Tool
Claude in Chrome (extension)
Price
Included in Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise
Time
10 min
Level
Beginner

A good share of a small business's admin happens in the browser: comparing three suppliers, copying the terms of a tender, typing the same details into a form, checking a pricing page. The Claude in Chrome extension hands these steps to AI: Claude sees the open page and can click, type and navigate the way you would. You use it from Chrome's side panel (still in beta), or from Claude Cowork and Claude Code.

Install the extension

  1. Open the official listingIn Google Chrome, go to the Claude listing on the Chrome Web Store, published by Anthropic, and click “Add to Chrome”. Other Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave…) and mobile devices are not supported.
  2. Sign inUse your Claude account, on a paid plan.
  3. Pin the iconClick the puzzle piece in the toolbar, then the pin next to “Claude”.
  4. Grant permissionsRead them before accepting (see below), then click the Claude icon to open the side panel.

What the extension asks for, in plain words

The list is long, which is normal for a tool that acts inside the browser. The most important ones:

  • debugger: this is what lets Claude click, type and take screenshots.
  • scripting and tabs: read page text, open and close tabs.
  • downloads: download files when you ask.
  • alarms and notifications: run scheduled tasks and tell you when Claude is done or needs you.

Pick the right mode

A menu on the input box offers three modes:

  • Manually approve: Claude asks before each action. The right choice to start with.
  • Automatically approve: Claude keeps going, checks each action itself and blocks what looks risky. It is the default in the Cowork side panel, and it uses more of your usage limit.
  • Skip all approvals: no pauses and no checks. Avoid it.

On a given site, prefer “Allow this action” (one action at a time) over “Always allow actions on this site”, which is for sites you trust completely. Approved sites can be revoked in the extension settings.

5 uses for a small business

  1. Compare offers open in several tabsDrag the tabs into Claude's tab group: it sees them all at once.
    Prompt
    Compare the three point-of-sale software offers open in my tabs.
Make a table: monthly price, commitment, setup fees, users included,
support. Do not click any purchase button.
  2. Turn a long page into a useful noteTerms of a public tender, trade-fair rules, a supplier's help page.
    Prompt
    Read this page and give me: the deadline, the documents required,
the selection criteria and the points that need a decision from me.
Quote the exact sentence whenever it is an obligation.
  3. Fill in a repetitive formThe same product sheet on several platforms, the same monthly filing. Stay in manual mode: Claude asks before entering sensitive information anyway.
    Prompt
    Fill in this form with the details from the product sheet open
in the other tab. Stop before the "Submit" button and show me
what you entered.
  4. Check a page every weekOnce a prompt works well, save it as a shortcut (recall it by typing “/”), then schedule it with the clock icon in the panel: daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.
    Prompt
    Open my supplier's pricing page [address] and tell me in three lines
what changed since last time: prices, terms, products removed.
If nothing changed, just answer "Nothing new".
  5. Prepare a meeting in Google CalendarClaude already knows how Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs and Slack work.
    Prompt
    In Google Calendar, find a free 30-minute slot on Thursday afternoon
and prepare an event called "Quote review" without inviting anyone.
I will check it before saving.

What it won't do, and the limits

  • Whatever the mode, Claude refuses to make purchases, create accounts, handle card data, delete permanently (emails, files, trash) or follow instructions found in an email or a web page.
  • It asks before opening a financial site, and some high-risk sites are blocked.
  • Say exactly what format you want (a table, three lines, a list): the more precise the request, the fewer initiatives Claude takes.
  • On cost, the extension is included in your plan, but every task draws on your usage limit.

Be careful. A page or an email can hide instructions aimed at the AI (this is called prompt injection). Anthropic has added protections, but says the risk is not zero. Claude takes screenshots of the tabs it works in: whatever is on screen becomes part of the conversation. Use a separate Chrome profile with no access to your bank or sensitive accounts, avoid pages showing clients' personal data, and stick to trusted sites. You remain responsible for what Claude does on your behalf, including respecting each site's terms of service.

Sources

Want one of these tasks to run without a browser open, wired straight into your tools? That is what I set up in automation.