Claude in Chrome puts Claude beside the webpage you are already using and can go beyond answering questions: with the right permissions, it can read pages, click controls, type, navigate, work across tabs, fill forms and carry out multi-step browser tasks.
That extra capability is useful, but it also changes how you should think about browser AI. You are no longer only pasting information into a chatbot. You may be allowing an AI assistant to interact with websites where you are already signed in.
To use Claude in Chrome, install the official extension from the Chrome Web Store, sign in with a paid Claude account, pin the extension, open its side panel and choose an appropriate permission mode. Claude in Chrome currently supports Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. Anthropic says it is not supported on mobile devices or other Chromium-based browsers.
What Is Claude in Chrome?
Claude in Chrome is Anthropic’s browser extension for letting Claude work with webpages directly. Anthropic made Claude in Chrome generally available across its paid Claude plans on August 26, 2026.
You can open Claude in a side panel beside the webpage you are viewing. From there, Claude can understand the current page and, when allowed, take browser actions for you instead of simply describing what you should click next.
It can understand the page
Claude can read page content and use the current browser context to answer questions, summarize information or decide what step comes next.
It can take browser actions
Depending on the task and permissions, Claude can click, type, navigate, fill forms, manage tabs and perform multi-step workflows.
The distinction matters. A normal AI chat can tell you how to complete a task. Claude in Chrome may be able to perform parts of that task inside the browser.
If you are also adjusting Claude’s longer-term personalization, see our guide to viewing, editing and deleting Claude Memory. Browser access and memory are different controls: giving Claude access to a webpage does not mean you should treat every visible detail as appropriate long-term context.
Who Can Use Claude in Chrome?
Claude in Chrome is currently available with Claude’s paid consumer and organization plans. The browser-extension experience is specifically designed for Google Chrome on desktop.
| Requirement | Current status | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Pro | Available | The newer Cowork-based side panel is rolling out to Pro users. |
| Claude Max | Available | The side panel can run as a Cowork session. |
| Claude Team | Available | Organization settings can affect access. |
| Claude Enterprise | Available | An administrator may need to enable relevant browser/Cowork controls. |
| Claude Free | Not listed as supported | Anthropic currently describes Claude in Chrome as a paid-plan feature. |
| Google Chrome desktop | Supported | This is the intended browser environment for the extension. |
| Other Chromium browsers | Not supported | Do not assume Chrome extensions automatically mean official Edge, Brave or other Chromium support. |
| Mobile browsers | Not supported | The Chrome extension itself is a desktop browser experience. |
How to Install Claude in Chrome
The basic setup is short. The more important decision comes after installation, when you decide how much site and action access to grant.
Open Google Chrome on your computer
Use the desktop version of Google Chrome. Anthropic currently says Claude in Chrome is not supported on mobile or other Chromium-based browsers.
Find the official Claude extension
Use Anthropic’s official link or the Chrome Web Store and confirm that you are installing the genuine Claude extension rather than a similarly named third-party extension.
Select Add to Chrome
Review Chrome’s extension permission prompt before approving installation. Browser agents need broader capabilities than a basic extension because they may need to read pages and interact with them.
Sign in to Claude
Use the Claude account associated with your supported paid plan.
Pin Claude to the Chrome toolbar
Open Chrome’s extensions menu and pin Claude so its side panel is easy to reach while you browse.
Open the side panel
Select the Claude extension icon. Claude appears beside the active webpage so you can ask about what is open or start a browser task.
You can also connect Claude in Chrome with Claude Desktop. Anthropic currently places that control under Settings → Connectors → Claude in Chrome → Configure. The connector then needs to be enabled for conversations in which you want Claude to use Chrome.
See Anthropic’s current Claude in Chrome setup instructions →
How to Use Claude in Chrome Without Giving Up Control
The easiest way to use Claude in Chrome well is not to think, “What can I automate?” Start with a narrower question:
What browser task can Claude help with while I can still easily review the result?
Use this five-step Designs24hr workflow:
1. See
Open the exact webpage or set of tabs that matters. Keep unrelated or sensitive material out of the working browser context when possible.
2. Ask
Give Claude a specific goal rather than a vague instruction such as “handle this.” Define what information it should use, what result you want and what it should not change.
3. Review
Before authorizing an important action, confirm that Claude understood the correct website, record, recipient, field or document.
4. Act
Let Claude perform the browser steps appropriate to your selected permission mode.
5. Verify
Check the actual webpage after Claude finishes. A confident completion message is not a substitute for checking whether the intended state really changed.
What Can Claude in Chrome Do?
Claude in Chrome can handle more than webpage summarization. Anthropic’s current documentation describes browser capabilities that include reading page content, clicking, typing, navigating, filling forms and working across multiple browser tabs.
Read and compare
- Summarize the current webpage
- Compare information across grouped tabs
- Extract details into a structured list
- Find differences between pages
Navigate
- Open relevant pages
- Follow links
- Switch between tabs
- Work with multiple tabs together
Interact
- Click controls
- Type into fields
- Fill forms
- Work through repetitive browser steps
Reuse workflows
- Save useful prompts as shortcuts
- Run supported recurring browser tasks
- Continue some workflows in the background while Chrome remains open
- Receive notifications when Claude needs attention
Anthropic also documents developer-oriented capabilities such as reading console errors, network requests and DOM state. That makes Claude in Chrome potentially useful for browser testing and debugging as well as everyday productivity.
Claude in Chrome Permissions Explained
The most important control in Claude in Chrome is not the prompt box. It is the permission mode.
Anthropic currently offers three modes: Manually approve, Automatically approve and Skip all approvals.
| Mode | What happens | Best starting use |
|---|---|---|
| Manually approve | Claude asks for approval before actions. The exact flow differs between the classic and Cowork side panels. | New users, unfamiliar sites, consequential work, or tasks you want to watch closely. |
| Automatically approve | Claude continues working while actions are checked for safety and may stop when approval is needed. | Routine work on trusted sites after you understand the workflow. |
| Skip all approvals | Claude does not pause to ask, and Anthropic says its automatic action checks are not applied in this mode. | Only situations where you fully understand and trust every part of the workflow. |
Manually approve
This is the easiest mode to understand because you remain directly involved in the action loop. Claude asks before acting, giving you a chance to approve or deny what it wants to do.
The experience can differ by interface. In the Cowork side panel, for example, Claude can ask before each action and give options such as allowing that action, allowing actions on that website, or denying it.
Automatically approve
Auto mode lets Claude continue with fewer interruptions. Anthropic says each action is still reviewed for safety, and Claude can block an unsafe action or stop and ask you when needed.
Automatically approve is currently the default in the Cowork side panel. That does not mean it is automatically the best setting for every person or every task.
Skip all approvals
This is the setting to treat most cautiously. Anthropic says Claude does not pause for approval and that nothing automatically checks its actions in this mode.
Designs24hr recommendation
Start with Manual for new or meaningful workflows. Once you have watched the task succeed several times on a trusted website, decide whether the reduced friction of Auto is worth it. Treat Skip as a special-purpose setting rather than the normal default.
How to Review or Revoke Claude’s Website Permissions
A permission you granted yesterday may no longer make sense today. Review persistent site access occasionally instead of letting your approved-site list grow forever.
- Open the Claude extension side panel.
- Select the three-dot menu.
- Choose Extension settings.
- Open the Permissions area.
- Review websites that have ongoing access.
- Revoke access for sites Claude no longer needs.
- Review permission history if you are unsure what you previously allowed.
Anthropic currently distinguishes between allowing one action and allowing ongoing actions on a site. If you choose persistent access, Claude can take multiple actions on that website without asking every time, although protected actions can still require approval.
Read Anthropic’s current permissions guide →
Which Permission Level Should You Use?
Instead of choosing based on convenience alone, use the potential consequence of a mistake.
| Situation | Recommended starting approach | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New or unfamiliar website | Manual | You do not yet know how Claude will interpret the interface. |
| Reading or comparing public webpages | Manual or Auto | Lower consequence if Claude is mainly gathering information. |
| Trusted repetitive internal workflow | Manual first, then consider Auto | Observe several successful runs before reducing oversight. |
| Sending messages as you | Stay close / Manual | A wrong recipient, wording or action can have real consequences. |
| Important files or records | Manual | Review what will change before approving it. |
| Sensitive information visible | Avoid the workflow | Anthropic recommends caution because Claude may capture visible page information while working. |
| Unknown user-generated content | Extra caution | Browser agents can be exposed to malicious or misleading instructions inside webpages. |
The 30-second check before Claude acts
- Is this a website I trust?
- Is sensitive or private information visible on the page?
- Does Claude genuinely need access to this website?
- Could this action send, publish, upload or change something?
- Would a mistake be easy to undo?
- Should I switch back to Manual before continuing?
- Can I verify the final result afterward?
Save this checklist if you expect to use browser agents regularly. It is deliberately simple: the more consequential the task, the closer you should stay to what the agent is doing.
7 Useful Claude in Chrome Workflows
The best early workflows have three characteristics: they happen in a browser, they involve enough repetitive work to save time, and the result is easy for you to check.
1. Compare information across several tabs
Use Claude to collect comparable details from multiple pages and organize them into one table instead of switching manually between tabs.
2. Turn a long webpage into an action list
This works well for documentation, project pages and internal instructions where the useful information is scattered across a long page.
3. Collect repetitive information
If you repeatedly visit similar pages and copy the same types of details, Claude may be able to gather that information into a consistent format.
This can be useful for researchers, marketers, operations teams, virtual assistants and small-business owners—provided the pages and information are appropriate for automated browser access.
4. Draft while referencing the current page
Claude can help turn what you are reading into notes, a summary, an outline or draft without forcing you to repeatedly copy snippets between a webpage and a separate chat.
5. Work through repetitive admin interfaces
Routine browser-based workflows may be a good fit once you understand the interface and have confirmed the task is low risk.
Examples include organizing information, moving through a known sequence of pages or populating non-sensitive fields from information you have already reviewed.
6. Inspect browser errors
Developers can use Claude in Chrome as part of a build-test-debug workflow. Anthropic says Claude can read console output, including errors, network requests and DOM state.
7. Save proven prompts as shortcuts
Once a browser prompt reliably produces the right process, save it as a shortcut rather than rewriting it every time. Reusable instructions are most valuable when they encode a clear workflow, not merely a vague goal.
What Can Claude See in Your Browser?
This is the section to understand before using Claude in Chrome on accounts containing personal, client or confidential information.
Anthropic says Claude uses screenshots of tabs it is working with to understand the webpage. In practical terms, information that is visible in the browser context Claude is using may become part of the working conversation.
Prompt injection is the browser-agent risk to understand
A webpage is not always passive content. It can contain instructions—visible or hidden—that attempt to influence an AI agent.
This type of attack is commonly called prompt injection. A malicious instruction embedded in a webpage, document, message or other content could try to make an agent do something unrelated to your request.
Anthropic says Claude in Chrome uses classifiers to screen incoming content and actions, but also explicitly says those defenses do not make the risk zero.
That is why “I trust Claude” is not enough. You also need to consider whether you trust the content Claude is being exposed to.
Use a separate browser profile for cleaner boundaries
A practical setup for frequent users is a dedicated Chrome profile for Claude-assisted workflows. Keep only the accounts and websites needed for those workflows signed in there.
This does not eliminate browser-agent risk, but it can reduce unnecessary exposure compared with giving an agent access inside a browser profile containing every personal account you use.
For another example of browser AI access controls, see our guide to Gemini in Chrome on Android and what it can access.
Read Anthropic’s Claude in Chrome safety guidance →
Claude in Chrome vs Claude Cowork’s Built-In Browser
This became more confusing after Anthropic introduced a separate browser directly inside Claude Cowork. The two options can both let Claude work on websites, but they start from different environments.
| Claude in Chrome | Cowork built-in browser |
|---|---|
| Runs through the Chrome extension. | Browser is built into Claude Cowork. |
| Works with the browser page and accounts you already have open. | Uses a separate browser environment. |
| Useful when Claude needs the exact page already in front of you. | Useful when a task needs a browser but does not need your personal browsing environment. |
| Your existing browser session is part of the workflow. | Anthropic says the built-in browser does not automatically see your normal tabs, bookmarks or passwords. |
| Requires the Chrome extension. | No Chrome extension is required for the built-in browser itself. |
Simple decision rule
Use Claude in Chrome when the work is already happening in your Chrome session. Consider Cowork’s built-in browser when the task only needs a browser and there is no good reason to expose your normal browser environment.
If you use Cowork, Anthropic currently provides a preferred-browser setting under Settings → Cowork → Preferred browser.
See Anthropic’s explanation of the Cowork built-in browser →
Claude in Chrome Not Working? Try These Fixes
Claude cannot see the webpage
- Refresh the webpage.
- Confirm the extension is enabled.
- Check that Claude has permission for the current site.
- Give JavaScript-heavy websites time to finish loading.
- Try starting the browser task again after the page stabilizes.
Claude can see the page but clicking or typing fails
- Update Google Chrome.
- Refresh the page.
- Restart the task.
- Temporarily disable other extensions that may interfere with page interaction.
- Check whether the website itself has changed its interface.
The extension will not install
First confirm that you are using supported desktop Google Chrome rather than another Chromium browser or mobile device. On Team or Enterprise plans, organization settings can also prevent installation or restrict the sites Claude can access.
Claude cannot access a particular website
Check the site’s Claude permission first. If the site remains inaccessible, it may fall into a restricted category or your organization’s administrator may have blocked access.
The side panel looks different from tutorials or screenshots
You may be seeing either the classic Claude in Chrome interface or the newer Cowork-powered side panel. Anthropic is rolling the newer experience across supported plans, so visual differences do not automatically mean something is wrong.
Claude in Chrome seems to use your allowance quickly
Anthropic says browser interaction can consume more usage than an ordinary Claude chat because browser workflows require additional computation. Automatically approve also performs extra safety checks.
Check Anthropic’s latest troubleshooting guidance →
Who Gets the Most Value From Claude in Chrome?
Claude in Chrome is most useful when the work already lives inside browser tools and involves repeated reading, navigation or data entry.
Researchers
Compare information across pages, structure notes and reduce repetitive tab switching while keeping source verification in the workflow.
Marketers
Review pages, collect campaign details, organize research and work with browser-based marketing tools.
Small-business owners
Reduce repetitive browser administration while retaining approval for actions that affect customers, records or published information.
Developers
Use browser context, console output, network information and page state during testing and debugging workflows.
Operations teams
Work through known dashboards, portals and routine browser sequences that do not already have better structured integrations.
Freelancers and consultants
Speed up research and browser administration while keeping client-sensitive information outside workflows that do not require it.
The feature becomes less attractive when the task already has a reliable direct integration or when browser access would expose much more information than Claude actually needs.
Claude in Chrome: Best-Practice Setup
If you want one practical configuration to begin with, use this:
- Install only the official extension.
- Use a dedicated browser profile if you expect to use browser agents heavily.
- Start unfamiliar workflows in Manually approve.
- Grant persistent site access only when it genuinely reduces useful friction.
- Keep unrelated sensitive accounts and documents out of the browser context.
- Use specific prompts that define what Claude should and should not change.
- Verify actions on the actual website after Claude finishes.
- Review approved sites periodically and revoke access you no longer need.
This approach gives you most of the practical benefit of browser assistance without treating maximum autonomy as the goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude in Chrome free?
No. Anthropic currently lists Claude in Chrome for paid Claude plans: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise.
Can Claude in Chrome click and type for me?
Yes. With the appropriate permissions, Claude can perform browser actions including clicking, typing, navigating and filling forms. Some actions still require approval or may be prohibited.
Can Claude in Chrome see everything in my browser?
Do not think of access as “everything or nothing.” What Claude can work with depends on the tabs involved, site permissions, browser workflow and organization controls. Anthropic says Claude uses screenshots of tabs it is working in, so you should avoid exposing unnecessary sensitive information.
Does Claude in Chrome work on mobile?
No. Anthropic currently says the Chrome extension is not supported on mobile devices.
Does Claude in Chrome work in Edge or Brave?
Anthropic currently says other Chromium-based browsers are not supported. Use desktop Google Chrome for the supported extension experience.
What is the safest Claude in Chrome permission mode?
For maximum direct oversight, Manually approve gives you the most opportunities to review actions before they happen. Auto can reduce interruptions while still applying safety checks. Skip removes those automatic checks and should not be treated as the normal beginner setting.
Why does my Claude in Chrome side panel look different?
Anthropic is transitioning supported accounts toward a Cowork-based side panel. Depending on your plan and rollout status, you may still see the classic experience.
Does Claude in Chrome use my existing website logins?
Claude in Chrome works inside your existing Chrome environment, which can let it work with webpages where you are already signed in. That is also why you should be selective about which sites and browser profiles you expose to an agent.
What is the difference between Claude in Chrome and the Cowork browser?
Claude in Chrome works through your existing Chrome browser. Cowork’s built-in browser is a separate environment inside Claude Desktop and does not automatically share your normal browser tabs, bookmarks or passwords.
Can I transfer my ChatGPT preferences to Claude too?
Claude has a separate memory-import workflow for bringing useful context from another AI service. That is different from browser access. See our guide on transferring ChatGPT memory to Claude before moving personal context.
Save This Before You Give a Browser Agent More Access
If you know someone trying Claude in Chrome for the first time, send them this guide before they switch on broader permissions. The permission table and 30-second checklist are especially useful to keep for later.
Final Verdict: Should You Use Claude in Chrome?
Claude in Chrome is most compelling when you want Claude to help with the webpage and accounts already open in front of you. It turns Claude from a separate advice window into an assistant that can participate directly in browser work.
But the useful question is not whether Claude can click more buttons for you. It is whether giving Claude browser access actually creates a better workflow.
Start with tasks that are easy to review. Keep permission scope narrow. Avoid unnecessary sensitive context. Use Manual approval when the consequences matter, and verify the result after Claude acts.
That is the practical balance: use browser AI to remove repetitive work without removing your judgment from the workflow.
Continue Learning
Official Sources
- Anthropic — Claude in Chrome is generally available
- Anthropic Help Center — Get started with Claude in Chrome
- Anthropic Help Center — Claude in Chrome permissions guide
- Anthropic Help Center — Use Claude in Chrome safely
- Anthropic Help Center — Claude in Chrome troubleshooting
- Anthropic — Claude Cowork built-in browser
Product interfaces, availability and permission behavior can change. This guide was checked against Anthropic’s published documentation on August 31, 2026.
