Manage the sidebar in Microsoft Edge

This article describes the sidebar in Microsoft Edge and provides information about the procedures that admins can use to manage this feature in their organization.

Introduction to the sidebar

For a growing number of people, the browser has become the place where work happens. As the transition from juggling apps to switching tabs entrenches web-based tools in our workflows, the risks to productivity mount. With the sidebar in Microsoft Edge, Enterprise users can access the productivity tools they need while staying in their workflow.

Use group policies to manage the sidebar

Admins have several policy options for deploying and managing the sidebar in their organization. The following policies can be applied to the sidebar and the individual apps referenced by the sidebar.

Allow or block the sidebar in group policy

You can use HubsSidebarEnabled policy to control whether the sidebar is allowed or blocked in your organization. Blocking the sidebar will automatically block all sidebar apps from being enabled. On Microsoft Edge 116 or later, this policy allows or blocks the sidebar in Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

1. Open the group policy editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge and then select Show Hubs Sidebar.
2. To block the sidebar and all sidebar apps, select Disabled.
3. To allow the sidebar, select Enabled. The new setting will take affect after you restart the browser.

Note that blocking the sidebar removes access to the new Discover app that appears in the toolbar (Microsoft Edge 111 or later).

Open website or app in the sidebar

You can use the EdgeOpenInSidebarEnabled policy to open a website or app in the sidebar. If this policy is enabled a user can select Open in sidebar in Settings and more.

Use the following steps as a guide to configuring this policy.

1. Open the group policy editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge and then select Enable open in sidebar.
2. This policy is disabled by default. Select Enabled to let websites and apps open in the sidebar. The new setting will take affect after you restart the browser.

Customize sidebar

You can use the EdgeSidebarCustomizeEnabled policy to let users customize the sidebar by adding or deleting an app. If this policy is enabled, a user can mouseover the plus (+) sign, and then click Customize.

Use the following steps as a guide to configuring this policy.

1. Open the group policy editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge and then select Enable sidebar customize.
2. This policy is disabled by default. Select Enabled to let users customize the sidebar. The new setting will take affect after you restart the browser.

Block specific sidebar apps (Deprecated)

You can use the ExtensionInstallBlockList policy to control which sidebar apps are blocked.

Use the following steps as a guide to block a sidebar app.

1. Open the group policy management editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions and then select Control which extensions cannot be installed.
2. Select Enabled.
3. Click Show.
4. Enter the extension ID of the sidebar app that you want to block.
   • You can find Extension IDs for sidebar apps by going edge://sidebar-internals.
   • The Sidebar Internals JSON file includes a manifest for all sidebar apps, including an extension_id parameter for each app. You can use these values to configure the policy.
   • When adding multiple IDs, use a separate row for each ID.
5. To block all sidebar apps, refer to Allow or block the sidebar in group - policy. Disabling the HubsSidebarEnabled policy blocks all sidebar apps by default.

Block sidebar apps except Search using URLs

You can use the EdgeSidebarAppUrlHostBlockList policy to control which sidebar apps are blocked, except the Search app. To block the Search app, see Block the Search app.

URLs for apps

Built-in Edge apps include Copilot, Shopping, Tools, Games, Microsoft Office, Outlook, Drop, Eco tree, Image Creator, OneNote, Designer, and so on.

You can find these URLs at edge://sidebar-internals. The side-bar internals JSON file includes a manifest for built-in sidebar apps, including an "target": {"url": "xyz"} parameter for each app. You can use these values to configure the policy.

Use the following steps as a guide to configuring which apps can't be opened in the sidebar.

1. Open the group policy management editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge and then select Control which apps cannot be opened in Microsoft Edge sidebar.
2. Select Enabled.
3. Click Show.
4. Enter the URLs or URL patterns of the sidebar app that you want to block. For more information about valid URL patterns, see Filter format for URL list-based policies.
5. Click OK when you're finished entering URLs.

Block the Search app

The Search app doesn't have a URL. You can only use the ExtensionInstallBlockList policy to control the Search app.

Use the following steps as a guide to block the Search app.

1. Open the group policy management editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions.
2. Select Control which extensions cannot be installed.
3. Select Enabled.
4. Click Show.
5. Enter the extension ID of the Search app to block and then click OK.
   • The Search app extension_id, shown in the next screenshot is jbleckejnaboogigodiafflhkajdmpcl.
   • You can also find Extension ID for Search app by going to edge://sidebar-internals.
   • The Sidebar internals JSON file includes a manifest for all sidebar apps, including an extension_id parameter for each app. You can use these values to configure the policy.

Block all sidebar apps

There are two options for blocking all sidebar apps.

The first option is to disable the HubsSidebarEnabled policy to block all sidebar apps by default. For more information, see Allow or block the sidebar in group policy.

The second option is to set the EdgeSidebarAppUrlHostBlockList policy as * to block all sidebar apps except Search. Use the following steps as a guide to configure this policy.

1. Open the group policy management editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge and then select Control which apps cannot be opened in Microsoft Edge sidebar.
2. Select Enabled.
3. Click Show.
4. Enter * to block all sidebar apps except Search and then click OK. For information about blocking Search, see Block the Search app.

Allow specific sidebar apps (deprecated)

You can use the ExtensionInstallBlocklist and ExtensionInstallAllowlist policies to allow specific sidebar apps while blocking the rest of the sidebar apps. Use the following steps as a guide to exempt a specific sidebar app from the blocklist.

1. Open the group policy management editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions and then select "Control which extensions cannot be enabled".

2. Select Enabled.

3. Click Show.

4. Enter *.

   Use group policy to see what extensions can't be enabled:

   

5. In the group policy management editor, go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions and then select "Allow specific extensions to be installed".

6. Enter the Extension ID of the sidebar app that you want to allow.

   • You can find Extension IDs for sidebar apps by going to edge://sidebar-internals from the omnibox in Microsoft Edge.
   • The resulting manifest (which can be exported to JSON file) lists all the sidebar apps including an extension_id parameter for each app. You can use these values to configure the policy.
   • When adding multiple IDs, use a separate row for each ID.

7. The user can then choose to enable/disable the allowed sidebar app. To force enable a sidebar app, refer to the next section, which has information about the ExtensionInstallForcelist policy.

   Use group policy to allow the installation of specific extensions:

   

Allow specific sidebar apps except Search using URLs

You can use the EdgeSidebarAppUrlHostBlockList, ExtensionInstallBlocklist and EdgeSidebarAppUrlHostAllowlist policies to allow specific sidebar apps, (except the Search app) while blocking the rest of the sidebar apps. To allow the Search app, see Allow the Search app.

Use the following steps as a guide to exempt a specific sidebar app from the blocklist.

1. Follow the second option in Block all sidebar apps to block all sidebar apps.

2. In the group policy management editor, go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions and then select "Allow specific apps to be opened in Microsoft Edge sidebar".

3. Select Enabled.

4. Click Show.

5. Enter the URLs or URL patterns of the sidebar app that you want to allow. For more information about valid URL patterns, see Filter format for URL list-based policies.

6. Click OK when you're finished entering URLs. For example, [*.]youtube.com in the next screenshot.

   

Allow the Search app

The Search app doesn't have a URL. You can only use the ExtensionInstallAllowlist policy to allow the Search app while blocking the rest of the sidebar apps with the EdgeSidebarAppUrlHostBlockList, and ExtensionInstallBlocklist policies.

Use the following steps as a guide to allow the Search app.

1. Follow the second option in Block all sidebar apps to block all sidebar apps.

2. Open the group policy management editor and go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions.

3. Select  "Allow specific extensions to be installed".

4. Select Enabled.

5. Click Show.

6. Enter the Extension ID of the Search app to block and then click OK. Note that:

   • The Search app Extension ID (extension_id parameter), shown in the next screenshot is "jbleckejnaboogigodiafflhkajdmpcl".
   • You can also find Extension ID for Search app by going to edge://sidebar-internals.
   • The Sidebar internals JSON file includes a manifest for all sidebar apps, including an extension_id parameter for each app. You can use these values to configure the policy.

   

Force enable specific sidebar apps

Use the ExtensionInstallForceList policy to enable specific sidebar apps that users in your organization can't disable. Use the following steps as a guide to force enable a sidebar app.

1. In the Group Policy Editor, go to Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions and then select Control which extensions are installed silently.
2. Select Enabled.
3. Click Show.
4. Enter the extension ID(s) for the sidebar apps you want to force enable.

The sidebar app is enabled silently without needing any user interaction. The user won't be able to remove this app from the sidebar. This setting overwrites any blocklist policy that's enabled.

See also

• Microsoft Edge Enterprise landing page