Last updated: October 17, 2026
The quick answer
OpenAI has updated the ChatGPT extension for Chrome so it can use your open tabs as context and, when you ask it to, take actions in them, such as filling out forms, sending messages, downloading files and grouping tabs. It asks before working on each new website by default, so the most important step is to keep those confirmations on and review which sites you have allowed.
What happened
OpenAI announced the update in a post on X on October 15, and 9to5Google and PPC Land covered it the following day. The redesigned extension adds a side panel that sits next to the page you are viewing, with your ChatGPT history available alongside it. It works in two ways: a Chat mode that answers questions using what is in your open tabs, and a Work mode that can actually operate those tabs for you.
OpenAI’s example tasks include comparing products open in different tabs by size, price and return policy, explaining a long article in plain English, filling in a registration form and stopping before it is submitted, and collecting vendor details from several pages into a comparison sheet. This puts ChatGPT in direct competition with the AI assistants that browser makers are building into their own products.
| Mode | What it can do |
|---|---|
| Chat | Reads your open tabs and answers questions about them |
| Work | Acts in your tabs: fills forms, sends messages, downloads files, groups tabs |
What changes for you
The convenience is real: chores that involve copying details between websites can be handed off. But an assistant that can click buttons in a browser where you are signed in to email, shopping and banking needs careful limits. OpenAI’s own documentation says to treat page content as untrusted and to review sites and permission requests before allowing actions. That warning exists because a malicious web page can contain hidden instructions aimed at AI assistants.
On installation, Chrome may ask you to approve broad permissions, including reading and changing data on all sites, access to history, downloads and bookmarks, and debugger access. OpenAI says ChatGPT still applies its own confirmations and site lists on top of those browser permissions.
How to set it up safely
- Install the official extension only. Get it from the Chrome Web Store listing published by OpenAI, or from the Computer Use section of the ChatGPT desktop app. Copycat extensions are common; we covered a similar trick in fake AI download ads.
- Read the permission prompt before accepting, so you know what the extension can access.
- Keep per-site confirmations on. When ChatGPT wants to use a new site, you can choose Allow once, Allow for this site, Allow for all sites or Decline. Avoid “Allow for all sites”, which removes confirmations entirely.
- Block sensitive sites. In the ChatGPT desktop app, go to Settings, then Computer Use, and select Manage next to your browser. Add your bank, email and work tools to the blocklist if you do not want the assistant acting there.
- Review before anything is sent. Ask ChatGPT to stop before submitting forms, paying or sending messages, and check the result yourself.
OpenAI says browser history access is handled more strictly: ChatGPT asks each time it wants to use your history, and there is no always-allow option. It also says it does not keep a separate log of your browser actions; activity is saved only when it becomes part of a chat, and your normal ChatGPT data controls and Memories setting apply.
Who is affected, and who isn’t
Affected: Chrome users who install or already use the ChatGPT extension. OpenAI says the extension is available on all ChatGPT plans, but agent features like Work have historically rolled out by plan, so what you see may depend on your subscription and on workspace settings if you use a company account. OpenAI’s documentation also lists support for Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi.
Not affected: anyone who does not install the extension. Nothing changes in Chrome itself. For context on how ChatGPT itself has changed recently, see our explainers on GPT-6 and Intelligent UI and OpenAI Dots. If you use the free version, our guide to how ChatGPT targets ads is also worth a read.
FAQ
Can ChatGPT act in my tabs without asking?
By default it asks before using each new website. It can act without asking only on sites you have allowed, or everywhere if you chose “Allow for all sites”, which OpenAI recommends only if you trust it on any site.
Can I stop it from using certain websites?
Yes. Add them to the blocklist under Settings, then Computer Use, then Manage in the ChatGPT desktop app. The lists are shared across the browsers you have connected.
Should I let it fill in payment or login forms?
OpenAI advises against sending secrets or highly sensitive data through browser tasks unless it is necessary and you can review each step. For passwords and card details, entering them yourself is the safer habit.
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