How to Use ChatGPT Chrome Extension Work Mode

OpenAI updated the ChatGPT Chrome extension on 15 October 2026. It now splits into Chat and Work modes. Chat mode reads open tabs for context. Work mode controls those tabs to complete tasks such as sending messages, filling forms, downloading files, and grouping tabs.

The extension works with Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi. It reaches about 7 million users according to the Chrome Web Store listing. This brings computer-use features into the browser you already use, after OpenAI retired its standalone Atlas browser earlier in 2026.

You need the ChatGPT desktop app for full setup in most cases. Work mode requires a paid plan in some reports, though the extension itself is available on free tiers. Always review permissions before allowing actions.

What Chat Mode and Work Mode Do

Chat mode pulls information from your open tabs. You can compare product pages by price, size, delivery time, and return policy without copying text. It summarises articles or answers questions about YouTube videos when captions exist. The output stays in the chat.

Work mode acts on the pages. It sends messages, fills forms using data from files or other tabs, downloads files, and organises tabs into groups. It stops before final submission so you can review. OpenAI examples include completing a registration form or updating a CRM from call notes.

Both modes respect your signed-in sessions. Enter credentials only on the website itself, never in the chat. ChatGPT asks before each new website by default.

Set Up the Extension

Start in the ChatGPT desktop app. Go to Settings, then Computer Use. Expand More browsers if needed.

Select your browser and install the required plugin. Click Install to open the extension store page. Install the official ChatGPT extension and accept the permission prompts. These can include page debugger access, reading and changing data on websites, managing downloads, and viewing tab groups.

Return to Computer Use and confirm the browser shows Manage. Start a new ChatGPT Work or Codex chat. Use an @-mention such as @Chrome or @Edge to select the browser. Use the same profile where you installed the extension.

Side chat works in Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Vivaldi. Right-click a page and choose Ask ChatGPT, or use the toolbar icon. On macOS, Cmd + Shift + . opens it quickly. Chats sync between the side panel and the main app.

For file uploads from your computer in Chrome tasks, enable Allow access to file URLs in the extension details.

Run a Browser Task

Open the pages you need in your browser. In the desktop app, start a Work chat and mention the browser:

@Chrome fill out the registration form on the open tab using the details from my attached PDF, then stop before submitting.

Or from the side chat: describe the task while the relevant tab is active. ChatGPT can also switch tools, using plugins for connected apps and the browser for signed-in context.

It asks for confirmation on new websites. Choose Allow once, Allow for this site, Allow for all sites, or Decline. Manage the allowlist and blocklist under Settings > Computer Use > Manage. Allow for all sites removes future prompts and carries higher risk.

You can restrict access to specific tabs. A dedicated ChatGPT tab in Chrome shows your history so you can continue tasks without switching apps.

Practical Examples

Compare three open product tabs. In Chat mode, ask for a table of price, material, delivery window, and return policy. Export the result or keep it in the conversation.

Fill a form from email. In Work mode, reference an open Gmail tab or attached file and instruct ChatGPT to complete the fields, then pause. Review the entries before you submit.

Organise research tabs. Ask Work mode to group open tabs by topic or close completed ones after summarising key points into a document.

Update internal tools. Mention @Chrome and provide notes: open the CRM tab and add the meeting outcome from these call notes.

These match the capabilities described in OpenAI documentation and the 15 October announcement.

Safety and Permissions

Treat page content as untrusted. Review sites before allowing ChatGPT to act. Browser history access is scoped to the request and requires separate confirmation; it has no always-allow option.

OpenAI stores browser activity only when it enters the chat context, such as text read from a page, screenshots, or tool calls. Your existing ChatGPT data controls apply. Avoid secrets unless you supervise each step.

Memories follow your setting. If off, browser tasks do not use them. Restart the browser or desktop app if the connection fails, and confirm the extension is enabled in the active profile.

For longer agentic browser work, see our related guide on computer-use browser tasks.

Tips for Better Results

Give clear outcomes, sources, and constraints. Specify “stop before submit” for forms. Start with Allow once until you trust the flow.

Use @-mentions to force the correct browser. Update the desktop app before troubleshooting. Test on low-risk sites first.

Work mode suits multi-step tasks that would take you time. Chat mode fits quick comparisons and summaries.

Conclusion

The ChatGPT Chrome extension Work mode turns open tabs into an action surface. Set it up once through the desktop app Computer Use settings, confirm permissions, and start with supervised tasks. Review every website prompt and final output before you let it submit or send.

Official details live in the ChatGPT Learn browser extension guide and the OpenAI announcement. Check your plan availability, as Work features can depend on subscription and workspace settings.

Sources: OpenAI ChatGPT Learn documentation (learn.chatgpt.com/docs/chrome-extension), OpenAI Help Center articles on Work and browser use, and the 15 October 2026 extension update announcements.