Microsoft’s open project unveiled on May 19 called Natural Language Web, or NLWeb, can transform websites into fully functional, AI-driven platforms. NLWeb enables users to query websites using natural, non-technical language — functionality that is similar to Microsoft Copilot.
What is NLWeb?
Microsoft’s NLWeb functions as a self-contained search engine that interprets and responds to natural language commands. The system combines semi-structured data formats with external information derived from modern large language models (LLMs), enhancing website interactivity and content accessibility.
Web instances built with NLWeb also operate as Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, making them discoverable and interoperable across the MCP ecosystem. Native integration between NLWeb and MCP servers makes the natural language APIs usable by humans and AI agents.
While it’s currently in its infancy stages of development, NLWeb aims to build the foundation for the AI-focused internet of the future.
According to the project’s official GitHub repository, “NLWeb is a collection of open protocols and associated open source tools. Its main focus is establishing a foundational layer for the AI Web — much like HTML revolutionized document sharing.”
Testing system compatibility
NLWeb is compatible with all major operating systems, including the latest versions of Windows, Linux, and macOS. It uses popular LLMs from some of the top AI companies, including:
- OpenAI: Responsible for the GPT family of LLMs, including ChatGPT, GPT-4, GPT-3.5, and others.
- Google: The tech giant is responsible for developing the Gemini LLM.
- Anthropic: The team behind the Claude family of LLMs, including the Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku models.
- DeepSeek: Based in China, DeepSeek currently maintains an LLM of the same name.
- Inception Labs: Created a diffusion-based LLM (dLLM) known as Inception that uses AI image generation algorithms for generating text and code.
Early versions of NLWeb have already been tested with various collaborators. Some of these companies include:
- Chicago Public Media
- Eventbrite
- O’Reilly Media
- Shopify
- Tripadvisor
These early collaborators have already played a role in shaping the features and functionality of NLWeb. Now that it’s open to the general public, the development team behind NLWeb is even more optimistic about the future of their new platform.
Getting started with NLWeb today
NLWeb is now accessible to developers. The source code has been released, along with technical documentation aimed at helping developers customize and extend the platform. A dedicated web server frontend with a streamlined interface is also available, designed to support seamless integration into modern web environments.
