Raindrop is an excellent visual bookmark manager, but workflows evolve. When you transition from saving articles to managing complex project resources, you might find yourself looking for a system with deeper nesting, better collaboration, or stronger text-search capabilities.
The biggest barrier to switching tools is the fear of losing years of careful organization. If you have spent hours tagging design inspiration or categorizing client resources, the thought of moving that data is daunting.
Fortunately, Raindrop uses standard formats for its exports. Here is how to migrate your library—tags, collections, and all—without data loss.
Step 1: Export your Raindrop library
Raindrop makes it easy to get your data out. Do not rely on third-party scrapers; use the official export tool.
- Open Raindrop in your browser.
- Click your profile picture in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Navigate to the Backups tab.
- Click the Export HTML button.
You will download a file (usually named raindrop_...html). This file follows the standard Netscape Bookmark format, but Raindrop injects tags into the TAGS="..." attribute on the link elements. This is the secret to moving your tags to another system.
Step 2: Clean the export (The vital step)
Before you import thousands of links into a new tool, clean them. A migration is the perfect time to drop the duplicates that have accumulated since 2019. If you import a messy library into a new system, it will feel just as broken as the old one.
You can use a free, client-side tool like our Bookmark Cleaner to parse the Raindrop HTML file. It will group identical URLs (ignoring tracking parameters) and highlight empty folders, letting you export a sanitized HTML file.
Step 3: Import into your new manager
When choosing a new bookmark manager, ensure it supports the Netscape HTML format and explicitly states that it parses tags. If you are still deciding where to land, the comparison of Raindrop, Pinboard and Chrome covers the trade-offs side by side. If you are migrating to Inspistor:
- Go to the Data Transfer page in the dashboard.
- Drag your cleaned Raindrop HTML file into the drop zone.
- Review the preview. Inspistor will tell you exactly how many links, categories, and tags it found before committing anything to the database.
- Click Import.
Because your library is imported intact, your muscle memory doesn't have to reset. Your "Client Work" folder is still there, and your "React" tag is still applied. You just get to use them in a faster, more focused environment.
Frequently asked questions
Can I export my Raindrop.io bookmarks?
Yes. Raindrop allows you to export your entire library as an HTML file. This file contains your folders (collections), the links, and the tags associated with each link.
Will I lose my tags when I import to a new tool?
That depends on the receiving tool. Most modern bookmark managers, including Inspistor, can read the custom data attributes (like tags) embedded in the Raindrop HTML export and recreate them.
How do I handle duplicates during migration?
It is highly recommended to clean your export file before importing it anywhere. A migration is the perfect time to drop dead links and merge duplicates that accumulated over the years.