Did you know that you do not need to have the Google browser to use the Google bookmarks toolbar? Whether you use Chrome or Firefox, it is important to know how to use the Google favorites toolbar to effectively manage your bookmarks. Consider, what is a bookmark if it is not used effectively? In short, it is a useless piece of data.
While it is not such a crime to have unorganized bookmarks at home, if you are using bookmarks for work purposes, then you can unfortunately suffer for having unorganized bookmarks. Here are tips to help you better organize bookmarks and get more out of what is a valuable internet tool.
- First, clean them up.
- Take advantage of Google favorites toolbar features.
- Create a system and stick to it.
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Almost anyone that has ever used bookmarks has come across a time when they had just one bookmarks folder, and about a thousand bookmarks sitting in it. The first thing you need to do is treat your bookmarks like you would your fridge, pantry, or wardrobe. If you see a bookmark that you have not needed to reference in more than six months, then you should get rid of it. Also go through your list with an eye for bookmarks that are broken, or any that you know for sure you do not need.
If you are using a Chrome browser, then your online bookmark manager lives in your customization menu. Locate the bookmarks manager and if you have already started to bookmark items in your browser then you will see a filing system not unlike one your operating system uses. This is one way to manage bookmarks. Another is to use the toolbar for quick and easy access to your bookmarks.
In the same menu you should have the option to show or hide the toolbar. If you are not using Chrome, then you will first need to download the toolbar. Once you have the toolbar shown or downloaded, all you need to do is drag and drop your favorite links to the toolbar, or to folders that you have created on it. To create a folder simply right click on the toolbar. You can rename and move folders around for easy bookmark management.
The final step is to create an organizational system so that you do not end up with one bookmarks folder and bunch of bookmarks that are difficult to sort through. Consider labeling folders by project, by purpose, or with keywords that give you a good idea of what is inside. For example, my toolbar has these folders.
Remember to occasionally clean your bookmarks out, and take advantage of the built in features in the Google favorites toolbar. If there is one site that you visit every single day, then consider making it your homepage, or leaving it out of a folder and as the first bookmark that shows on your toolbar. Through some trial and error and through practical use you will figure out how many folds you need, and with what categories you should designate them to get the most use out of your bookmarks.