What is NLWeb?
TL;DR
NLWeb (Natural Language Web) is an open protocol that lets AI agents send natural-language questions to your website and receive structured JSON answers.
Last updated: 2026-03-09
Definition#
NLWeb (Natural Language Web) is an open protocol developed by Microsoft that provides a standard way for AI agents to query websites using natural language. Instead of crawling and parsing HTML, an AI agent can send a question to your NLWeb endpoint and get a structured answer.
The protocol uses the well-known URL path
/.well-known/nlweb. AI agents send GET requests with a q parameter containing their question. Your server processes the question, searches your content, and returns a JSON response with answers, confidence scores, and source links.
NLWeb represents a shift from passive content (AI scrapes your pages) to active communication (AI asks you directly). It gives you more control over how your information is presented in AI answers.Why It Matters for AI Readiness#
NLWeb is a forward-looking protocol. Early adoption signals to AI platforms that your site is prepared for the agentic web. The AgentReady™ scanner checks for NLWeb endpoints as part of the AI Protocols factor.
For implementation instructions, see How to Implement NLWeb. For a full protocol explanation, see NLWeb Protocol.
Related Concepts#
NLWeb sits between llms.txt (static site summary) and MCP (full AI interaction). It is part of the emerging agentic web ecosystem.
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