Copilot Cowork can now do web tasks inside a staff member's own Microsoft Edge, using the sites they are already signed in to. It is off until a Microsoft 365 administrator switches it on, so nothing changes in your business unless someone decides it should. The decision is worth making on purpose, because the agent gets the same access to websites as the person it is working for.
Here is what Microsoft says it does, who controls it and what to decide before you turn it on.
What Copilot Cowork does in the browser
Cowork is Microsoft's agent inside Microsoft 365 Copilot. On 4 November 2026 Microsoft's release notes announced that it can use the Edge browser on your device to complete web steps, including on sites where you are already signed in. It works in a hidden Edge tab while the person follows progress in the Cowork chat.
Microsoft's guide to using the local browser is clear about the reach. The tab runs in the person's own copy of Edge, so it uses their existing sign-ins, cookies and sessions, and it has the same access to sites that they have when they browse by hand. It stops and hands the browser back when it hits a CAPTCHA, a password or an MFA code.
In plain terms, if your bookkeeper is signed in to your supplier portal, Cowork working for your bookkeeper can use that portal too. That is the useful part and also the part to think about.
Is it on by default?
No. Microsoft states that browser use is disabled by default. A tenant administrator turns it on in the Microsoft 365 admin center under Copilot, Settings, View All, Cowork settings, then Allow browser access. The same page says administrators can limit it to specific security groups or individuals, so you do not have to switch it on for everyone.
Staff also see a consent notice the first time Cowork wants to use the browser for one of their tasks. Microsoft says the acknowledgement is stored in Edge on the person's device. That is a courtesy to the user, not a substitute for a decision by the business.
Who controls what
Microsoft's admin guide for Cowork lists the controls:
- The Cowork Browsing tenant setting turns browser use on or off for the organisation.
- Cowork respects the allow lists, block lists and view-only policies you already apply to web browsing in Edge.
- Conditional Access and Microsoft Purview data loss prevention (DLP) rules apply as they do when the person browses themselves. If DLP blocks a step, Cowork tells the person which step and suggests doing it manually.
- An Edge policy, CopilotCoworkToolActionsEnabled, lets administrators control which Edge instances Cowork is allowed to use.
- Each browser task Cowork starts is recorded in the unified audit log alongside other Cowork activity.
Which of those controls you actually have depends on your licences. For example, Microsoft 365 Business Premium does not include Purview auto-labelling or Endpoint DLP, so do not assume a DLP rule is protecting a site until someone has checked.
What it costs and who can use Cowork at all
Cowork runs on usage-based billing. Microsoft says activities such as model responses, tool calls and browser tasks count towards your organisation's consumption, and administrators can set limits per user or per group. We are not quoting prices here because Microsoft's pricing and credit rules are changing quickly: check the current Microsoft figures in Australian dollars before you commit.
One detail catches people out. Microsoft says a spending policy is an access control, not only a budget. Anyone in the scope of a spending policy that includes Cowork can use Cowork, and a low credit limit does not block access. If you want someone not to have it, they need to be outside every policy that includes it.
What to decide before you switch it on
- Who should have it. Start with a small group, such as one office manager, rather than the whole business. Use a security group so it is easy to add or remove people.
- Which sites are off limits. Online banking, payroll, the ATO and client portals are the obvious ones. Use your Edge allow and block lists, and keep staff accounts for those sites protected with MFA.
- What staff may ask it to do. Write one short paragraph: for example, research and form filling are fine, payments and changes to bank details are not. Microsoft says Cowork asks for approval before sensitive actions, but your rule should not depend on a prompt someone clicks through.
- Who checks the audit log, and how often. Decide this before the first task runs, not after something goes wrong.
- What it can spend. Set a limit per group so a runaway task does not become a surprise invoice.
- Whether your devices are ready. Microsoft says browser tasks need Edge installed, a recommended minimum Edge version of 152.0.4191.53, and the person signed in to Edge with their work account. Browser use is available in Cowork on the web only, not in the Copilot desktop app.
How this fits with the rest of your security
An agent that acts as your staff member is a good reason to tidy up the basics first: MFA on every account, no shared logins, and administrator access kept to the people who need it. Those are the same habits that sit behind the Essential Eight. If you are weighing up AI agents more broadly, our guide to preparing your small business for agentic AI covers the governance side, and our Microsoft 365 support page explains how we look after tenants like yours.
If you would like us to check your settings and set up a small pilot group, book my complimentary IT review or call 1300 366 638.
Sources
- Use the local browser with Copilot Cowork, Microsoft Learn
- Manage Copilot Cowork for your organization, Microsoft Learn
- Microsoft 365 Copilot release notes (4 November 2026 entry), Microsoft Learn