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Favorites

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Note

You've reached the documentation for Microsoft Edge version 45 and earlier. To see the documentation for Microsoft Edge version 77 or later, go to the Microsoft Edge documentation landing page.

You can customize the favorites bar, for example, you can turn off features such as Save a Favorite and Import settings, and hide or show the favorites bar on all pages. Another customization you can make is provisioning a standard list of favorites, including folders, to appear in addition to the user’s favorites. If it’s important to keep the favorites in both IE11 and Microsoft Edge synced, you can turn on syncing where changes to the list of favorites in one browser reflect in the other.

Tip

You can find the Favorites under C:\Users\<username>\Favorites.

You can find the Microsoft Edge Group Policy settings in the following location of the Group Policy Editor unless otherwise noted in the policy:

      Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Microsoft Edge\

Configure Favorites Bar

Supported versions: Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, version 1809
Default setting: Not configured (Hidden but shown on the Start and New Tab pages)

Microsoft Edge hides the favorites bar by default but shows it on the Start and New Tab pages. Also, by default, the Favorites Bar toggle, in Settings, is set to Off but enabled letting users make changes. With this policy, you can configure Microsoft Edge to either show or hide the Favorites Bar on all pages.

Supported values

Group Policy MDM Registry Description
Not configured (default) Blank Blank Hidden but shown on the Start and New Tab pages.

Favorites Bar toggle (in Settings) = Off and enabled letting users make changes.
Disabled 0 0 Hidden on all pages.
  • Favorites Bar toggle (in Settings) = Off and disabled preventing users from making changes
  • Show bar/Hide bar option (in the context menu) = hidden
Enabled 1 1 Shown on all pages.
  • Favorites Bar toggle (in Settings) = On and disabled preventing users from making changes
  • Show bar/Hide bar option (in the context menu) = hidden

ADMX info and settings

ADMX info

  • GP English name: Configure Favorites Bar
  • GP name: ConfigureFavoritesBar
  • GP path: Windows Components/Microsoft Edge
  • GP ADMX file name: MicrosoftEdge.admx

MDM settings

  • MDM name: Browser/ConfigureFavoritesBar
  • Supported devices: Desktop and Mobile
  • URI full path: ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Browser/ConfigureFavoritesBar
  • Data type: Integer

Registry settings

  • Path: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main
  • Value name: ConfigureFavoritesBar
  • Value type: REG_DWORD

Keep favorites in sync between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge

Supported versions: Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, version 1703 or later
Default setting: Disabled or not configured (Turned off/not syncing)

By default, Microsoft Edge does not sync the user’s favorites between IE and Microsoft Edge. Enabling this policy syncs favorites between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Changes to favorites in one browser reflect in the other, including additions, deletions, modifications, and ordering of favorites.

Supported values

Group Policy MDM Registry Description Most restricted
Disabled or not configured
(default)		 0 0 Turned off/not syncing
Enabled 1 1 Turned on/syncing Most restricted value

ADMX info and settings

ADMX info

  • GP English name: Keep favorites in sync between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge
  • GP name: SyncFavoritesBetweenIEAndMicrosoftEdge
  • GP path: Windows Components/Microsoft Edge
  • GP ADMX file name: MicrosoftEdge.admx

MDM settings

  • MDM name: Browser/SyncFavoritesBetweenIEAndMicrosoftEdge
  • Supported devices: Desktop
  • URI full path: ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Browser/SyncFavoritesBetweenIEAndMicrosoftEdge
  • Data type: Integer

Registry settings

  • Path: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Main
  • Value name: SyncFavoritesBetweenIEAndMicrosoftEdge
  • Value type: REG_DWORD

Prevent changes to Favorites on Microsoft Edge

Supported versions: Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, version 1709 or later
Default setting: Disabled or not configured (Allowed/not locked down)

By default, users can add, import, and make changes to the Favorites list in Microsoft Edge. Enabling this policy locks down the Favorites list in Microsoft Edge, preventing users from making changes. When enabled, Microsoft Edge turns off the Save a Favorite, Import settings, and context menu items, such as Create a new folder. Enable only this policy or the Keep favorites in sync between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge policy. If you enable both, Microsoft Edge prevents users from syncing their favorites between the two browsers.

Supported values

Group Policy MDM Registry Description Most restricted
Disabled or not configured
(default)		 0 0 Allowed/unlocked. Users can add, import, and make changes to the Favorites list.
Enabled 1 1 Prevented/locked down. Most restricted value

ADMX info and settings

ADMX info

  • GP English name: Prevent changes to Favorites on Microsoft Edge
  • GP name: LockdownFavorites
  • GP path: Windows Components/Microsoft Edge
  • GP ADMX file name: MicrosoftEdge.admx

MDM settings

  • MDM name: Browser/LockdownFavorites
  • Supported devices: Desktop and Mobile
  • URI full path: ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Browser/LockdownFavorites
  • Data type: Integer

Registry settings

  • Path: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Favorites
  • Value name: LockdownFavorites
  • Value type: REG_DWORD

Provision Favorites

Supported versions: Microsoft Edge on Windows 10, version 1511 or later
Default setting: Disabled or not configured (Customizable)

By default, users can customize the Favorites list in Microsoft Edge. With this policy though, you provision a standard list of favorites, which can include folders, to appear in the Favorites list in addition to the user’s favorites. Edge. Once you provision the Favorites list, users cannot customize it, such as adding folders for organizing, and adding or removing any of the favorites configured.

Important

Enable only this policy or the Keep favorites in sync between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge policy. If you enable both, Microsoft Edge prevents users from syncing their favorites between the two browsers.

Supported values

Group Policy Description Most restricted
Disabled or not configured
(default)		 Users can customize the favorites list, such as adding folders, or adding and removing favorites.
Enabled Define a default list of favorites in Microsoft Edge. In this case, the Save a Favorite, Import settings, and context menu options (such as Create a new folder) are turned off.

To define a default list of favorites, do the following:

  1. In the upper-right corner of Microsoft Edge, click the ellipses (...) and select Settings.
  2. Click Import from another browser, click Export to file and save the file.
  3. In the Options section of the Group Policy Editor, provide the location that points the file with the list of favorites to provision. Specify the URL as:
    • HTTP location: "SiteList"=https://localhost:8080/URLs.html
    • Local network: "SiteList"="\network\shares\URLs.html"
    • Local file: "SiteList"=file:///c:/Users/Documents/URLs.html
 Most restricted value

ADMX info and settings

ADMX info

  • GP English name: Provision Favorites
  • GP name: ConfiguredFavorites
  • GP element: ConfiguredFavoritesPrompt
  • GP path: Windows Components/Microsoft Edge
  • GP ADMX file name: MicrosoftEdge.admx

MDM settings

  • MDM name: Browser/ProvisionFavorites
  • Supported devices: Desktop
  • URI full path: ./Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Browser/ProvisionFavorites
  • Data type: String

Registry settings

  • Path: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MicrosoftEdge\Favorites
  • Value name: ConfiguredFavorites
  • Value type: REG_SZ

Keep favorites in sync between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge: By default, Microsoft Edge does not sync the user’s favorites between IE and Microsoft Edge. Enabling this policy syncs favorites between Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Changes to favorites in one browser reflect in the other, including additions, deletions, modifications, and ordering of favorites.