Microsoft has unveiled a new open project called NLWeb at its Build 2025 developer conference, aimed at transforming how users interact with websites. Short for Natural Language Web, NLWeb is designed to add AI-powered natural language interfaces to websites, enabling them to understand and respond to user queries just like a conversational assistant. Microsoft believes this innovation could be as foundational to the next era of the web as HTML was to the birth of websites. By embedding this AI layer, websites can evolve into more interactive and intelligent platforms.
In its announcement, Microsoft explained that NLWeb would essentially allow websites to become AI applications. Instead of relying on traditional search bars or structured navigation, users will be able to ask questions or make requests in natural language—such as “Show me the latest pricing plans” or “Summarize this article”—and receive relevant, AI-generated responses. This capability can significantly enhance user engagement and streamline access to content.
Beyond just chat interfaces, NLWeb introduces a deeper integration into the broader AI ecosystem. Each NLWeb-enabled site also acts as a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. MCP is an open standard, originally developed by Anthropic, that allows AI agents to access external data in a structured way. By supporting MCP, websites not only serve users directly but also make their content accessible to other AI agents and services, turning static web content into dynamic data sources.
Microsoft emphasized that NLWeb is fully open-source and available to developers starting today. Hosted on GitHub and integrated with the Azure AI Foundry Labs, the platform invites developers, researchers, and website owners to experiment, contribute, and help shape the future of AI-native web experiences. As more websites adopt NLWeb, it could lead to a more intelligent, agent-compatible internet where users interact naturally with the web—just like talking to an assistant.