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how to make ALT-click (or similar) = "bookmark this link"

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  • Last reply by cor-el

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I regularly have a need to create dozens of bookmarks at a time from selected links on a webpage (but not from _all_ the links on a page). Right-clicking and choosing "Bookmark This Link" is just too slow (and error prone: about 2% of the time I end up doing an "Open Link in New Private Window" or "Save Link As" instead). And dragging the links to the bookmark toolbar is out of the question (also too slow and error prone). A key-press-click combination would be perfect.

Currently, ALT-clicking on a link does not do anything on my FF 61.0.1 for Ubuntu 18.04. Apparently years ago it used to mean "save this link".

So I'd like ALT-click (or possibly something similar) to mean "bookmark this link". Is this possible to do as a "regular user" (i.e., no fiddling with the source code)?

I've searched for a solution online but I cannot find any discussion about this particular "feature request" (which I find surprising). Lots of results about restoring the old ALT-click behavior (which I do not need), lots of results about modifying how bookmarks are _opened_ (which I do not need), lots of results about defining other keyboard shortcuts to do other things… but nothing about defining a shortcut to "bookmark this link".

Note: I am using the LoadTabOnSelect extension (for unrelated reasons) but no other (non-default) add-ons; and I have not modified any potentially related (AFAICT) about:config settings from their defaults.

I regularly have a need to create dozens of bookmarks at a time from selected links on a webpage (but not from _all_ the links on a page). Right-clicking and choosing "Bookmark This Link" is just too slow (and error prone: about 2% of the time I end up doing an "Open Link in New Private Window" or "Save Link As" instead). And dragging the links to the bookmark toolbar is out of the question (also too slow and error prone). A key-press-click combination would be perfect. Currently, ALT-clicking on a link does not do anything on my FF 61.0.1 for Ubuntu 18.04. Apparently years ago it used to mean "save this link". So I'd like ALT-click (or possibly something similar) to mean "bookmark this link". Is this possible to do as a "regular user" (i.e., no fiddling with the source code)? I've searched for a solution online but I cannot find any discussion about this particular "feature request" (which I find surprising). Lots of results about restoring the old ALT-click behavior (which I do not need), lots of results about modifying how bookmarks are _opened_ (which I do not need), lots of results about defining other keyboard shortcuts to do other things… but nothing about defining a shortcut to "bookmark this link". Note: I am using the LoadTabOnSelect extension (for unrelated reasons) but no other (non-default) add-ons; and I have not modified any potentially related (AFAICT) about:config settings from their defaults.

All Replies (3)

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Hi, you can look through these to see if something suits your purposes : https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/search/?platform=linux&q=bookmark%20multiple%20links

At this time the ability to change keys is not supported too much. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/keyboard-shortcuts-perform-firefox-tasks-quickly

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It's a bit awkward for the right-handed, but this sequence could cut down on errors and mouse movement:

  • right-click the link
  • tap the L key to trigger Bookmark This Link
  • tap the Enter key to save the bookmark

And add-on might help if it could reduce the number of steps.

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Maybe you can move that choice to the top as the first item in the right-click context menu with code in userChrome.css.

Add code to the userChrome.css file below the default @namespace line.


@namespace url("http://www.mozilla.org/keymaster/gatekeeper/there.is.only.xul"); /* only needed once */

#context-bookmarklink {-moz-box-ordinal-group:0;}

It is not that difficult to create userChrome.css if you have never used it.

The first step is to open the "Help -> Troubleshooting Information" page and find the button to access the profile folder.

You can find this button under the "Application Basics" section as "Profile Folder -> Open Folder". If you click this button then you open the profile folder in the Windows File Explorer. You need to create a folder with the name chrome in this folder (name is all lowercase). In the chrome folder you need to create a text file with the name userChrome.css (name is case sensitive). In this userChrome.css text file you paste the text posted.

In Windows saving the file is usually the only time things get more complicated because Windows can silently add a .txt file extension and you end up with a file named userChrome.css.txt. To avoid this you need to make sure to select "All files" in the dialog to save the file in the text editor using "Save File as".

You need to close and restart Firefox when you create or modify the userChrome.css file.