Managing browser bookmarks across an enterprise environment can be challenging, especially when dealing with a complex hierarchy of URLs and folders. Microsoft Intune offers an efficient way to deploy customized favorites (bookmarks) for Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome across devices. This blog provides a step-by-step guide to creating, configuring, and deploying bookmarks with a complex folder structure using Intune. 

Step 1: Enable Export Function & Create a Customized Bookmark Hierarchy

Before deploying bookmarks via Intune, you need to set up the required bookmark structure in Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Microsoft Edge and enable the export function by entering edge://flags/#edge-favorites-admin-export in the address bar.

2. Set Favorites configuration export for administrators to Enabled and click Restart to restart the browser.

   

3. Open Microsoft Edge and manually create the desired folder structure and URLs.

4. Ensure that all essential bookmarks and folders are structured appropriately for organizational use.

   

Step 2: Export the Bookmarks in XML Format

Once the bookmarks structure is finalized, follow these steps to export them:

1. Open Microsoft Edge and navigate to edge://favorites/.
2. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the Favorites page.
3. Select the required Favorites folder hierarchy.

4. Click on Export Favorites Configuration.

   

5. In the export options, select Windows as the platform format.

6. Click Copy to Clipboard to store the XML configuration.

   

7. Paste the copied XML into Notepad or any text editor for further modifications.

    

   

Note: If the bookmarks need to be deployed on macOS devices, export them using the Mac format.

Step 3: Deploying Bookmarks in Microsoft Edge via Intune

Now that we have the exported bookmarks XML, we can deploy it using Microsoft Intune.

1. Open Microsoft Intune Admin Center.

2. Navigate to Home > Devices > Windows > Configurations.

   

3. Click on Create > New Policy > Windows 10 and later > Settings Catalog.

    

   

4. Locate Microsoft Edge settings.
5. Select Enable favorites bar & Configure favorites Settings and enable them for Microsoft Edge.

6. Paste the copied XML content into the configure favorites field.

   

7. Locate Google Chrome settings.
8. Select Enable Bookmark bar & Managed Bookmarks and enable them for Google Chrome.

9. Paste the copied XML content into the managed bookmarks field.

   

10. Assign the policy to the required user or device group.

    

11. Click create to deploy the configuration.

    

Once deployed, the configured bookmarks will automatically appear in Edge for the assigned users.

Conclusion

By following these steps, organizations can efficiently manage and deploy a complex hierarchy of bookmarks using Microsoft Intune. This ensures consistency across devices while improving accessibility to essential websites for employees. Whether using Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome, the XML-based approach simplifies the process, allowing IT administrators to maintain a well-structured and scalable bookmark system.

For further customization, administrators can update the exported XML before deploying, ensuring that bookmarks align with company policies and user needs. If managing bookmarks across multiple operating systems, ensure the appropriate format is used for deployment.