Why Do My Gmail Bookmarks Stop Working? Here’s the Fix – IT Solver Support

Have your Gmail bookmarks stopped working after a Chrome update? You’re not alone. Many users, like Alanna on the Google support forum, report that after updating Chrome, their bookmarks for different Gmail accounts (like personal and work) stop pointing to the right inbox. Instead, they might ask you to sign in again or mix up your accounts. This guide explains why this happens and gives you a simple fix to keep your Gmail bookmarks working.

The Problem: Gmail Bookmarks That Don’t Stick

When you bookmark Gmail, you might use URLs like these:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox (e.g., your personal inbox)
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox (e.g., your work inbox)
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2/#inbox (e.g., another account)

These URLs work fine at first, but they’re tied to the order you signed into your accounts. If you sign out, close Chrome, or update it, that order can change. Suddenly, your personal bookmark might point to your work inbox—or worse, ask you to sign in again. This is what Alanna experienced after her Chrome update, and it’s frustrating!

The Fix: Use a Stable Bookmark Link

A better way is to use an AccountChooser link. This method links directly to your Gmail account using your email address, so it doesn’t rely on session order. Here’s how it works:

Stable URL Format:

https://accounts.google.com/AccountChooser?source=ogb&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2Fu%2F0%2F&Email=[YOUR_ENCODED_EMAIL]

Replace [YOUR_ENCODED_EMAIL] with your email address, with special characters converted (e.g., @ becomes %40).

Steps to Create a Reliable Gmail Bookmark

Pick Your Account: Decide which Gmail account you want to bookmark (e.g., personal or work).
Encode Your Email: Change @ to %40. For example, jane.doe@gmail.com becomes jane.doe%40gmail.com. (You can use an online URL encoder if your email has other special characters.)
Make the URL: Plug your encoded email into the format above.
Save the Bookmark: In Chrome, press Ctrl+D (or Cmd+D on Mac), paste the URL, and name it something like “Personal Gmail.”
Test It: Click the bookmark. It should take you to the right inbox or prompt you to sign in if you’re logged out.

Example Bookmarks

For jane.doe@gmail.com:

https://accounts.google.com/AccountChooser?source=ogb&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2Fu%2F0%2F&Email=jane.doe%40gmail.com

For work@company.com:

https://accounts.google.com/AccountChooser?source=ogb&continue=https%3A%2F%2Fmail.google.com%2Fmail%2Fu%2F0%2F&Email=work%40company.com

Why This Works

Straight to Your Inbox: If you’re signed in, it skips the account picker and opens your inbox.
No Mix-Ups: The link is tied to your email, not a session number, so it stays correct even after updates.
Handles Sign-Outs: If you’re logged out, it asks you to sign in to the right account first.

What about Delegated accounts?

I’m curious if this AccountChooser link method will also work for delegated Gmail accounts, where you access someone else’s inbox through your own account. It’s not clear yet since delegated access operates differently in Gmail’s interface, often relying on the main account’s session. We’ll need to test this setup with a delegated account to confirm if the bookmark can directly open the delegated inbox or if it still requires manual switching. Stay tuned for the results!

Wrap-Up

Using the AccountChooser link, you can make Gmail bookmarks that don’t break after Chrome updates, sign-outs, or session changes. Follow the steps above, and you’ll have quick, reliable access to your inboxes—no more redoing bookmarks like Alanna had to!