Firefox 3 was recently released by Mozilla and they broke a world record in doing so for the most downloads in a 24 hour period. There is a reason the browser is so popular: it is flexible and well thought out.

Out of the many new features available with the new version, one of them is the way it handles bookmarks. So, what’s new and what are my tips for using it?

What’s The Point of Tags?

The interface for adding bookmarks to Firefox 3 has been completely re-designed. You now get a rounded, very modern looking window which allows you to edit the name of the bookmark, where it is stored and most importantly, tags.

The tagging system in Firefox bookmarks is new for Firefox 3. But, for those not familiar, what is a tag?

A tag is simply a keyword which is used to describe a piece of content. For instance, in blogging, a tag would be used to describe the subject of a post. When you send a bookmark to Del.icio.us, you can add tags which describe the site being bookmarked. The purpose is that it allows you to more easily find the site later on. It is more flexible than assigning a category because you can enter any word you want for a tag rather than being limited only by the categories which exist. You can also assign multiple tags.

So, when you add or edit a bookmark in Firefox 3, you assign tags (if you want). To use your tags later, you just start typing one of the tags into the location bar. The auto-complete function in Firefox will then automatically display any sites which have been bookmarked with your tag.

To illustrate, I have bookmarked 4 tech conferences I will be attending with the tag of “conference”. I then clear my browser history so that it is clear that it is coming from the tag and not my browser’s history. When I start typing the word “conference into my location bar, notice what happens:

It is automatically listing sites in my bookmarks with the tag “conferences”.

By using tags throughout your bookmarks, you can make sites MUCH easier to find.

If you want to add tags to your existing bookmarks, go to Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks. You will get a window where you can categorize your bookmarks into a structure that makes sense for you. You can also individually edit each bookmark and add tags to it.

I, for one, find the bookmark menu annoying. I have a lot of bookmarks and navigating through multiple nested menus to find the one I want is slow. I often find myself bookmarking sites in the Bookmark Toolbar so that it shows up in my main browser interface rather than hidden in a sub-menu. However, with tagging, it is much easier to unearth a bookmark regardless of where you categorized it.

Tag it. Use it. Love it.