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Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork can complete web tasks for you in Microsoft Edge on your device, using the sites you're already signed in to. The agent works in a hidden Edge tab so you can stay in the conversation while it acts on your behalf. This article explains how browser use works, what you need to set up, and what to expect when Cowork hands the browser back to you.
How browser use works
When Cowork needs to use a website to complete a task, it opens a hidden tab in Microsoft Edge and works there. You stay in the Cowork conversation and watch progress through chat updates and the side panel.
Because the tab runs in your own copy of Edge, it uses your existing single sign-on, cookies, and sessions. The agent has exactly the same access to sites that you have when you browse by hand — no more and no less. Credentials, cookies, and session tokens stay on your device.
If Cowork needs information from you to keep going — for example, an address or a confirmation code — it asks you in the chat instead of switching you over to the browser. For sensitive requests, like a login, Cowork will switch over to the browser to enter the required information.
Where browser use is available
Browser use is available in Cowork on the web at m365.cloud.microsoft.
| Surface | Browser use supported? |
|---|---|
| Cowork on the web (Microsoft Edge) | Yes |
| Cowork on the web (other browsers) | Not yet — see If you're not using Microsoft Edge |
| Microsoft 365 Copilot desktop app | No. If you ask the desktop app to run a browser task, Cowork tells you that browser tasks run in Cowork on the web. |
Requirements
Before Cowork can use the browser on your behalf, the following must be true:
- Your tenant admin enabled Cowork Browsing for your organization.
- You're using Cowork in a browser. This feature isn't currently supported in the client or on mobile.
- Edge must be installed on your device. Edge doesn't need to be your default browser.
- Edge must be an up-to-date version. If your Edge version is too old, Cowork will guide you to update.
- You're signed in to Edge with the same work or school account you use for Cowork. InPrivate windows and guest profiles don't have your sign-in sessions, so browser tasks can't run there.
If you're not using Microsoft Edge
Browser tasks currently only work in Microsoft Edge. If you start Cowork from a different browser, or if Edge isn't installed:
- Cowork tells you, in the conversation, that browser tasks run in Microsoft Edge and offers a link to Get Microsoft Edge.
- Cowork still completes every step of your request that doesn’t need the browser. For example, if you ask it to file an expense report, it can still pull receipts from Outlook and draft the line items, then tell you which step needs Edge.
First-run consent
The first time Cowork needs to use the browser for one of your tasks, a consent notice appears in the conversation.
- Select I understand to let Cowork use the browser. After that, Cowork uses normal per-site and per-action permissions and doesn't show the first-run notice again.
- If you don't select I understand, browser use stays off. Cowork keeps working on any parts of your request that don't need the browser, and tells you which steps it skipped. The notice appears again the next time you ask for a browser task.
Your acknowledgment is stored in Microsoft Edge on your device, not in Cowork. If you sign in on a different device or reset Edge, you see the first-run notice again.
Run a browser task
You don't need a special command to start a browser task. Ask Cowork to do something that requires the web, and it decides when to open the browser.
- In the Cowork conversation, describe the task — for example, "File my expense report in Concur for last week's trip to Seattle" or "Find the cheapest non-stop flight from SEA to JFK on Friday and put a hold on it."
- Watch the conversation. Cowork shows progress chips as it works, such as Opening Concur, Filling expense details, or Submitting form.
- Answer any questions Cowork asks. When the agent needs information it can't get from the page, it asks you in the chat—for example, "Which corporate card did you use?"—and waits for your reply before continuing.
- Approve sensitive actions when prompted. For actions that submit personal data or otherwise change something, Cowork shows an approval card in the conversation. Review it and select Approve or Reject.
The hidden tab stays out of your way during the task. Cowork only shows it when it needs to hand the browser back to you.
When Cowork hands the browser back to you
For most tasks, you never see the Edge tab. There are a few cases where Cowork brings the tab to the front so you can take over:
- A CAPTCHA or human-verification prompt appears.
- Multi-factor authentication asks for a code you have to enter yourself.
- A sign-in session expired and the site is asking you to sign in again.
- The account is locked or requires a password reset.
In each case, Cowork pauses the task, surfaces the tab, and tells you what to do in the chat. When you finish, Cowork picks the task back up. If you can't complete the step, Cowork stops the task and reports what was left unfinished.
Sites your organization blocks
Because Cowork drives your local Edge, it inherits every site restriction your admin already enforces — web filtering, Conditional Access, browser-management policy, and Microsoft Purview data loss prevention (DLP). The agent has the same reach you do, never more.
If a task can't continue because of a DLP restriction, Cowork tells you which step is blocked, explains that your organization's policy doesn't allow that browser action on that site, and suggests manual steps you can take.
Resume an interrupted browser task
If a browser task is interrupted — for example, you close the tab, put your device to sleep, or lose your network connection — Cowork pauses the task instead of failing it.
To pick the task back up:
- Open the same Cowork conversation when you're ready.
- Send a message such as "continue", "resume", or any follow-up that relates to the task.
- Cowork detects the interrupted browser task, checks that Edge is available again, and either keeps going or asks you to confirm before it resumes.
Privacy and auditing
When Cowork uses the browser on your behalf:
- The session, cookies, and credentials stay in your local copy of Edge. They aren't sent to Cowork's servers.
- The sites Cowork visits and the actions it takes are scoped to your identity and your device. Existing Microsoft Entra sign-in, Conditional Access, and Microsoft Purview policies apply unchanged.
For details on tenant-level controls and audit logs, see Manage Cowork.
Admin control
Tenant admins must enable Cowork browsing from the Copilot > Settings > View All > Cowork settings menu. Under Allow browser access, the Allow Cowork to use the Microsoft Edge browser to perform tasks on behalf of users option must be checked to enable the feature. The feature is disabled by default.