You open Copilot in Microsoft Edge, have a productive conversation, then refresh the browser tab. The entire chat history is gone. This problem affects users who rely on Copilot for research, drafting, or troubleshooting across multiple sessions. The root cause is a browser storage setting that deletes site data when the tab closes or refreshes. This article explains why this happens and provides a permanent fix using browser settings and a Microsoft 365 configuration option.
Key Takeaways: Restoring Copilot Chat History After Refresh
- Microsoft Edge > Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies and site data: Add copilot.microsoft.com and chat.bing.com to the allowed list to prevent automatic deletion.
- Microsoft Edge > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Clear browsing data on close: Disable this option or exclude Copilot URLs to retain chat history across browser sessions.
- Microsoft 365 admin center > Copilot > Chat history retention: Set retention policy to 30 or 90 days for enterprise users to prevent server-side deletion.
Why Copilot Chat History Vanishes After a Browser Refresh
Copilot stores chat history in two places: locally in the browser’s IndexedDB storage and remotely on Microsoft servers for signed-in users. When you refresh the page, the browser reloads the web app and attempts to read the local storage. If the browser deletes site data on close or refresh, the local copy is gone. The server-side history remains, but the Copilot interface may fail to retrieve it if the session token expires or the local cache is missing.
The most common trigger is a browser setting called “Clear browsing data on close.” When enabled, Edge or Chrome removes cookies, site data, and IndexedDB storage for all sites every time the browser closes. A browser refresh alone does not trigger this, but closing and reopening the browser does. If you refresh the page frequently without closing the browser, the history should persist. The problem appears when you close the browser and reopen it, then refresh Copilot.
A second cause is a misconfigured Microsoft 365 retention policy. For enterprise users, the Copilot admin settings may limit chat history to 24 hours. After that period, the server deletes the conversation. A browser refresh coinciding with this deletion makes it look like the refresh caused the loss.
How IndexedDB Storage Works in Copilot
Copilot uses IndexedDB, a browser-based database, to store your chat threads locally. This allows the interface to load previous conversations instantly without a server request. When you refresh the page, Copilot queries the IndexedDB to rebuild the chat list. If the browser deletes the IndexedDB data, the list appears empty. IndexedDB data is site-specific and persists until you clear site data or the browser enforces a storage quota limit.
Steps to Prevent Copilot Chat History From Disappearing
The following steps address both the browser-side and server-side causes. Perform them in the order listed.
- Open Edge browser settings
Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of Edge. Select Settings from the dropdown menu. - Navigate to privacy, search, and services
In the left sidebar, click Privacy, search, and services. Scroll down to the Clear browsing data section. - Disable clear browsing data on close
Click Choose what to clear every time you close the browser. Toggle off Cookies and other site data. If you prefer to keep this feature enabled for other sites, click Add and enter copilot.microsoft.com. This excludes Copilot data from the automatic deletion. - Manage cookies and site permissions
Go to Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies and site data. Scroll down to Allow sites to always save cookies and site data. Click Add and type []copilot.microsoft.com. Repeat this step for []chat.bing.com. - Clear existing site data for Copilot
In the same section, click See all cookies and site data. Search for copilot.microsoft.com. Delete any entries that exist. This forces Copilot to create a fresh IndexedDB database on the next visit, ensuring no corrupted data causes display issues. - Sign out of Copilot and sign back in
Open Copilot in a new tab. Click your profile icon in the upper-right corner. Select Sign out. Close the tab, reopen Copilot, and sign in again. This refreshes the session token and forces Copilot to rebuild the local storage from the server. - Check Microsoft 365 admin retention settings (enterprise only)
Sign in to the Microsoft 365 admin center. Go to Settings > Org settings > Copilot. Under Chat history retention, select 30 days or 90 days. Click Save. This prevents the server from deleting conversations within 24 hours.
If Copilot Still Has Issues After the Main Fix
Copilot Chat History Shows Only the Current Session
If the history still appears empty after applying the browser settings, the problem may be a corrupted IndexedDB database. Open Edge developer tools by pressing F12. Go to the Application tab. In the left sidebar, expand IndexedDB and select copilot. Right-click the database and select Delete. Refresh the Copilot tab and sign in again. The server will repopulate the history.
Copilot Shows No History After a Microsoft 365 Update
A Microsoft 365 update can reset the chat history retention policy to the default 24-hour setting. Verify the retention policy in the admin center as described in step 7. If the policy is correct, wait up to 15 minutes for the change to propagate. Then sign out and sign back into Copilot.
Copilot History Disappears in Chrome or Firefox
The same IndexedDB behavior occurs in Chrome and Firefox. In Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data. Select Allow all cookies. Then add []copilot.microsoft.com to the Always can use cookies list. In Firefox, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data. Click Manage Exceptions and add https://copilot.microsoft.com with Allow.
| Item | Edge | Chrome |
|---|---|---|
| Setting location | Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies and site data | Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data |
| Allow list method | Add []copilot.microsoft.com to Always allow | Add []copilot.microsoft.com to Sites that can always use cookies |
| IndexedDB reset | F12 > Application tab > IndexedDB > Delete database | F12 > Application tab > IndexedDB > Delete database |
| Clear on close default | Disabled by default | Disabled by default |
You can now prevent Copilot chat history from disappearing after a browser refresh by configuring the Edge or Chrome allow list and adjusting the Microsoft 365 retention policy. Test the fix by refreshing the browser tab multiple times and reopening the browser. If the history persists, the fix is complete. For advanced control, use the IndexedDB reset method to clear corrupted local data without affecting server-side history.