When you use Copilot in Microsoft Edge, it can pull information from any web page you visit. This broad access may lead to irrelevant or low-quality results. Retrieval scoping lets you restrict Copilot to only read content from your top sites, such as frequently used work portals or intranet pages. This article explains how retrieval scoping works and provides the exact steps to configure it in Microsoft Edge.
Key Takeaways: Restricting Copilot to Top Sites
- Copilot settings in Edge > Manage top sites: Controls which URLs Copilot can read for grounded responses.
- Copilot pane > Context menu > Set as top site: Adds the current page to your restricted retrieval list.
- Edge settings > Privacy, search, and services > Top sites: Removes or reorders sites in the restricted list.
Why Retrieval Scoping Matters for Copilot in Edge
Copilot in Microsoft Edge can retrieve content from the active tab, the entire browser history, or specific sites you designate. Without retrieval scoping, Copilot may attempt to summarize or answer questions based on every open tab or all visited pages. This can produce noisy results, especially if you have many tabs open or if your browsing history contains unrelated topics.
Retrieval scoping solves this by limiting the sources Copilot uses to only the sites you mark as top sites. Top sites are URLs you explicitly set as important. Copilot then ignores all other pages unless you manually ask it to read a specific tab. This feature is useful for knowledge workers who rely on a fixed set of internal tools, dashboards, or reference pages.
The scoping applies to the Copilot sidebar in Edge. It does not affect Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps like Word or Teams. The setting is per Edge profile, so you can configure different top sites for work and personal profiles.
Steps to Restrict Copilot Retrieval to Top Sites
Follow these steps to enable retrieval scoping and add sites to your top sites list.
- Open the Copilot pane in Edge
Click the Copilot icon in the upper-right corner of the Edge toolbar. The Copilot pane opens on the right side of the browser window. - Open the context menu for the current page
Right-click any empty area of the Copilot pane. A context menu appears. If you right-click the web page itself, you will see a different menu. Make sure you right-click inside the Copilot pane area. - Select Set as top site
From the context menu, click Set as top site. The current page URL is added to your top sites list. Copilot will now include this site when generating grounded responses. - Verify the site appears in top sites settings
Open Edge settings by clicking the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner and selecting Settings. Go to Privacy, search, and services. Scroll to the Services section and click Top sites. You should see the URL you just added. You can also remove or reorder sites here. - Test retrieval scoping
Navigate to a page that is not in your top sites list. Ask Copilot a question about the page content. Copilot should respond with something like “I can’t access that page” or ignore the page content entirely. If Copilot still reads the page, repeat steps 2-3 to ensure the page is not accidentally marked as a top site.
Adding Multiple Sites at Once
You can add multiple sites by repeating steps 2-3 for each URL. There is no bulk import feature in the current version. Each site must be added individually from the Copilot pane context menu.
Removing a Site from Top Sites
To remove a site, go to Edge settings > Privacy, search, and services > Top sites. Click the X icon next to the site you want to remove. The site is removed immediately. Copilot will no longer restrict retrieval to that site.
If Copilot Still Reads Untrusted Pages
If you have configured top sites but Copilot still retrieves content from other pages, check these common issues.
Copilot Retrieves Content from the Active Tab Even When Not a Top Site
By design, Copilot can always read the content of the active tab. Retrieval scoping restricts what Copilot uses from your browsing history and other open tabs, not the active tab. If you want to prevent Copilot from reading the current page, close the tab or navigate to a different page before asking a question.
Top Sites List Is Empty After Restart
The top sites list is tied to your Edge profile. If you signed in with a different profile or cleared browser data, the list may reset. Verify you are using the same profile where you added the sites. To avoid losing the list, do not clear the Edge browsing history or site data while keeping the top sites setting.
Copilot Still Summarizes Pages Not in Top Sites
If you ask Copilot a question that requires reading a page not in your top sites list, Copilot may still attempt to read it if you explicitly mention the page URL or title. Retrieval scoping is not a security boundary. It is a convenience feature to reduce noise. For strict data access control, use Microsoft Purview compliance policies or block specific sites at the network level.
Retrieval Scoping vs Full Browsing History Access
| Item | Restricted to Top Sites | Full Browsing History |
|---|---|---|
| Data sources | Only URLs you mark as top sites | All visited URLs in browsing history |
| Active tab access | Always read | Always read |
| Configuration effort | Manual per-site addition | None |
| Result relevance | High if top sites are well-chosen | Variable, depends on browsing habits |
| Privacy impact | Lower, Copilot sees fewer pages | Higher, Copilot sees all history |
You can now restrict Copilot to only read your top sites in Microsoft Edge. Start by adding your most-used work portals, intranet pages, and reference documents. For teams, share a list of recommended top sites so everyone gets consistent results. To further refine Copilot output, combine retrieval scoping with grounded prompts that specify which site to use.