This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable allowing Copilot Cowork to take actions on your behalf in Microsoft Edge for your account or all users in Windows 11.
Microsoft Edge is the AI-powered browser. A smarter way to browse. As the only browser built and optimized for Windows, it’s AI-powered tools are designed to help you make the most of your time online. Whether you’re searching, shopping or gaming, AI-powered tools and a security-first approach help you stay productive, save money, and get things done your way.
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. Cowork may perform tasks such as creating tabs, taking screenshots, and interact with web pages. The agent works in a hidden Edge tab so you can stay in the conversation while it acts on your behalf.
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.
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.
Reference:
Use the local browser with Copilot Cowork
Let Microsoft 365 Copilot Cowork run browser tasks in your local Microsoft Edge, using your existing sign-ins and your organization's policies.
learn.microsoft.com
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off Copilot Cowork in Microsoft Edge for Current User from Settings
- Option Two: Enable or Disable Copilot Cowork in Microsoft Edge for All Users using REG file
1 Open Microsoft Edge.
2 Click/tap on the Settings and more (3 dots) button, and click/tap on Settings. (see screenshot below)
3 Click/tap on Copilot and AI in the left pane. (see screenshot below step 4)
If you do not see a left pane, then either click/tap on the 3 bars menu button towards the top left OR widen the horizontal borders of the Microsoft Edge window until you do.
4 Turn On or Off (default) Allow Cowork to take actions on your behalf for what you want. (see screenshot below)
5 You can now close the Settings tab if you like.
You must be signed in as an administrator to use this option.
This option uses the CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled policy for Microsoft Edge 152+.
1 Do step 2 (always enable), step 3 (disable), or step 4 (default) below for what you want.
2 Always Enable Copilot Cowork to Take Actions in Microsoft Edge for All Users
This will override and gray out Option One.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.
Always_Enable_Copilot_Cowork_to_take_action_in_Edge_for_all_users.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled"=dword:000000013 Disable Copilot Cowork to Take Actions in Microsoft Edge for All Users
This will override and gray out Option One.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.
Disable_Copilot_Cowork_to_take_action_in_Edge_for_all_users.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled"=dword:000000004 Default User-choice Copilot Cowork to Take Actions in Microsoft Edge
This is the default setting to allow using Option One.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the REG file below, and go to step 5 below.
Default_user-choice_Copilot_Cowork_to_take_action_in_Edge.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Edge]
"CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled"=-5 Save the .reg file to your desktop.
6 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
7 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.
8 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
9 If Microsoft Edge is currently open, then close and reopen Microsoft Edge to apply.
10 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
