AI agents
NLWeb
NLWeb is an open project, introduced by Microsoft in May 2025, that makes it simpler to add natural-language interfaces to websites.
In plain words
Microsoft’s announcement calls it an open project to make it easy to turn any site into an AI-powered app. Its GitHub page describes it as a collection of open protocols and associated open source tools.
It builds on data many sites already publish, such as Schema.org markup and RSS feeds.
Example
With NLWeb, a recipe site could let visitors and agents ask for "quick vegetarian dinners" and answer from its own recipe data.
Why it matters for AI search
Every NLWeb instance also acts as an MCP server, with a core "ask" method for asking a website a question in natural language.
Answers come back in Schema.org format, so structured data you already have gets reused. The project notes that Schema.org and RSS are used by over 100 million websites.
What you can do
- Get your Schema.org markup right first; NLWeb builds on it.
- Keep your RSS feeds and structured data accurate.
- Treat NLWeb as an option to explore, not as a requirement.
Often confused with
- WebMCP
- WebMCP runs tools inside the web page, in the browser. NLWeb adds a conversational endpoint to your site.
Sources
Facts and sources last checked on 19 October 2026.
Related terms
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