Microsoft Unveils NLWeb, a New Open-Source Protocol to AI-Enable the Web

By Netvora Tech News

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In the late 1990s, the first generation of the web struggled with search functionality, leading to the rise of syndication protocols like Atom and RSS. These simplified ways for website owners to make their content easily available and searchable revolutionized the web. Today, a new group of protocols is emerging, this time focused on making websites easier for AI to interact with.

Anthropic's Model Control Protocol (MCP), Google's Agent2Agent, and large language models (LLMs) are already making waves in this space. The latest addition is Microsoft's open-source NLWeb (natural language web) effort, announced at the Build 2025 conference. NLWeb is directly linked to the first generation of web syndication standards, conceived and created by RV Guha, who helped develop RSS, RDF, and schema.org.

NLWeb enables websites to easily add AI-powered conversational interfaces, effectively turning any website into an AI app where users can query content using natural language. This is not about competing with other protocols; instead, NLWeb builds on top of them, using existing structured data formats like RSS. Each NLWeb instance functions as an MCP server.

How NLWeb Works to AI-Enable the Web for Enterprises

NLWeb uses a simple, intuitive approach to allow enterprises to easily integrate AI-powered conversational interfaces into their websites. This enables users to interact with content using natural language, making it a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance their online presence.

The Emerging AI Protocol Landscape: Many Choices for Enterprises

With the rise of NLWeb and other AI protocols, enterprises now have a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to integrating AI into their websites. While this may seem overwhelming, it ultimately provides businesses with the flexibility to select the protocol that best fits their needs and goals.

• Enterprises can choose the protocol that best aligns with their specific use cases.
• They can experiment with different protocols to determine the most effective approach.
• The emergence of multiple protocols drives innovation and competition, ultimately benefiting businesses and users alike.