Internet Basics: Keeping Track Of Your Favorite Websites With Bookmarks

In order to use bookmarks, first you must learn how to create and use one. Launch your Internet browser, then type the address of a website you visit often in the address line and hit the key. Once the website has loaded, click on the address line once in order to highlight the address, then go to the menu across the top of the browser page and click "Bookmarks" or "Favorites". A drop-down menu should then appear. Click "Add Bookmark" or "Add Favorite". A box should then pop up on your screen, asking what name you want to call this particular website so you will remember it easier than the address itself. Most website will automatically have a name in the box, but you can change it to whatever you wish. Click OK and the bookmark will automatically be added to your list of favorite or commonly-used websites. To access this list and use the bookmarks in the future, click the "Bookmark" or "Favorites" button in the top menu again. The list of bookmarks you have created should appear in the drop-down menu below. Move the mouse to the bookmark of the website you wish to visit and click once. The website should start loading automatically at this point.

Once you have several bookmarks, chances are you will want to start organizing them into groups rather than scrolling through a long list of bookmarks every time you are looking for certain ones. To organize your bookmarks, you'll want to create folders in which to place your bookmarks, which can be done by clicking the "Bookmarks" or "Favorites" button in the top menu, then click the option to edit or manage your bookmarks in the menu below. In the new window that appears, you will be able to create, name and open new folders where you can place multiple bookmarks for easier organization. Like a filing cabinet, these folders can contain any information in whatever order you wish so it can be easier for anyone to use the bookmarks contained within. Creating these types of bookmark folders is especially useful when you have several different interests, you use your computer for both work and entertainment, or have several different users (such as your family) sharing one computer.

After some time using bookmarks, you'll probably have two problems that will require some attention: out-of-date bookmarks, and moving bookmarks to a new computer or location due to a new or upgraded computer.

First, most bookmarks will become outdated over time as companies and websites change hands, addresses or go out of business; it happens often. Some web browsers will require you to manually search for the new website and make a new bookmark, while other, newer browsers are beginning to incorporate an automatic bookmark update procedures in their programming. The best way to find out more about any such feature is to click the "Help" button at the top of the browser screen and search the index for instructions on updating bookmarks or favorites.

There may also come a time when your computer or software may be upgraded, but you don't want to go through your extensive list of bookmarks and manually re-input every one. Be aware that bookmarks or favorites are stored as a file within your computer, and can be manually exported to a floppy disk or transmitted to your new system via the Internet. Again, consult the "Help" section of your particular browser and search the index for instructions on importing and exporting bookmarks or favorites, depending on your browser of choice.