I want to create a list of my Safari bookmarks (folder, webpage title, and URL) to put into Numbers or a database app. This will help me find duplicates, tell me where a certain bookmark is, and keep from saving bookmarks again and again.
IPhone – Create list of Safari bookmarks
bookmarksiphonesafari
Related Solutions
I have a similar workflow that I've used in Safari and I've used the Edit Name Feature to make it easier to move from one site to another.
If I bring up a chart of SSO in Stockcharts.com and create a Bookmark, the Bookmarks Toolbar Menu shows it as SSO - Stockcharts Workbench - Stockcharts.Com.
Then I "Show All Bookmarks", right-click (control click) edit the name SSO - Stockcharts Workbench - Stockcharts.Com to be just SSO.
This now appears as SSO on my bookmark toolbar list. To switch to this bookmark, I can choose it under the Bookmarks menu or Bookmarks Toolbar. What I usually do is use Cmd L which highlights the address bar, type SSO and Safari displays a short list of History and Bookmarks. I scroll down to SSO under Bookmarks and hit "Enter" for my SSO chart. This bypasses using the mouse and gets me right to the chart with just a few keystrokes.
As another example, I get to Apple with CMD L, AAPL, cursor down to AAPL site I want and hit Enter.
Here's a screenshot for AAPL with several bookmarked sites that include AAPL.
I like using Cmd L for two reasons. I can move from one bookmark to another without needing to use my mouse or trackpad. Plus the shortened SSO Name sits on my Bookmark Toolbar using much less space than if I added it to the Toolbar with the original bookmark title.
The ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari/Bookmarks contains bookmarks that get updated by Safari every time you start it. If you look at the date, you will see it only contains the current date.
- Spotlight will only show bookmarks that have been updated by Safari in that folder. If for some reason a bookmark is not updated it will not show in Spotlight.
The ~/Library/Safari/Bookmarks.plist does contains bookmarks that are readable in plain text, that file is intended to manage the bookmarks organization.
- Spotlight will not search inside this file.
Potential fix:
Remove current bookmarks in ~/Library/Caches/Metadata/Safari since the Safari itself would be unaffected by the removal of the contents and will rebuild it; as I understand it, those files exist to allow Spotlight searches to include bookmarks.
Close Safari and move the Bookmarks.plist file to Desktop and restart Safari. Now all bookmarks are gone in Safari it self. Move the Bookmarks.plist back where it was and restart Safari and you will have all bookmarks back.
Best Answer
Safari Bookmarks can be exported as an HTML file. This file can be opened with any text editor and reviewed or even cleaned up with a little HTML know-how. Then it can be reimported after clean up. Recommend cleaning up a copy of the original in case you need to revert.
To export:
Alternatively, if one just wants to examine in a spreadsheet, Excel for Mac will open HTML files. Even though the result is easier to read, the data is harder to manipulate unless you understand Hyperlinks.