You weren’t hired to click buttons.
You were hired to make decisions, build relationships, spot opportunities, solve problems. But somehow, a significant chunk of your week gets consumed by browser logistics—navigating dashboards, copying information between systems, manually synthesizing data that lives in twelve different tabs.
The question isn’t whether this work needs to happen. It’s whether you need to be the one doing it.
Here’s what’s changed: Claude can now do this for you. Not just summarize information—actually navigate, click, fill forms, and execute workflows in your browser while you focus on work that matters.
Claude in Chrome is available in beta for all paid Claude plans. It’s not perfect yet—it’s slower than you’d like, and it will occasionally stumble. But it opens a door that’s been closed: AI that can work inside your authenticated web apps, where your real workflows live.
This guide will show you exactly how to set it up and use it across three scenarios: the Chrome extension, Claude Desktop, and Claude Code. You’ll learn to save shortcuts for your best workflows and schedule recurring tasks to run automatically.
But first, the shift that matters most.
The Real Skill: From Executor to Orchestrator
Most leaders think their job is to do the work. Check the dashboard. Update the CRM. Compare the vendors. Send the follow-up.
Browser automation requires a different identity: your job is to design workflows that execute themselves.
This is harder than it sounds—not technically, but psychologically. It requires you to:
Think in systems, not tasks. Instead of “I need to pull metrics,” ask “What’s the repeatable pattern here?”
Trust verified automation. You’ll want to watch every click. Resist. Verify the output, not the process.
Invest upfront to save ongoing. A 10-minute workflow setup saves hours over months. But only if you actually do the setup.
The technical skills in this guide are straightforward. The self-mastery challenge is letting go of the illusion that doing it yourself means doing it better.
Let’s get practical.
When to Use an AI-Powered Browser
Not every task needs browser automation. Here’s how to choose the right tool:
Use Claude in Chrome when:
Your workflow requires authenticated access (logged-in apps like Salesforce, Google Analytics, internal tools)
You need to interact with web apps—clicking, filling forms, navigating menus
You’re working across multiple tabs that need to be synthesized
The task is repetitive and follows a predictable pattern
Use standard Claude (chat or web search) when:
You need information, not interaction
Research and synthesis are the goal
No login is required
Use Claude Desktop + Chrome connector when:
You want to start a conversation and let it execute in the browser
Complex reasoning leads to browser action
Use Claude Code + Chrome when:
You’re building something and need to test it live
Debug cycles require reading console errors
Your agentic workflows need subagents to perform web-based tasks (not just search or read, but interact with web apps)
Quick Decision Guide:
Pull metrics from authenticated dashboard → Chrome Extension (needs logged-in access)
Research competitors across public sites → Chrome Extension with multi-tab (synthesize multiple sources)
“Check my calendar and find conflicts” → Desktop + Chrome (conversational start, browser execution)
Test a React component I just built → Claude Code + Chrome (build-test-verify workflow)
Agentic workflow needs to fill a form or click through a site → Claude Code + Chrome (subagents performing web tasks)
Deep research with citations → Claude.ai web search (synthesis, not interaction)
Quick question about a concept → Standard Claude chat (no browser needed)
Key principle: Browser automation shines when you need interaction with authenticated sites, not just information from public ones.
Choosing Your Starting Point Based on Workflow Complexity:
Many of your workflows will include browser tasks as just one step among several. Maybe you need to analyze a document, then check LinkedIn, then draft an email based on what you found. Where you start matters:
Chrome extension (Claude.ai side panel): Best for browser-only workflows. It can handle complex multi-step browser tasks, but it stays in the browser lane. It won’t orchestrate a sequence that mixes browser work with document analysis or file creation.
Claude Desktop + Chrome connector: Better for workflows where you want conversational reasoning before or after browser tasks. Desktop can think through a problem, call the browser when needed, and continue reasoning with the results.
Claude Code + Chrome: Full orchestration. If your workflow has multiple steps where browser automation is just one ingredient—read files, hit APIs, interact with websites, generate outputs—this is your tool.
Setup: Installing Claude in Chrome
Before we dive into scenarios, let’s get you set up.
Requirements:
A paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise)
Google Chrome browser (not other Chromium browsers)
Desktop computer (not mobile)
Step 1: Install the Extension
Open Chrome and go to the Chrome Web Store listing for Claude
Click “Add to Chrome”
When prompted, click “Add extension”
Step 2: Sign In
Click the puzzle piece icon in Chrome’s toolbar (top right)
Find Claude in the list and click the pin icon to keep it visible
Click the Claude icon to open the side panel
Sign in with your Claude account credentials
Step 3: Grant Permissions
Claude needs several permissions to work in your browser. You’ll be prompted to grant these during setup. Here’s what they enable:
Side panel: Claude appears alongside your browsing
Scripting: Claude can read webpage content
Debugger: Claude can click buttons and fill forms
Tabs: Claude can open, close, and switch tabs
Notifications: Claude alerts you when tasks complete
The full permissions list and explanations are in Anthropic’s official documentation.
Step 4: Choose Your Model
In the Claude side panel, you can select which model to use:
Haiku 4.5: Fastest, best for simple tasks
Sonnet 4.5: Balanced, good for multi-step workflows
Opus 4.5: Most capable, best for complex reasoning
Start with Sonnet for most workflows. Switch to Haiku when speed matters more than complexity.
Official Documentation Reference:
Product page: claude.com/chrome
Getting started guide: Claude in Chrome Help Article
Safety guidelines: Using Claude in Chrome Safely
Scenario 1: Chrome Extension (Side Panel)
Use case: Work with Claude directly in your browser—prompting, recording, or across multiple tabs.
This is the most common pattern—Claude works in the side panel while you browse, seeing what you see and taking action when you ask.
You have three ways to work: prompt Claude with natural language, teach Claude by recording your actions, or use multi-tab workflows to synthesize information across sites. Let’s look at all three.
Method A: Prompt with Natural Language
This works when you can clearly describe what you want.
Example: Pull analytics metrics
Open Google Analytics in a Chrome tab
Click the Claude icon to open the side panel
Type your request:
“Navigate to the Traffic Acquisition report for the last 7 days. Extract the top 5 traffic sources by sessions, along with their conversion rates. Summarize the key insights in 3 bullet points.”
Claude will:
Navigate to the correct report
Extract the data
Provide a summary in the side panel
Best for: Straightforward workflows, when you’re comfortable articulating the steps, or when you want Claude to figure out the navigation.
The rest of this guide—including the full 50-minute video walkthrough, Teach Claude recording, multi-tab workflows, Desktop and Claude Code integration, shortcuts, and scheduling—is for paid subscribers.
