Universal Co-browsing
Universal Co-browsing is a form of collaborative browsing that functions on any website or web application without requiring any prior code installation, plugins, or configuration on the target site.
What you need to know about Universal Co-browsing
While standard co-browsing tools require JavaScript snippets to be embedded on each webpage where collaboration is needed, universal co-browsing operates without any website modifications. This architectural difference transforms co-browsing from a limited, site-specific tool into a complete solution that works across the entire web ecosystem.
Surfly achieves universal co-browsing through its proprietary Interaction Middleware, which intercepts and reconstructs web traffic at the network level rather than relying on browser scripts. This approach solves the technical limitations that have restricted co-browsing adoption in enterprise environments where customer journeys span multiple domains, third-party payment processors and partner websites.
Capabilities Enabled by Universal Architecture
Universal co-browsing unlocks use cases that were previously impossible or impractical:
- Third-Party Integration Without APIs: Collaborate on external platforms like payment processors, identity verification services, or partner portals without requiring integration agreements or API access.
- Legacy System Compatibility: Works with older web applications that cannot be modified, including government systems, mainframe web interfaces, and proprietary platforms.
- Multi-Domain Business Processes: Support complex workflows that span multiple internal systems, each potentially on different domains or subdomains.
The importance of Universal Co-browsing
The adoption of universal co-browsing offers several operational and strategic advantages for organizations:
- Immediate Deployment: Businesses can implement and use co-browsing capabilities straightaway without lengthy IT projects for script deployment across numerous web pages or domains. This accelerates the time-to-value for the investment.
- Comprehensive Customer Journey Support: Agents can assist customers throughout their entire online experience, even if it involves navigating from the company’s primary website to a third-party service for payment processing, information lookup, or completing a related task. This provides a continuous and unbroken support interaction.
- Reduced IT Dependency and Maintenance: Since no code needs to be installed on target websites, there is no ongoing burden on IT teams to update or manage scripts as websites evolve or are redesigned. This lowers the total cost of ownership.
- Extended Use Case Applicability: The ability to co-browse on any site opens up new applications beyond direct customer support on owned properties. This includes guiding users through partner ecosystems, collaborating on external research, or providing assistance on government or regulatory portals.
How Universal Co-browsing relates to Surfly
Frequently asked questions about Universal Co-browsing
We’ve compiled answers to the most frequently asked questions about
Universal Co-browsing
.
Surfly's proxy-based architecture operates independently of any website's code. When you start a session, the proxy retrieves and processes web content in real-time, making any site collaborative without requiring permission or modification from the site owner. This enables support for third-party payment processors, government portals, or partner websites.
Universal co-browsing continues functioning without any action required. Since the technology doesn't rely on embedded scripts or specific page structures, website updates, redesigns, or even complete platform migrations don't affect co-browsing capability. The proxy adapts automatically to whatever content the website serves.
Yes. Surfly's session continuation feature securely transfers authentication cookies through the proxy, allowing co-browsing to persist after customer login. Both agent and customer see the authenticated view of the account, with sensitive data masked according to your security policies.
Universal co-browsing typically provides better performance because it synchronizes only DOM changes rather than capturing and transmitting interface states. The proxy infrastructure is optimized for minimal latency, and the absence of embedded scripts means no additional JavaScript execution burden on the client's browser.