Codex Chrome Extension, Now the ChatGPT Browser Extension: How It Drives a Signed-In Browser for LinkedIn, Salesforce, Gmail, and Internal Tools

OpenAI's Codex Chrome extension, launched May 7, 2026, is now the ChatGPT browser extension. Since Codex joined the ChatGPT desktop app on July 9, 2026, you set it up in the desktop app under Settings > Computer Use, it works in Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi, and it is available in the EU and UK, which were excluded at launch (browser extension docs, changelog).

The launch announcement, from OpenAI on X:

The Chrome extension expands what Codex can do for coding and work. Use it to debug browser flows, check dashboards, conduct research, update CRMs, and more.

For context on Codex's broader push into general work, see our April writeup of Codex computer use, browser comment mode, and thread automations. For where this lands versus other computer-use agents, see Perplexity vs Codex vs Claude computer use.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose: lets ChatGPT Work or Codex use your browser for tasks that need signed-in state -- LinkedIn, Salesforce, Gmail, internal tools.
• Five browsers now, not just Chrome. Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi all support tab mentions and browser control; Opera has no side chat.
• The built-in browser still exists. Use it for localhost and for pages where a separate browser profile is fine.
• Plugins are the right surface for dedicated integrations. The extension is the catch-all for arbitrary signed-in browser tasks.
• Region availability: available in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland since June 16, 2026; those regions were excluded at launch.
• Setup is ChatGPT desktop app > Settings > Computer Use > select browser > Install > approve permissions > Manage.
• Invoke with @Chrome (or @Edge, @Brave Browser, @Opera, @Vivaldi) in a ChatGPT Work or Codex chat.
• By default it asks before each new website. Allowlist and blocklist live under Settings > Computer Use > Manage.
• Elevated-risk options exist, "Allow for all sites" and browser history access, because they widen what ChatGPT can do or read.

When the Extension Is the Right Surface

The docs draw a three-way line between the browser surfaces:

If you ask "should I use the extension or the built-in browser?", the answer is whether the task needs your existing logged-in profile. The built-in browser supports sign-in but keeps its own profile, separate from your regular browser. CRMs, mail clients, dashboards, and intranet tools behind SSO are where the extension saves you from signing in again.

Setup Flow

The current setup steps, from the browser extension docs:

1. Install the browser, then open Settings > Computer Use in the ChatGPT desktop app. Expand More browsers if yours isn't listed.
2. Select your browser and follow any prompt to install the required plugin.
3. Select Install beside the browser to open its extension store page, install the ChatGPT extension, and review the browser's permission prompts.
4. Return to Computer Use and confirm the browser shows Manage.
5. Start a ChatGPT Work or Codex chat and select the browser with an @-mention, using the browser profile where you installed the extension.

At launch the flow ran through Plugins in the standalone Codex app; that app is now part of the ChatGPT desktop app.

Permissions

Permissions the extension may request, per the official docs (Chrome's wording):

• Access the page debugger -- low-level browser inspection (DOM, network, console).
• Read and change all your data on all websites -- the core capability for any browser-driving extension.
• Read and change your browsing history -- ChatGPT still asks before it uses history, scoped to the request.
• Display notifications -- surface state changes back to the user.
• Read and change your bookmarks.
• Manage your downloads -- handle file downloads triggered by browser work.
• Communicate with cooperating native applications -- the bridge to the ChatGPT desktop app.
• View and manage your tab groups.

OpenAI states it stores browser activity only when it becomes part of the ChatGPT context, such as page text ChatGPT reads, screenshots, tool calls, or messages. It does not store a separate complete record of your browser actions.

How Codex Decides Which Sites It Can Use

When ChatGPT asks to use a new website, you pick one of four answers:

1. Allow once -- one use.
2. Allow for this site -- adds the host to the allowlist.
3. Allow for all sites -- marked elevated risk; ChatGPT stops asking before using websites.
4. Decline -- ChatGPT doesn't use the site.

Manage the allowlist and blocklist in the desktop app under Settings > Computer Use, then Manage next to your browser. The supported browsers share these permissions. Browser history access is scoped to the request and has no always-allow option.

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How a Reader Uses This

Three concrete patterns where the browser extension is the right tool:

Pattern 1: CRM Update From an Email Thread

You're working with Codex on a deal-tracking task. The agent reads a thread in your Gmail, extracts a status update, and pushes it to your Salesforce. Neither side has a plugin you'd want to set up for one-off work. The extension lets Codex drive both with your signed-in sessions.

Pattern 2: Dashboard Check Inside a Coding Session

You're debugging an issue and want Codex to check the production error-rate dashboard before deciding what to fix. The dashboard is on an internal SSO-gated tool. The built-in browser would need its own sign-in in a separate profile; the extension uses the session you already have.

Pattern 3: Research Across Logged-In Sources

You're researching prospects on LinkedIn and need to combine that with notes in your CRM. Codex with @Chrome can navigate logged-in LinkedIn pages and update CRM records in the same session, with your real account context.

When NOT to Use the Extension

• Local dev work. The built-in browser handles localhost and doesn't touch your regular browser profile.
• Public docs. No sign-in required; use the built-in browser.
• Services with a dedicated plugin. Use the plugin -- it's a first-class integration.
• Tasks where you don't want browser-side automation visible to the site. Some sites have ToS or security postures that don't permit extension-driven automation.

Region Availability

The current browser extension docs name no regional exclusion. They do note that browser availability can depend on rollout and your workspace settings.

How This Fits Codex's Surface Expansion

The Chrome extension is one of several Codex surface additions in 2026:

• April 16, 2026: Mac computer use, in-app browser comment mode, thread automations.
• May 7, 2026: Codex CLI 0.129.0 (Vim composer, /hooks browser, plugins) -- and the Chrome extension announcement (this post).
• May 9, 2026: Codex CLI 0.130.0 -- headless codex remote-control.
• June 16, 2026: the Chrome extension, Computer Use, and Memories reach the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland.
• July 9, 2026: Codex joins the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS and Windows, which is where you set the extension up today.

The pattern is consistent. Codex is being pushed into more places -- IDE, terminal, browser, mobile, headless service -- with one underlying agent and a shared permission/plugin model. The extension closes the gap on "what about my real, logged-in browser?"

Caveats and Open Questions

• Permission scope is real. "Read and change all your data on all websites" is a broad grant. Treat the extension like any other agentic browser tool -- review the allowlist and blocklist, and do not choose "Allow for all sites" lightly.
• Rollout and workspace settings still matter. The docs say browser availability can depend on rollout and your workspace settings, so a managed workspace may not show every browser.
• Storage policy is context-scoped. OpenAI states browser activity is stored only when it becomes part of the ChatGPT context. That's narrower than blanket capture, but verify your organization's policy if you're enabling the extension on a managed device.
• Plugin vs. extension overlap. If a dedicated plugin exists for a service you need (Slack, GitHub, etc.), use that. The extension is the universal fallback, not a replacement for first-class integrations.

Corrections and Updates

October 9, 2026: This page said the extension was unavailable in the EU and UK and was set up from Plugins in the Codex app; it has been available in the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland since June 16, 2026, and setup is now in the ChatGPT desktop app under Settings > Computer Use.

Sources

• OpenAI announcement (X): https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2052480804971028879 (May 7, 2026)
• ChatGPT browser extension docs: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/chrome-extension (read October 9, 2026; https://developers.openai.com/codex/app/chrome-extension redirects here)
• ChatGPT built-in browser docs: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/browser (read October 9, 2026)
• ChatGPT and Codex changelog: https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/changelog (entries of May 7, June 16, and July 9, 2026, read October 9, 2026)