Claude in Chrome Is Generally Available: What the Extension Does and How It Works With Cowork

Claude for Chrome extension: availability and the beta distinction

Claude in Chrome is available on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise. Free is not included in the paid-plan availability announced at launch. The general availability announcement describes an extension that can read pages and interact with websites using accounts already signed in to Chrome.

There are two availability labels to keep separate: the extension is generally available, but the setup guide still describes its Cowork side-panel experience as beta. Those labels apply to different parts of the experience.

Which plans get Cowork in the side panel?

The August 26 setup guide says the Chrome side panel runs as a Claude Cowork session on Max and Team, with Pro rolling out. Enterprise requires an administrator to enable Cowork in the cloud.

These sessions save to history, can continue across web, desktop, and mobile, and support skills, plugins, and connectors. Continuing a session on mobile does not mean the Chrome extension itself runs on mobile.

For developers exploring the surrounding tools, the Claude Code ecosystem guide provides a separate reading path. Keep the launch details here specific to Claude in Chrome and Cowork: general availability does not establish identical access to every related feature.

The dated launch material does not specify a separate extension price, numerical browser-task quotas, or minimum extension and desktop versions. Subscription dollar prices are therefore omitted here.

How to install Claude in Chrome

The Claude in Chrome setup guide gives the installation sequence:

1. Open the extension’s listing in the Chrome Web Store.
2. Select Add to Chrome.
3. Sign in with your Claude account.
4. Grant the requested permissions.

As of launch, support is limited to Chrome. Other Chromium browsers, including Edge and Brave, are unsupported, and the extension does not run on mobile devices.

That browser limit matters when choosing where to begin a task. A Cowork session can continue across devices, but installing the extension requires supported Chrome on a computer. Session continuity and extension compatibility are separate capabilities.

What still requires Claude Desktop?

Local files and other applications still require Claude Desktop. Installing the extension gives Claude a way to work with websites in Chrome; it does not establish access to local files or other desktop applications.

For a task involving both a website and local material, plan around that boundary. Use the extension’s documented browser capabilities for the website portion and Claude Desktop where local files or applications are required.

The built-in Cowork browser has a different installation story: it arrives within Claude Desktop’s Cowork experience, with no extension or separate browser setup.

What the extension can do on websites

Claude in Chrome can read pages, type text, click links, navigate websites, and fill forms. It uses accounts already signed in to Chrome, allowing browser work to take place in the website sessions you already use.

The launch announcement highlights internal dashboards, legacy systems, and vendor portals that lack connectors. These are useful examples of its scope: Claude can interact with a website through the browser interface even when that system has no connector available.

For developers evaluating the extension, the practical question is which steps in a task take place on a website. Reading a page, following a link, and entering information into a form fall within the announced capabilities. Whether a particular action can proceed also depends on permissions and the action restrictions discussed below.

How Cowork changes the side-panel experience

On supported plans and rollout stages, the side panel is a Cowork session with history and support for skills, plugins, and connectors. That gives the session continuity beyond the current Chrome interaction.

The Claude Code skills guide is a related resource for readers exploring skills in Claude Code. For this launch, the supported claim is narrower: Cowork sessions in the Chrome side panel support skills, plugins, and connectors.

When defining a browser task, state both the goal and the actions you authorize. This is particularly useful because the safety system checks proposed actions against your request. A clear request gives you a concrete basis for reviewing any approval prompt.

Claude in Chrome versus Cowork’s built-in browser

Anthropic also announced a separate browser built into Cowork on August 26. It opens beside the task in Claude Desktop and can navigate, read, click, type, and fill forms.

As of August 27, its rollout is scheduled over the coming week for Pro, Max, and Team on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with Linux labeled beta. Enterprise administrators can enable it immediately.

Existing logins versus a separate browser

The built-in browser is separate from your usual browser. Claude does not see that browser’s tabs, bookmarks, or passwords.

You can import logins site by site from Chrome, Edge, or Firefox on macOS, and from Firefox on Windows or Linux. Banking, email, and single sign-on sites are excluded unless selected.

This login-import support does not extend the Chrome extension’s browser compatibility. Edge can be a source for supported imports on macOS even though the extension itself is unsupported in Edge.

Choose Chrome when the relevant website sessions are already there. Consider the built-in browser when you prefer the separate browser available inside Cowork, subject to its rollout.

Permissions, safety checks, and organization controls

The permissions guide dated August 12 names three modes. They determine how browser actions are checked and when Claude pauses for approval.

Auto is the default for the Cowork side panel. It consumes more of the usage limit because of its additional checks. The launch material does not provide a numerical allowance or an exact usage difference between modes.

Manual is an option when you want to review actions before they happen. Auto adds checks while allowing actions to proceed when approval is not needed. Skip removes those automatic checks and pauses, so its effect is broader than simply reducing interruptions.

Protected and prohibited actions

The permissions guide requires explicit permission for changing permission settings, granting authorizations, and entering potentially sensitive information.

It also lists purchases and financial transactions, account creation, financial trades, and permanent deletions among prohibited actions. Treat those restrictions separately from your choice of approval mode when deciding whether a task is suitable.

Team and Enterprise administrators can apply site allowlists and blocklists. Enterprise administrators can enable the built-in browser at Organization settings → Cowork → Built-in browser.

What the safety architecture checks

The launch describes three safeguards: model training against prompt injection, probes that screen incoming web content, and a classifier that checks proposed actions against the user’s request. Actions that do not match the request are blocked.

The built-in browser uses the same safeguards. These measures reduce risk but cannot eliminate it, so the permission mode and authorized task scope remain meaningful choices.

Choosing a browser and understanding Desktop requirements

Existing extension users keep Claude in Chrome as their default. Other users get the built-in browser once it becomes available to them. You can change the selection at Settings → Cowork → Preferred browser.

Start with the location of the website accounts you need. Claude in Chrome uses existing signed-in Chrome accounts; the built-in browser has separate login handling and supports the specific imports described above.

Next, consider where the task will run. The built-in browser can be driven from web or mobile, but Claude Desktop must remain open and online. Remote control therefore still depends on the desktop application being available.

Finally, check the rollout and organization settings. Paid-plan access to the extension does not mean every Cowork side-panel experience or built-in-browser rollout is complete on August 27.

For readers comparing browser access with developer API access, the Claude API versus subscription guide is a separate reference. The availability described in this article is tied to the paid Claude plans named in the launch material.

Key takeaways

• Claude in Chrome became generally available on August 26, 2026, on Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise.
• The extension uses existing Chrome website sessions and can read, navigate, click, type, and fill forms.
• The Cowork side panel remains labeled beta, with access depending on plan, rollout, and Enterprise configuration.
• Cowork’s built-in browser is a separate Desktop browser rolling out gradually; driving it from web or mobile requires Desktop to remain open and online.
• Auto approval adds safety checks and uses more of the usage limit. Protected actions require permission, and the permissions guide also lists prohibited actions.

FAQ

Is the Claude for Chrome extension available on Free?

No. The August 26 general availability announcement covers every paid Claude plan, and the setup guide names Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise.

Does the Claude AI Chrome extension work in Edge, Brave, or mobile Chrome?

As of August 27, the extension supports Chrome, while other Chromium browsers and mobile devices are unsupported. Install it through the Chrome Web Store, select Add to Chrome, sign in with a Claude account, and grant permissions.

Can Claude use my existing logins, and must Desktop stay open?

Claude in Chrome uses accounts already signed in to Chrome, while Cowork’s built-in browser uses a separate browser with supported site-by-site login imports. Driving the built-in browser from web or mobile requires Claude Desktop to remain open and online.

Why is the extension GA while the Cowork side panel is beta?

The labels describe different parts of the experience: Claude in Chrome is generally available, while the setup guide still labels its Cowork side-panel experience beta. The guide lists side-panel Cowork access on Max and Team, Pro rolling out, and Enterprise access requiring an administrator to enable Cowork in the cloud.