How to Export Your Kindle Highlights
Every reader knows the frustration of losing valuable insights buried in books. Highlights represent our intellectual journey, capturing moments of learning and inspiration. Yet, traditional reading platforms make extracting these insights challenging, leaving readers searching for better ways to preserve and utilize their reading discoveries.
This comprehensive guide explores multiple techniques for extracting and managing your Kindle highlights. It reveals how new tools can streamline the entire process of knowledge capture and organization.
When it comes to exporting Kindle highlights, there are two primary approaches:
- Device-Specific Export Methods
- Direct export from Kindle eReader device
- Export via Kindle mobile apps (iOS and Android)
- Web-Based Export Methods
- Bookcision
- Clippings
- DeepRead
Device-Specific Export Methods
Kindle eReader Device Export
- Open the book and tap the top of the screen
- Tap “Go To” and select the Notes tab
- Tap “Export Notes” at the bottom of the page
- Notes will be emailed to your Amazon account
iOS Kindle App Export
- Open the book and tap the center of the screen
- Tap the three dots on the top right and choose “Annotations
- Select “Export notebook” and click “Export”
- Send your highlights via email
Android Kindle App Export
- Open the book and tap the center of the screen
- Tap the Notes icon
- Select the Share icon
- Choose “Export notebook” or “Make flashcards”
Web-Based Export Methods
Bookcision
- Visit https://readwise.io/bookcision and follow the instructions there
- Drag the above button to your browser’s bookmarks bar
- Log in at read.amazon.com
- Click on a book title.
- When the book’s page has loaded, click on the “Bookcision” link in your browser’s bookmarks bar.
- An overlay will load with just your highlights. If you are running Chrome, you’ll see an option to download your highlights in various formats. Otherwise, just copy and paste the contents of your cleaned-up highlights to wherever you would like.
Clippings
- Visit https://www.clippings.io
- Create an account or log in
- Upload your “My Clippings.txt”
file from Kindle - Select books to process
- Choose export options
DeepRead
- Open DeepRead desktop app (https://app.deepread.com)
- Click “Sync with Amazon”
- Allow access to your Amazon Kindle account
- Install browser extension (Chrome, Edge, Brave)
- Click “Get Highlights” to sync book-level highlights
- View highlights organized by book chapters
Evaluation of Export Methods
|
Method |
Effort |
Cost |
Comprehensiveness |
Additional |
|
Device Export |
Medium |
Free |
Partial |
Limited |
|
Bookcision |
Low |
Free |
Good |
Manual |
|
Clippings |
Medium |
Freemium |
Good |
Some organization |
|
DeepRead |
Very Low |
Free |
Comprehensive |
Chapter |
Each export method comes with its own set of limitations:
- Device export offers only partial highlight capture. This means you might not export all highlights from a book, especially if the book has copyright restrictions or if you’ve exceeded the maximum number of exportable highlights. Some annotations or notes might be lost in the process.
- Bookcision’s manual features require you to personally select, organize, and manage your highlights. There’s no automatic sorting or intelligent categorization – you’ll need to do all the organizing work yourself.
- Clippings requires medium effort due to its multi-step process of uploading files, selecting books, and managing exports. While it offers more features than basic device export, it still demands more user interaction compared to more automated solutions.
- DeepRead provides a comprehensive solution that addresses the core challenges of highlight management. Its automatic synchronization, chapter-based organization, and easy browser extension integration transform the tedious task of managing reading insights into a seamless experience.
Final Thoughts
Exporting your Kindle highlights doesn’t have to be complicated. With the right tools and approach, you can transform your reading experience from passive consumption to active learning.
However, it’s crucial to recognize that highlight export is a recurring task for avid readers. The process should be as frictionless as possible, allowing you to sync your insights without creating a barrier to your reading flow. Moreover, exporting highlights is merely the first step in a meaningful learning journey. The real value lies in actively engaging with these insights – reviewing them, connecting them to other ideas, and integrating them into your personal knowledge system. Don’t let your highlights become static text; treat them as living, evolving pieces of knowledge that can spark new understanding and
personal growth.
