Work with co-browse for web chat sessions

On January 27, 2025, Genesys will no longer support the legacy co-browse for chat and voice functions in Genesys Cloud. Genesys encourages its customers to migrate to the new co-browse for Messenger, which supports web messaging and voice. For more information, see Deprecation: Legacy co-browse and screen share.
Prerequisites

For chat:

  • Cobrowse > Session > View permission 
  • Cobrowse > Chat > Escalate permission

For voice (legacy):

  • Cobrowse > Session > View permission
  • Cobrowse > Voice > Escalate permission

A co-browse session is an addition to an interaction that allows you to simultaneously browse a webpage with the user that you are interacting with. With co-browse, you can more quickly answer questions users have about a webpage or help sharers complete a process. If the sharer gives permission, then you can also take control of the screen to help the sharer navigate or complete a form. Genesys Cloud shows a link icon between an interaction and its associated co-browse session. 

Co-browse sessions have a sharer and one viewer:

  • Sharer: The user who shares their screen, usually a customer. 
  • Viewer: The user who sees the shared screen, usually an agent. An agent can run one co-browse session at a time.

Picture of a co-browse session

Co-browse gives both the sharer and the viewer more tools for communication:

  • When the viewer or the sharer click anywhere on the page, co-browse marks the place that the user clicked with a colored circle graphic.
  • The viewer can request control of the page. For example, an agent can ask for control to fill out part of a form themselves.
  • Both the sharer and the viewer can add text annotations, which Genesys Cloud displays to both users.
  • Administrators can configure the shared page so that any sensitive information on the sharer’s side is not displayed to the viewer. 

  1. In an existing web chat, click Start Screen Share. 
    A message appears in the sharer’s chat window requesting that they share their browser.
  2. Ask the sharer to click Start Sharing. 

After the sharer accepts the request, Genesys Cloud creates a co-browse session between you and the sharer. You can now see the sharer’s browser.

  1. In an existing voice interaction, click Start Screen Share. 
    Interactions panel: Start Screen Share
    Genesys Cloud generates a Security Key.
  2. Help the sharer locate the security key text box in your application. The location of this box varies based on your organization’s use of co-browse.
  3. Ask the sharer to enter the security key as you read it. (The space is not part of the key.)
  4. Ask the sharer to click Share your screen. 

After the sharer successfully enters the key and clicks Share your screen, Genesys Cloud creates a co-browse session between you and the sharer. You can now see the sharer’s browser.

You can view a co-browse session fullscreen mode, which helps you more easily see the shared page.

To enter full-screen mode, click Fullscreen mode.

To exit full-screen mode, click Exit fullscreen mode.

When you have control of the page, you can complete the following actions:

  • Type in text fields on the sharer’s page.
  • Select check boxes and other form fields.
  • Advance to the next screen.
  1. Click Request control. Genesys Cloud sends the sharer a message that asks the sharer to allow the request: Co-browse request control of a page
  2. Wait for the sharer to allow the request.

Note: If you want the sharer to navigate to another site, you can click Request navigation to send the complete URL for the site you want the sharer to visit.

Click Release control. Genesys Cloud returns you to view only mode.

Annotations help you mark specific places on the sharer’s screen.

  1. Click the annotate icon. co-browse annotate button
  2. Type a note.
  3. Click Save. The sharer sees your note.

To resize the viewer by percentage, drag the slider.resize co-browse viewer

To resize the viewer so that the sharer’s screen fits inside your viewer, select Resize to Fit.

 To end a co-browse session, click End Screen share. Ending a session does not end the associated interaction.