Microsoft Launches NLWeb To Simplify Website-Agent Interactions
Web
pixabay
Microsoft unveiled NLWeb at Build 2025, offering developers a way to integrate conversational AI capabilities into websites with minimal code. This open-source project enables websites to communicate with both human users and AI agents through natural language interfaces, potentially transforming how users and AI systems interact with web content.
Unlike previous web interface innovations that focused on visual elements, NLWeb addresses a fundamental shift toward conversational interactions. As AI agents gain prominence across business and consumer applications, websites need standardized methods to communicate with these systems. NLWeb provides this bridge, allowing websites to serve as both human conversation endpoints and machine-readable data sources for emerging AI ecosystems.
Essentially, NLWeb offers a standard schema and a protocol to add conversational user experience to almost any website.
NLWeb functions as a lightweight framework that leverages existing web standards like Schema.org and RSS to build conversational capabilities. The system processes user queries through language models, performs semantic searches against website content and generates natural responses. A retailer might implement NLWeb to help customers find specific products through conversational queries like 'show me business casual clothes under $50' rather than navigating traditional category filters.
The technical architecture is designed to be provider agnostic, supporting multiple AI models and vector databases. This flexibility allows developers to choose components that match their needs without vendor lock-in. The framework includes connectors to popular language models from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google and various vector database options, including Qdrant, Milvus and Snowflake.
Each NLWeb implementation functions as a Model Context Protocol server, adhering to Anthropic's emerging standard for connecting AI models with data sources. This dual functionality means websites can simultaneously serve human visitors through chat interfaces while making their content available to external AI systems that support MCP. For instance, a recipe website using NLWeb could provide ingredient substitution recommendations to visitors while also enabling external AI assistants to access its recipe database when users ask cooking questions.
From a development perspective, NLWeb significantly reduces implementation complexity. The GitHub repository contains core service code, model connectors, data ingestion tools and a web server frontend. Beyond the technical components, NLWeb includes tools for processing structured data from various formats including Schema.org JSON-LD, RSS feeds and XML sitemaps.
Several organizations have already implemented NLWeb during early testing phases. The initial cohort includes media companies like Chicago Public Media and Hearst, e-commerce platforms like Shopify and travel sites like Tripadvisor. These early implementations demonstrate the framework's versatility across different types of web content and business models.
NLWeb enters a competitive landscape of agent frameworks and standards. Companies like Google, Anthropic and numerous startups offer tools for building AI agents and enabling cross-agent communication. Microsoft positions NLWeb to serve as a foundational standard similar to how HTML standardized document sharing on the web. However, the proliferation of competing standards creates challenges for adoption, as developers face potential framework fatigue amid rapidly evolving technologies.
The business value proposition centers on making website content more accessible to both humans and AI systems. For website owners, implementing NLWeb potentially increases content discoverability as AI assistants become more prominent in user search behaviors. E-commerce sites could expand customer reach by making product catalogs accessible to shopping assistants, while content publishers might gain additional distribution channels through AI recommendation systems.
For technology decision makers, NLWeb represents both opportunity and complexity. The framework offers a standardized approach to conversational interfaces without requiring expertise in prompt engineering or complex language model integration. However, implementation still requires technical resources for data preparation, model selection and ongoing maintenance. Organizations must also consider data privacy implications when exposing content to AI systems.
The headless agent aspect proves particularly significant for enterprise architecture. NLWeb-enabled sites can function as endpoints for autonomous AI systems, enabling machine-to-machine workflows without human intervention. This capability supports emerging multi-agent systems where specialized AI agents collaborate to complete complex tasks. For example, a procurement system might use multiple agents to research products, compare specifications and place orders, with NLWeb-enabled supplier websites providing structured product information.
Security and governance concerns remain important considerations. Exposing website content to AI agents through standardized interfaces creates new attack surfaces and data leakage risks. Organizations implementing NLWeb should develop clear policies regarding which content becomes available to external systems and how user interactions with conversational interfaces are monitored.
Looking forward, NLWeb's impact depends on adoption rates across the web ecosystem. Microsoft brings considerable influence through its developer platforms and AI partnerships, but widespread implementation requires demonstration of tangible business value. The technology appears most immediately valuable for information-rich websites where users benefit from natural language navigation of complex content. As AI assistants become more integrated into daily workflows, NLWeb-enabled sites may gain competitive advantages through improved machine discoverability and interaction capabilities.
For technology leaders, NLWeb represents another step toward an increasingly agentic computing environment where humans and AI systems collaborate through natural language interfaces. Organizations should evaluate NLWeb as part of broader AI integration strategies, considering both customer-facing applications and backend integration with emerging agent ecosystems.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Federal Express founder Fred Smith dies aged 80
Fred Smith, founder of the US parcel delivery giant Federal Express, has died at the age of 80, the company has announced. Mr Smith founded the firm in 1973 having previously served in the US Marine Corps. He ran the company as CEO until 2022. "Fred was more than just the pioneer of an industry and the founder of our great company. He was the heart and soul of FedEx," current boss Raj Subramaniam wrote in a memo to staff. Born in 1944, Mr Smith started FedEx with 389 staff and 14 small planes that carried 186 packages from Memphis to 25 cities within the US. "He was a mentor to many and a source of inspiration to all. He was also a proud father, grandfather, husband, Marine, and friend," Mr Subramaniam said. FedEx now has more than 500,000 employees across the globe and delivers millions of packages a day. Its operations involve 705 aircraft and 200,000 vehicles, according to its website.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Debunking the Myth: Is the U.S. Dollar About to Collapse?
The U.S. dollar has been the world's primary reserve currency since the end of World War II. Despite viral stories proclaiming that countries in the BRICS bloc (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) are ditching the dollar, experts aren't too concerned — at least not in the near term. In fact, talk of a world without the U.S. dollar is largely considered a hype-driven myth. Read More: Find Out: So, what makes the U.S. dollar unlikely to collapse anytime soon? Here's what the experts say. While it's unlikely that the U.S. dollar will implode overnight, there are reasons why so many people are concerned. 'Typically, currencies follow interest rate differentials — when bond yields go up, the local currency gets stronger. But in the case of the U.S. dollar, it's been behaving like an emerging market currency: higher bond yields, weaker equities, and a falling currency,' said Christopher Vecchio, global co-head of macro at Tastylive. 'So it's concerning, particularly in [the] context of this relationship unfolding with the Trump tariffs.' Some sources indicate that President Trump could be undermining the U.S. dollar's position as the global reserve currency. In particular, talk about imposing steep tariffs on the country's international trading partners has had a notable impact on the U.S. and global stock markets. Depending on how things play out, there could be a threat to the dollar's current status. Discover Next: Other experts agree that the U.S. dollar is unlikely to be on the verge of collapse. Much of this is due to its resilience in the world financial system. 'It serves as the world's primary reserve currency, is central to international trade, and is widely held by central banks around the world,' said Joshua Charles, CEO and founder at Frontier Dominion. 'This foundational role provides the dollar with considerable stability, even when domestic fiscal policy is under strain. Many other currencies lack the same level of trust due to issues like limited export diversity, underdeveloped capital markets, or inconsistent fiscal management.' Charles noted that social media, alternative investment advocates, and financial influencers have largely added to the myth that the dollar is about to collapse. It's still important to keep aware of the current issues, like political gridlock and mounting U.S. debt, though. The U.S. dollar could weaken over time, but the idea that it's at the end of its line is still largely based on hype. Right now, the majority of global commerce runs on the U.S. dollar. Last year, nearly half (48%) of all global payments on SWIFT were made in USD. That's up from the 45% it was 10 years ago. 'But here's the rub: the reason why so many other countries use U.S. dollars is because they need to recycle them from America's trade with each country. Trade deficits for the U.S. are surpluses elsewhere, and those surpluses are recycled into USD-denominated assets,' said Vecchio. Things could change, but not right now. 'One can surmise that if the U.S. is reordering the global trade system to, well, trade less with the rest of the world, then the U.S. dollar may no longer be as desirable in time — but that would be a long way off in the future,' said Vecchio. More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Warns of 'Red Rural Recession' -- 4 States That Could Get Hit Hard 10 Cars That Outlast the Average Vehicle Mark Cuban Tells Americans To Stock Up on Consumables as Trump's Tariffs Hit -- Here's What To Buy This article originally appeared on Debunking the Myth: Is the U.S. Dollar About to Collapse?
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Which 3 Tech Giants Could Cross the $3 Trillion Mark Next?
Amazon has a clear path toward a $3 trillion market cap through its cloud computing growth and AI investments. While it faces some obstacles, Alphabet has the right collection of businesses to hit $3 trillion in the next few years. The combination of AI and serving ads on WhatsApp and Threads should help drive Meta Platforms to a $3 trillion market cap in the coming years. 10 stocks we like better than Amazon › While not all have stayed there, there have been three tech giants that have crossed the $3 trillion market cap threshold: Microsoft, Nvidia, and Apple. The more compelling question now is: which companies are best positioned to be the next to join the $3 trillion club? In my view, the most likely candidates are Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOGL) (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Let's take a closer look at these three stocks and see what it will take for them to get there. With nearly a $2.3 trillion market cap, Amazon is the closest company to join the $3 trillion club. It would need to see its stock price rise by about 33% to reach this exclusive club. The probability of this happening in the next few years looks promising. The company is the market leader in two important fields: cloud computing and e-commerce. Its cloud computing unit, Amazon Web Services (AWS), is its largest business by profitability. It's also its fastest-growing segment, with revenue jumping 17% last quarter. AWS is benefiting from the trend in artificial intelligence (AI) in two main ways. One is that customers are flocking to use its services, such as Bedrock and Sagemaker, to help customize, build, and deploy AI models and apps. They are then running them on its data center infrastructure, leading to a nice recurring revenue stream. Amazon has also developed its own custom AI chips through an in-house subsidiary, which helps give it a cost advantage. With the company investing heavily in AI infrastructure to keep up with demand, this is a nice advantage. Amazon's e-commerce business, meanwhile, is a solid high single-digit to low double-digit revenue grower. However, the company is using AI to help make both its logistics and warehouse operations more efficient, which is leading to lower costs and increased profitability in this segment. It is also using AI to help power its high-margin sponsored ad business, which has become the fastest-growing part of its e-commerce segment. With Amazon's stock trading at one of the more attractive valuations in its history, the path to hitting $3 trillion over the next few years looks pretty clear, barring a big recession. Not trailing far behind Amazon in market cap is Alphabet at just over $2.1 trillion. To reach $3 trillion, the stock would have to rise a little more than 42% from current levels. While I think the likelihood of this happening in the next few years is high, the company admittedly has some obstacles as well. The biggest hurdle to Alphabet reaching a $3 trillion market cap would be if the company faced harsh penalties from its antitrust trial, such as having to sell off its Chrome browser or Android smartphone operating systems or even being forced to break up. However, it does appear that U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is leaning more toward lighter penalties, given the rise of AI competition. Therein lies the other risk for Alphabet, with new competition coming from AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Grok, as well as AI-powered search engines from companies like PerplexityAI. Investors are worried about the impact that AI will have on Google's search dominance, and there is certainly a shift occurring. However, Google does have a couple of nice advantages. First, it has strong distribution through Chrome and Android, as well as deals to be the default search engine on Apple devices and other browsers. Second, Alphabet has spent decades building one of the most expansive ad networks on the planet, which allows it to serve both major brands and small local businesses. Meanwhile, the company is no slouch in AI. Its Gemini model has received strong benchmark scores, and it's been focusing on AI features that will help with monetization, such as virtual outfit try-ons and agentic AI-powered checkout. While many AI start-ups will be struggling to scale and turn a profit, Alphabet is well positioned to turn its AI investments into earnings much sooner. Throw in Alphabet's fast-growing cloud computing business, its emerging Waymo robotaxi business, and leading YouTube streaming platform to go along with one of the cheapest valuations in the mega-cap tech space, and the company has a solid path to joining the $3 trillion market cap club. With a market cap of just under $1.8 trillion, Meta Platforms has the most work to do to get to a $3 trillion market cap. The stock would have to climb about 72% from current levels to join the exclusive club. However, I would not count it out. Meta Platforms was the fastest-growing of the the three companies last quarter, with its revenue jumping 16%. AI is helping power its results, with the company seeing increased user engagement and better ad performance being driven by its proprietary Llama AI model. This, in turn, is leading to more ad inventory and higher prices. Last quarter, ad impressions rose 5%, while ad prices jumped 10%. However, what can really drive Meta's stock forward to that $3 trillion market is new monetization opportunities. Just this month, the company announced it will begin to serve ads on its popular WhatsApp messaging platform. With more than 3 billion monthly users, including more than 100 million in the U.S., these new ads represent a huge opportunity. The ads will appear in the status section of the messaging app and will be visible through the updates tab. In addition, the company is in the midst of building out another social media platform called Threads. The platform is growing quickly and has more than 350 million active monthly users, as last reported. It has also just started to gradually serve ads on Threads, as well. Between more ad inventory, higher ad prices due to improved effectiveness, and Meta just beginning to serve ads on two platforms it hasn't served ads on before, the company has the opportunity to reach the $3 trillion mark in the next few years. Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $664,089!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $881,731!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 172% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 9, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Which 3 Tech Giants Could Cross the $3 Trillion Mark Next? was originally published by The Motley Fool
