How to open collectionsSQLite, the Edge Collections file

What the file is

Edge kept each profile's collections in one SQLite database named collectionsSQLite, in that profile's Collections folder (where the file is). SQLite stores a whole database in a single file, and every SQLite file starts with the text "SQLite format 3" (Database File Format). This one has no ".sqlite" or ".db" ending, so Windows asks which app to use and Notepad shows a few readable words among symbols. Microsoft does not document the file; its tables are listed in a forensics map (Windows_EdgeBrowser_Collections).

First, make a copy

Close Edge.
On Windows, paste %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\Default\Collections into the address bar of File Explorer. Other profiles are in Profile 1, Profile 2 and so on.
Copy the whole Collections folder to your desktop and open the files in the copy. Microsoft has not said whether a later update will clear the old data, and a copy keeps your original safe from mistakes.

Way 1: Stashback, in your browser

Open Stashback and choose the copied collectionsSQLite file. Every collection appears with its pages, notes and pictures, and you can save a bookmarks file or a spreadsheet. The file is read in your browser and is not uploaded. Pick collectionsSQLite, not the -journal file beside it, which is normally empty.

Way 2: DB Browser for SQLite

DB Browser for SQLite is a free, open-source program (DB Browser for SQLite).

Install it, choose File, then Open Database. Set the file type box to "All files", because this file has no ending, and pick the copy.
Open the Execute SQL tab, paste the query below and run it.
Use the button that saves the results to export them as a CSV file, which Excel opens.

SELECT c.title AS collection, i.title AS title,
       json_extract(i.source, '$.url') AS address,
       i.text_content AS note
FROM collections c
JOIN collections_items_relationship r ON r.parent_id = c.id
JOIN items i ON i.id = r.item_id
WHERE COALESCE(c.is_marked_for_deletion, 0) = 0
  AND COALESCE(i.is_marked_for_deletion, 0) = 0
ORDER BY c.position, r.position;

A similar query was posted on Microsoft Q&A on 15 June 2026, and a reader wrote on 19 June that it "worked perfectly" (How do I recover all of my Collections in Microsoft Edge? (June 5, 2026)). We ran the version above on a test database built from the same table layout as a real Edge 156 file, and it listed every item that was not deleted. We have not run it on a filled real file. Pictures stay in the database, so use Stashback if you want those.

Way 3: a short Python script

Python has a SQLite reader built in (sqlite3, DB-API 2.0 interface for SQLite databases). Save this as collections_to_csv.py, then run python collections_to_csv.py collectionsSQLite collections.csv in the folder that holds your copy.

import csv, sqlite3, sys

db = sqlite3.connect(sys.argv[1])
rows = db.execute("""
SELECT c.title, i.title, json_extract(i.source, '$.url'), i.text_content
FROM collections c
JOIN collections_items_relationship r ON r.parent_id = c.id
JOIN items i ON i.id = r.item_id
WHERE COALESCE(c.is_marked_for_deletion, 0) = 0
  AND COALESCE(i.is_marked_for_deletion, 0) = 0
ORDER BY c.position, r.position
""").fetchall()

with open(sys.argv[2], "w", newline="", encoding="utf-8-sig") as f:
    w = csv.writer(f)
    w.writerow(["Collection", "Title", "Address", "Note or clipped text"])
    w.writerows(rows)
print(len(rows), "items written")

It only reads the file, and writes the CSV where you tell it. Notes have no address, so that column is empty for them.

Sites that ask you to upload the file

Some answers on Microsoft Q&A point to converter pages that take the file as an upload (How to find Collections now that it is gone (July 14, 2026)). A Collections file can hold private research, notes and clipped text, so check what a page does with it before you hand it over. The three ways above read it on your own computer.

If it shows no rows

An empty result means Edge did not keep your pages on this computer. See Edge Collections file is empty for where they can be.

Open your Collections file

Choose the collectionsSQLite file from your Edge profile folder: every collection appears with its pages, notes and pictures, and you can save it all as a bookmarks file or a spreadsheet. Free, and nothing is uploaded.

Open the Collections file Where the file is

Questions

What program opens collectionsSQLite?

Any program that reads SQLite databases: DB Browser for SQLite, Python with its built-in sqlite3 module, or Stashback in your browser.

Why does collectionsSQLite have no file extension?

Edge named it that way. It is an ordinary SQLite database, so an Open window may hide it until you choose "All files".

Can I open collectionsSQLite in Notepad or Excel?

No. It is a binary database, so Notepad shows symbols and Excel will not read it. Export a CSV with one of the three ways above, then open that in Excel.

Is it safe to open the file?

Reading a copy changes nothing in Edge. Close Edge first and open the copy, not the original.

Sources: SQLECmd forensics map: Windows_EdgeBrowser_Collections; SQLite: Database File Format; DB Browser for SQLite; Python documentation: sqlite3, DB-API 2.0 interface for SQLite databases; Microsoft Q&A: How do I recover all of my Collections in Microsoft Edge? (June 5, 2026); Microsoft Q&A: How to find Collections now that it is gone (July 14, 2026). Last checked: October 28, 2026. Stashback is an independent tool by Peak Apps Studio and is not affiliated with Microsoft, Google, Mozilla or Apple.

How to open the collectionsSQLite file