previously some extensions available to locate a bookmark more easily, but those have been redrawn by its creator.

The only workaround that I know is to open the bookmark in a tab and click the star on the Navigation Toolbar. The "Edit This Bookmark" dialog then shows in what folder this bookmark is located. You can do this in offline mode to prevent opening the link.

Note that in treechildren type lists like you have in the left pane in the Library and in the bookmarks sidebar that you can quickly type the first letters of a bookmark or folder name to jump to this item. This only works when the folder or bookmark is visible and the folder isn't collapsed. You need to click in that area to set focus to this area (best is to click to the far left).

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Chosen Solution

There were previously some extensions available to locate a bookmark more easily, but those have been redrawn by its creator.

The only workaround that I know is to open the bookmark in a tab and click the star on the Navigation Toolbar. The "Edit This Bookmark" dialog then shows in what folder this bookmark is located. You can do this in offline mode to prevent opening the link.

Note that in treechildren type lists like you have in the left pane in the Library and in the bookmarks sidebar that you can quickly type the first letters of a bookmark or folder name to jump to this item. This only works when the folder or bookmark is visible and the folder isn't collapsed. You need to click in that area to set focus to this area (best is to click to the far left).

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I don't know which folder the bookmark is in, so this doesn't help. I can do a "Search" for the bookmark and I can find it that way, but it still does not seem to tell me which bookmark folder the bookmark of interest is in.

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Hi WesternGuy

You would have to open the bookmark in a tab. Then you can click the star on the Navigation Toolbar to open the "Edit This Bookmark" dialog that shows in which folder this bookmark is located. If you really do not want to open this bookmark then temporarily switch to "Work Offline" mode.

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Unless I am missing something, the problem is that I cannot find the Bookmark to open it in a tab, unless this works off the "search" aspect that allows me to find it now. Perhaps you could clarify this a bit. Thanks.

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The point is to click the bookmark you want to locate in the search results just like you normally would open the bookmark.

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That solution does not seem to work for me. The star does not turn blue, & pressing it creates a new bookmark in a different folder - possibly because I have edited the name or simplified the URL.

I use the 'go parent folder' add-on, but this is now withdrawn although it still works in 54.0.1.

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1159572#answer-984566

What I have done for now, is use the FEBE add-on to create an .xpi file containing just the 'go parent folder' add-on from another machine, and use that to add it to my new installation.

I guess this add-on will not work in the upcoming webExtensions versions.  :-( I may have to move to the Palemoon browser,

Modified by nuwon

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If you switch to offline mode then Firefox shouldn't be able to check the link on internet.

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Though the workaround methods described to find which bookmark folder contains a bookmark are time consuming for such a simple function, they do work - one bookmark at a time. Thanks to those that posted the idea.

I'll try to clarify for new or less technical users.

1. It appears former addons that showed which folder(s) bookmarks were in have been pulled from Mozilla Addons (MAO). (That's why I found this post).

2. To find the folder containing * A * bookmark, from bookmarks search results, use "open" or "open in new tab," etc. [1]

3, R-click on the opened web page & start to bookmark it. Since the bookmark already exists, the "add bookmark" tree column should open to the containing folder. If it doesn't show the containing folder, an addon like Add Bookmark Here2 will.

Notes: [1] as cor-el said, to avoid actually loading web pages, use File > Work Offline. Offline, the clicked bookmark just opens a tab / window showing the bookmark's URL.

  • This only works for one bookmark at a time.
  • This is a long way around.
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@nuwon - how did you use FEBE to create an .xpi "containing just the Go Parent Folder addon...?"

I assume Fx let you restore that FEBE backup (in .xpi) to an existing profile?

Even though Fx won't allow installing that addon directly (for me); nor the most recent version of Show Parent Folder, that worked before Fx v54.

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@Joebt I've written more about this in an entry in my blog .

Yes FF (up to at least v54.0.1) will let you add the add-on from the .xpi file.

Joebt said

@nuwon - how did you use FEBE to create an .xpi "containing just the Go Parent Folder addon...?" I assume Fx let you restore that FEBE backup (in .xpi) to an existing profile? Even though Fx won't allow installing that addon directly (for me); nor the most recent version of Show Parent Folder, that worked before Fx v54.
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Thanks nuwon. Well, that method may not help for long - I'm already on Fx 54.0.1.

We need to "encourage" some fame-seeking coders to write the code to add to Fx core, the same function that Show Parent Folder did.

Anyone interested in writing code to show parent folder paths of bookmarks in search results (one of many on the issue): https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=196509 - see comments - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1168018, 3rd post. A Moz dev basically OK'g the community to devise a solution.

@ cor-el, yep, you can find bookmarks folder paths opening places.sqlite in an SQL DB browser, but it's not quick. If you did it often, it'd be tedious.

Edit 7-21-2017 - fix link to bugzilla - removed parentheses.

Modified by JoeB

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Does anyone know how I can revert back to the previous version that the "Go Parent Folder" and "Show Parent Folder" extension was working in?

I can't believe that firefox has disabled this extension. This thing literally saves me hours of times on a daily basis. I have thousands of bookmarks. This is the only reason I am still even using FireFox after over a decade and a half!

What kind of usability error in search functionality not having this built in!!!