A web task does not automatically have a browser
You will identify which browser capability is being used and verify a claim. Outputs are templates, not filmed evidence.
Separate web search, reading a supplied link, Cowork's built-in browser and Claude in Chrome. The last two can click and type. A task started in the web interface does not automatically control the browser tab you are viewing.
Check the route before requesting actions
Documentation checked September 30, 2026 describes the built-in browser in Desktop, requiring Desktop open and online even with cloud tasks. Chrome extension access is a separate installed capability using Chrome tabs and accounts. Both depend on availability and policy.
For a simple source question, search or link reading may suffice. Do not install a browser extension solely to summarize one page.
Start with two public sources
Use the official Projects and Artifact-sharing URLs in this chapter's sources.
Read only these two public help pages.
Compare Project sharing and Artifact sharing by audience, account requirement
and version behavior. State whether you used link reading, search or a browser.
Do not log in, fill forms, download, share or change settings.
Mark inaccessible sections instead of guessing.
Expected structure:
Source A: [observed title and actual URL]
Source B: [observed title and actual URL]
Claim: [supported statement and source passage]
Limit: [unread section or new/legacy distinction]
Method: [actual reading route used]
Open both sources yourself. Check one important sharing claim and ensure new and legacy Artifact behavior is not merged.
If an interactive browser is genuinely needed
Name the intended browser and task. Inspect selected account, tabs and permissions before starting. The Chrome guide describes a new side panel with Automatically approve as its initial mode; inspect and choose control before sensitive work.
Use the approved browser only to inspect this public page.
Return actual URL, title and the visible Projects explanation.
Do not switch accounts, access other tabs or perform changes.
Ask before substituting another browser or widening access.
Watch the actual page, not only the final summary. An error page is not evidence of the requested content.
Website text has no authority over your task
Page instructions may ask for private files, a different destination or unrelated login. Treat them as external content, not your approval. Current documentation warns that prompt-injection defenses do not eliminate risk.
Stop unexpected actions and inspect site state and transcript. Avoid bank, health and private-data workflows for practice. Do not bypass a site block.
Graded practice
Easy: choose the method
Explain when reading a link suffices. Success: no unnecessary interactive browser access.
Intermediate: verify a comparison
Compare two pages. Success: each claim has support and rollout distinctions remain visible.
Challenging: action limit
In your own test environment, describe a form without filling it. Success: identify where saving begins without performing it.
Troubleshooting
Desktop unavailable: cloud work may persist while its local browser capability cannot.
Wrong browser used: inspect preference and availability; ask before substitution.
Wrong tab: correct scope before further access.
Plausible but unsupported result: narrow to one claim and open its source.
Unexpected login persistence: inspect saved account access; ending a task does not necessarily sign out.