Extract text from Fetch shortcut files (FETCHSHORTCUTS)
To convert FETCHSHORTCUTS shortcuts to another format, you need Fetch or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "FTP Client Bookmark" file type, you need software like Fetch or a similar tool.
The .fetchshortcuts file contains server connection bookmarks created by Fetch, a legacy FTP and SFTP client designed exclusively for macOS. It stores critical connection data such as hostnames, usernames, default remote directories, and specific protocol preferences used to connect to web servers.
The main disadvantage of the .fetchshortcuts format is that it is a proprietary, closed system tied entirely to the Mac ecosystem. If you switch to Windows or migrate to a modern, cross-platform FTP client like FileZilla or Cyberduck, you cannot import this file natively. It lacks cross-application compatibility, forcing users to manually retype dozens of host addresses if they abandon the Fetch software.
Migrating these files is challenging because standard online document converters fail to understand application-specific settings. Furthermore, passwords are rarely stored in the file itself, as Fetch typically integrates with the macOS Keychain for security. Often, only the original Fetch software can properly read, export, or manage the complete bookmark data.
Despite these limitations, you might just need to recover the raw server addresses and usernames. The best target formats for this data extraction are plain TXT, CSV, or XML. If our analysis detects readable underlying text or embedded property lists (PLIST), viewing the host data may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your FETCHSHORTCUTS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert FETCHSHORTCUTS file to INI, CFG, CONF, CONFIG, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, ENV, PROPERTIES or RC, you can use Fetch or similar software from the "FTP Connection Bookmark Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert ZSHRC, CONF, RCFILE, GITCONFIG, RC, PLIST, BASHRC, CONFIG, PROFILE, INI, PREFS or CFG files to FETCHSHORTCUTS, try Fetch or another comparable tool in the "FTP Connection Bookmark Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our FETCHSHORTCUTS converter.