How to bookmark a file in your web browser

Do you have a PDF, a cheat sheet, or a text file that you refer to every day? Instead of digging through your folders, you can bookmark it in your web browser. This allows you to open your most important local files with a single click, right next to your favorite websites.

What types of files can you bookmark?

Here are a few examples of files you can add to your browser’s bookmarks bar.

File type Browser support Best for...
PDF (.pdf) ✅ Full support Manuals, e-books, worksheets
Images (.jpg, .png, .gif, .webp) ✅ Full support Infographics, reference photos
Text (.txt) ✅ Full support Quick Notes, to-do lists
HTML (.html) ✅ Full support Offline webpages, reports
Word/Excel ⚠️ Limited Usually requires an extension/upload

Method 1: Drag and drop (fastest)

This works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave.

  1. Open your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Brave).
  2. Open your file manager (e.g., File Explorer).
  3. Go to the file you want to bookmark.
  4. Minimize the browser and the file manager window, and make sure both are visible side by side.
  5. Drag the file from the file manager window to the browser window.
    Drag file from File Explorer to web browser
  6. Once the file is open in your browser, just press Ctrl + D (Windows or Linux) or Cmd + D (Mac) on your keyboard to instantly add it to your bookmarks bar.

Method 2: The address bar trick

This works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave.

  1. Open your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Brave).
  2. Enter the location of the file in your browser’s address (URL) bar, as shown in the example below, but replace YourUsername with your own username. 
    
file:///C:/Users/YourUsername/Documents/file.pdf
    Enter the location of the file in your browser’s address (URL) bar
  3. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.
  4. Once the file is open in your browser, just press Ctrl + D (Windows or Linux) or Cmd + D (Mac) on your keyboard to instantly add it to your bookmarks bar.

Method 3: The "Open with" menu

This works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, and Brave.

  1. Open your file manager (e.g., File Explorer).
  2. Go to the file you want to bookmark.
  3. Right-click the file.
  4. Hover over Open with.
  5. Select your web browser (e.g., Google Chrome).
    Open a file with your web browser
  6. Once the file is open in your browser, just press Ctrl + D (Windows or Linux) or Cmd + D (Mac) on your keyboard to instantly add it to your bookmarks bar.

Related:

How to bookmark all open tabs in Chrome, Edge, Firefox & Brave

Find bookmark file locations: Chrome, Edge, Brave & Firefox

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