Chrome Export Passwords: Steps, CSV and Safe Import

What does it mean to export Chrome passwords?

Exporting Chrome passwords means downloading every login saved in Google Password Manager into a single CSV file on your computer.

A CSV (comma-separated values) file is a plain-text spreadsheet. Any password manager, spreadsheet app or text editor can open it, which is exactly why it is useful for moving logins and exactly why it needs careful handling.

People usually export for one of three reasons: moving to a dedicated password manager, moving work logins out of a personal Google account, or making a one-off copy before cleaning up old accounts.

How do you export passwords from Chrome on a computer?

Open chrome://password-manager/settings, choose Export passwords, confirm with your computer password and save the CSV file.

Open Chrome on the computer and Chrome profile that holds the passwords.
Paste chrome://password-manager/settings into the address bar, or open the three-dot menu, then Passwords and autofill, then Google Password Manager, then Settings.
Find Export passwords and click Download file.
Enter your computer password, or use Touch ID or Windows Hello if asked. This confirms you own the device.
Choose a save location you will remember, such as your desktop. Chrome names the file something like Chrome Passwords.csv.

Menu labels change between Chrome versions. If a step looks different, type "passwords" into the search box at the top of chrome://settings, or check Google's Chrome help pages for the current wording.

The export covers the Chrome profile you are in. If you keep separate work and personal profiles, repeat the steps in each one and keep the files apart.

What does the Chrome passwords CSV file contain?

The Chrome passwords CSV contains one row per saved login, with the site, the username and the password in readable plain text.

The columns you will typically see are:

Column	What it holds	Why it matters
name	The site or app name	Becomes the item title in most password managers
url	The sign-in address	Used for autofill matching on the right site
username	The email or username	Tells you which account each row is
password	The password, unencrypted	The reason the file must be deleted after import
note	Any note you added (recent Chrome versions)	Can contain hints or answers to security questions

Some things are usually not in the file. Passkeys stay with your Google account and device, so plan to keep a password sign-in or create new passkeys for those sites. Payment cards and addresses are stored separately and are not part of a password export.

Open the file once in a text editor to check it looks complete, but never upload it to an online spreadsheet or converter. Uploading it anywhere puts every password on someone else's server.

How do you keep the exported CSV file safe?

Treat the CSV as the most sensitive file on your computer for the few minutes it exists: keep it local, keep it short-lived and never send it.

Export only when you are ready to import. Do both steps in the same sitting so the file exists for minutes, not days.
Save it locally, not in a synced folder. Folders backed by Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive copy the file to the cloud and to every other device on that account.
Never email it or post it in chat. Messages are stored on servers and in recipients' inboxes long after you forget about them.
Use your own device. Avoid shared or public computers, where the next person could find the file in Downloads.
Do not keep it as a "backup". An unencrypted copy of every password is not a backup; it is a liability.

If a teammate needs logins from your Chrome profile, do not send them the file. Import it into a shared password manager and share only the items they need.

How do you import Chrome passwords into a team password manager?

Open your password manager's import screen, choose Chrome or CSV as the source, select the exported file and then check a few logins.

The exact menu differs by tool, but the flow is nearly always the same:

Sign in to the new password manager in the same browser.
Find the import option, usually under settings, tools or an account menu.
Pick Chrome as the source if it is listed, otherwise CSV or generic CSV.
Select the exported file and start the import.
Review the result: spot-check three or four logins and sign in to one or two sites with them.
Separate personal logins from work ones, then move work logins into shared folders for the right people.

In BobWork Vault, the import reads the Chrome CSV and encrypts it in your browser before anything is saved, and duplicates are skipped. The import passwords from a Chrome CSV page shows the exact steps. Moving from another manager instead? See how to export passwords from Zoho Vault, LastPass and 1Password.

Once logins are in a team manager, you can share a folder with a teammate and choose their access level, rather than reading passwords out or pasting them into chat.

How do you delete the CSV file and Chrome's copies afterwards?

Delete the CSV file, empty the trash, and then remove the passwords Chrome still stores so there is one source of truth.

Delete Chrome Passwords.csv from where you saved it and from your Downloads folder.
Empty the Trash (Mac) or Recycle Bin (Windows). A file in the trash is still a readable file.
Check any synced folder you might have saved to by mistake, including its own trash or version history.
When you are sure the import is complete, delete the old copies from chrome://password-manager/passwords, and check passwords.google.com while signed in, since synced copies live there too.
Turn off Chrome's Offer to save passwords and passkeys so the two managers do not compete.

The full clean-up, including the Chrome policy that switches saving off for a whole team, is in how to disable Chrome password manager.

Should a team keep work passwords in Chrome at all?

For most teams, no: Chrome's password manager is built around one person's Google account, not around sharing access and removing it when someone leaves.

Chrome saves logins per profile and syncs them to that person's Google account. That works for personal browsing. It gets harder when several people need the same work login, when a contractor needs access for a month, or when someone leaves and you need to know which shared passwords they could see.

A team password manager adds the missing pieces: shared folders, per-person access levels and a clear record of who holds what. The trade-offs are covered in is Chrome password manager safe for business.

Where does BobWork Vault fit after you export Chrome passwords?

BobWork Vault is a free team password manager that imports Chrome's CSV directly and includes team sharing on the free plan.

Import: pick the Chrome CSV; it is read and encrypted in your browser, and duplicates are skipped.
Zero-knowledge encryption: each item is encrypted with AES-256-GCM in the browser, and the server stores ciphertext only.
Sharing: share single passwords or folders with Owner, Edit, View or Login only access. Login only lets the extension fill a password the teammate cannot see or copy.
Chrome clean-up: an option turns off Chrome's own password saving and autofill so two managers do not compete.

It runs as a Chrome extension (also Edge, Brave and Arc) plus a web vault that works in any modern browser. Create a free BobWork Vault account and import your Chrome file in the same sitting, then delete the CSV.

Try BobWork Vault — free for your whole team

BobWork Vault is a free, zero-knowledge password manager for teams, made by BobWork (BobOffice, LLC). Shared folders, login-only access, 2FA codes and guided offboarding, end-to-end encrypted. Add it to Chrome or create a free account.

Keep reading

More: free password manager · free team password manager · free company password manager · company password manager · password management software · how to share passwords with teammates · compare password managers

Questions

Can I export Chrome passwords without my computer password?

No. Chrome asks for your device password, Touch ID or Windows Hello before it creates the file, so someone with only an unlocked browser cannot quietly export everything.

Is it safe to keep the Chrome passwords CSV as a backup?

No. The file stores every password in plain text, so anyone who opens it can read them all. Import it into a password manager and delete it, including from the trash.

Does exporting Chrome passwords delete them from Chrome?

No. Exporting only creates a copy. Your passwords stay in Google Password Manager until you delete them yourself at chrome://password-manager/passwords.

Are passkeys included when I export passwords from Chrome?

No. The CSV contains passwords only. Passkeys stay with your Google account or device, so keep a password sign-in or create a new passkey in your new manager.

Can I import Chrome passwords into a team password manager?

Yes. Most team password managers accept Chrome's CSV directly or as a generic CSV. After importing, move work logins into shared folders and give each teammate only the access they need.