Microsoft NLWeb

At the Build 2025 developer conference, Microsoft introduced a groundbreaking open project called NLWeb—short for Natural Language Web. The initiative aims to redefine how users interact with websites by turning every site into an AI-enabled application. According to Microsoft, NLWeb could become as foundational to the AI-powered internet as HTML was to the early days of web development.

NLWeb is built around the idea of using natural language as the primary interface for navigating web content. Rather than relying on traditional search bars or menus, users will be able to speak or type naturally to interact with websites. The system would work similarly to speaking with an AI assistant or chatbot, allowing users to ask questions like “What are your top-rated smartphones under $500?” and receive intelligent, relevant responses.

Microsoft emphasized that NLWeb is not just another chatbot integration. The project is designed to transform websites into fully AI-native platforms capable of contextual understanding and task execution. This could make everything from customer support to shopping experiences more fluid, intuitive, and user-friendly—without the friction of multiple clicks or form submissions.

Each website that adopts NLWeb will also function as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. MCP, developed by AI company Anthropic, is an open standard that allows AI systems to connect to external data sources and tools. With NLWeb’s MCP support, websites will become crawlable and usable by AI agents across a growing ecosystem of intelligent applications.

Microsoft envisions an internet where AI agents don’t just assist with simple commands but can complete complex, multi-step tasks. These agents could potentially negotiate deals with customer representatives, process returns, fill out forms, book appointments, or even handle personalized inquiries across different websites. In this agent-driven web environment, websites shift from being passive information repositories to intelligent, action-oriented platforms.

To ensure widespread adoption, Microsoft built NLWeb to be open-source and technology agnostic. It supports a wide range of operating systems, AI models, and vector databases. This inclusive approach is meant to accelerate innovation by enabling any developer or organization to integrate AI capabilities into their websites quickly and easily, regardless of the tech stack they use.

The project is led by RV Guha, a veteran in the field of semantic web technologies and currently a Corporate Vice President and Technical Fellow at Microsoft. Guha’s involvement lends weight to NLWeb’s long-term vision and technical credibility. His work has historically shaped how structured data and interoperability are handled on the web, and now he is applying that expertise to the next evolution of web interaction—AI integration.

With NLWeb, Microsoft is planting the seeds for an AI-native web, where intelligent interfaces become the norm and browsing transforms into conversation. As developers begin to adopt the standard and AI agents become more capable, the line between website and intelligent app could start to disappear, ushering in a new era of natural, efficient, and dynamic web experiences.