Deploy Microsoft Edge Favorites via Intune: Step-by-Step Guide

Prerequisites for Deploying Edge Favorites via Intune

Before creating the policy, confirm your environment meets these requirements. Missing any one of them is the most common reason a first deployment fails silently.

• Devices must be enrolled in Microsoft Intune and have an active license assigned.
• Devices must maintain network connectivity so they can check in and retrieve policies.
• Microsoft Edge must be up to date across your organization before the policy is applied.
• You need at least Intune Administrator rights in the Microsoft Intune admin center.
• Target users or devices should be organized into Entra ID security groups before you begin. See our Entra Password Protection on-premises AD setup guide for tips on structuring security groups effectively.

Step 1: Understand the Edge Favorites JSON Schema

Review how Edge structures favorites before opening the Intune portal. Every bookmark entry requires two keys: name and url. A top-level folder name is declared with toplevel_name. Sub-folders use a children key containing an array of bookmark objects. A sub-folder entry does not include a url key at the folder level.

As documented in the Microsoft Edge Configure Favorites policy reference, the Edge policy engine rejects malformed JSON entirely, so a single syntax error prevents the entire policy from applying. Edge treats incomplete URLs the same way the address bar does, but providing full URLs keeps the file unambiguous and avoids unexpected redirections.

Microsoft Edge holds approximately 13.29% of the global desktop browser market share as of May 2025, making it the second most-used desktop browser behind Chrome and the dominant browser in enterprise Windows environments. Standardizing its bookmarks centrally reduces support overhead and keeps users pointed at approved internal resources.

Step 2: Build Your Edge Favorites JSON File

Create your favorites file locally and validate it before pasting it into Intune. The structure below includes a top-level folder, two direct bookmarks, and one sub-folder with two additional entries. Adjust names and URLs to match your organization's internal and external resources. Paste your draft into any free JSON linter to catch stray commas or missing brackets before you touch the portal.

Use our tool Intune Managed Favorites Builder - Build nested Microsoft Edge bookmarks and export the JSON for the Intune ManagedFavorites policy.

[
  { "toplevel_name": "Corporate Favorites" },
  {
    "name": "Company Intranet",
    "url": "https://intranet.example.com"
  },
  {
    "name": "HR Portal",
    "url": "https://hr.example.com"
  },
  {
    "name": "Microsoft Resources",
    "children": [
      {
        "name": "Microsoft Intune Blog",
        "url": "https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/category/microsoftintune/blog/microsoftintuneblog"
      },
      {
        "name": "Microsoft Edge Home",
        "url": "https://www.microsoft.com/windows/microsoft-edge"
      }
    ]
  }
]

Key points to validate before moving on:

• The outer structure is a JSON array ([...]).
• toplevel_name defines the folder label visible on the favorites bar.
• Sub-folders use children as an array and omit the url key at the folder level.
• Validate your JSON with any linter before pasting it into Intune to catch syntax errors early.

Step 3: Create a New Settings Catalog Policy in Intune

Sign in to the Microsoft Intune admin center and navigate to:

Devices > Windows > Configuration > Create > New Policy

On the creation dialog, set the following values and click Create:

• Platform: Windows 10 and later
• Profile type: Settings Catalog

On the Basics tab, give the profile a clear, descriptive name such as Deploy Microsoft Edge Favorites. Add a short description for future reference, then click Next. Consistent naming conventions here pay off when you manage dozens of profiles later. For another example of a well-structured Intune policy workflow, see our guide to enabling Remote Desktop via Intune with OMA-URI and PowerShell.

Step 4: Add the Configure Favorites Setting in Intune

In the Settings Picker, type Configure Favorites in the search box. From the filtered results, select the Microsoft Edge category, then choose the Configure Favorites setting and close the picker.

The setting will appear in your configuration list. Enable it, then paste the entire JSON block you built in Step 2 into the provided text field. Double-check the JSON for any formatting issues. A stray comma or missing bracket will cause the Edge policy engine to reject the entire payload, as confirmed by the Microsoft Edge policy documentation.

Click Next to proceed to Scope Tags (optional; skip if not in use), then move to the Assignments tab.

Step 5: Assign, Review, and Deploy the Microsoft Edge Favorites Policy

On the Assignments tab, add the Entra ID security groups you want to target. For a first deployment, assign to a small pilot group rather than your entire organization. Validate the experience in Step 6 before broadening scope.

On the Review + Create page, confirm all settings look correct and click Create. The new profile will appear in the Configuration Profiles list.

To accelerate policy delivery during testing, trigger a manual sync on a test device:

Settings > Accounts > Access work or school > [Your account] > Info > Sync

Alternatively, force a sync through the Intune admin center by selecting the device and choosing the Sync action.

Troubleshooting Common Deployment Failures

Most failures trace back to one of three root causes: invalid JSON, a device not properly enrolled, or a group assignment that has not propagated yet. Work through the checks below in order before escalating.

• Review Intune IME logs on the affected device for enrollment or policy delivery errors.
• Open Event Viewer and check Event ID 814 at the path below for MDM policy errors:

Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows >
Devicemanagement-Enterprise-Diagnostics-Provider > Admin

• For remote devices you cannot access directly, generate an MDM diagnostic report from Settings > Accounts > Access work or school to share with your support team. Our dsregcmd guide for checking Azure AD join status can help you confirm device enrollment health quickly.
• Validate that your JSON is syntactically correct. Even a single malformed character will cause the Edge policy engine to reject the entire policy payload.

Step 6: Verify the Intune Policy Applied Correctly

On the end-user device, open Microsoft Edge after the policy has applied. A folder named according to your toplevel_name value (for example, "Corporate Favorites") should appear in the favorites bar, pre-populated with your defined bookmarks.

To confirm policy application at the browser level, navigate to:

edge://policy

Locate the entry named Managed Favorites. Its value column will contain the JSON you deployed. This confirms Edge has received and applied the policy correctly.

In the Intune admin center, monitor rollout status at:

Devices > Windows > Configuration > [Deploy Microsoft Edge Favorites]

The policy overview page shows per-device and per-user check-in status, including success and failure counts. Microsoft is named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Unified Endpoint Management Software 2024 Vendor Assessment, which reflects the reliability of this reporting infrastructure for enterprise-scale deployments.

Centralized bookmark management is one layer of a broader endpoint governance strategy. For context on why endpoint policy enforcement matters beyond convenience, note that 90% of successful cyberattacks originate at endpoint devices, reinforcing the case for locking down every configurable surface, including the browser.