Cobrowsing
What is cobrowsing, how does it work, and why do you want the option for your contact center?

What is cobrowsing?

Whatās the difference between cobrowsing and screen sharing?
You may think that cobrowsing sounds a lot like screen sharing, and youāre not wrong, they are similar. Both are visual engagement tools, but there are some key differences:
Cobrowsing
- No software download is required. By just clicking a button, contact center agents can instantly connect to the clientās browserāafter asking permission first.
- Agents can only see the active browser tab of the client.
- Agents can perform actions on the clientās browser (scroll, highlight, write text) to provide visual guidance or do things on behalf of the client.
- Agents canāt see the clientās confidential data because of data masking.
Screen sharing
- Typically, both parties must install an application first before they can start sharing screens.
- Agents can see either the clientās full desktop or application window. (It depends on what the client chooses to share.)
- Agents canāt perform actions on the clientās screen. They can only provide verbal instructions while on a video call.
- Agents can see everything displayed on the screen, so clients must be extra careful not to show their private information.
As you can see, collaborative browsing is a faster, more convenient, and secure way to engage with customers, particularly those having trouble navigation or using your company website.
Note: Many businesses use screen sharing for other purposes. Itās a useful feature of modern video calling applications. Itās best for online meetings, webinars, and other activities that involve presenting to a big group of remote participants.

How do you use cobrowse in practice?
- Navigating from one page to another
- Filling out complex forms
- Completing payments and other transactions
- Finding reference materials
- Changing account settings
- Choosing the right product among available offerings
Technical support
Upselling & cross-selling
Customer onboarding
Online application & form completion
Cobrowsing software benefits: Why your contact center may need it
- Reduce customer effort: Instead of those awkward calls where agents try to talk a customer through online processes, they can simply show them what to do. This makes it simpler and quicker for the customer to achieve what theyāre looking for.
- Improve customer satisfaction: By reducing customer effort, youāll boost customer satisfaction. Not only have you solved the customers problem quickly, but simply by having cobrowsing available, youāve shown them that you care about your customers.
- Boost customer loyalty: More satisfied customers are typically more loyal customers. When was the last time you walked away from a brand you associated with great customer experience?
- Increase online conversions: Cobrowsing isnāt just useful for customer support, it can help your sales, too. For instance, a cobrowsing session can help agents better demonstrate the capabilities of online software for upselling and cross-selling purposes.
- Reduce average handle time: Not only is it often easier and more satisfying for customers to resolve issues with cobrowsing, it can be much faster, too. A quick collaborative demo often takes much less time than confusing back-and-forth over the phone or by live chat.
- Exceed customer expectations: When a customer reaches out, they may not know that cobrowsing is an option. Presenting them with the innovative solution to their issues, therefore, will exceed their expectations. Doing that is a great way to keep them happy andāif youāre luckyāget them singing your praises to others.
How to cobrowse with RingCX
- Use the left navigation bar to navigate to Routing mode.
- Select the relevant messaging threadāthe one with the customer in questionāand open it in the middle panel.
- Explain the cobrowsing feature to the customer and ask their permission to start a collaborative browsing session.
- Once they grant their permission, select the Cobrowsing screen icon at the bottom of the screen, below the message field.
- The customerās screen will then appear in the right pane, while the message thread remains on the left-hand side.
- Take control: The agent takes control of the customerās screen by selecting the Take control icon at the the top-right of the interface. They can then do things like move the customerās cursor, click links, fill in forms, and more.
- Highlight: The Highlight wand icon is also in the upper right corner. By selecting this, agents can select and highlight key areas of the customerās screen. Itās a little less invasive option to point the customer in the right direction without taking full control.
The best cobrowsing solutions: What to look for
- WebRTC-based: Itās crucial that your chosen cobrowse software is built with this technology because it enables real-time communication on mobile applications as well as browsers. This means there will be no downloads, installations, or plugins required for you and your clients.
- Data masking: This security feature hides sensitive information of customers from an agentās view. This means that confidential data like social security numbers, credit card numbers, and passwords will be kept private.
- Session controls and restrictions: Customers must have full control over the cobrowsing session. Agents are only allowed to see and control what the customer wants them to access.
- Cobrowse code: This feature allows the agents and customers to start a cobrowsing session during a phone conversation.
- Mobile SDK: This feature lets agents provide support to your mobile app users, so they wonāt have to switch to a mobile browser.
- Annotation tools: These cobrowsing software features enable agents to write text, highlight parts, and draw around the page to get the website visitorās attention. Theyāre useful for giving visual instructions and clarifying complex transactions.
- Dual/named cursors: These help identify which actions belong to the agent or the website visitor. They eliminate confusion and make it easier for the customer to follow along.
- Omnichannel capability: Connect and cobrowse with your customers on their preferred channel: live chat, video chat, or phone call.
- Integrations: Integrate cobrowsing technology with your existing customer relationship management system and other third-party platforms.
Is cobrowsing safe?
- During the session, the agent is only allowed to see the specific browser tab on which the client is asking for assistance. They canāt see other tabs or the entire customer desktop, so your client wonāt have to worry about showing overly personal or unrelated details.
- Equipped with data masking, the clientās sensitive information such as credit card numbers, social security numbers, and login credentials are hidden from the agentās view.
- Agent controls are limited. For example, they canāt click the submit button, so they wonāt be able to complete transactions or purchase products.
- Your clients donāt need to download or install any software, so they wonāt have to worry about the risk of computer viruses.

Pro-tip: To ensure secure cobrowsing, partner with a service provider thatās verified by trusted institutions and that complies with all major data and security regulations. RingCentral, for example, is certified secure by AICPA, HIPAA, Hitrust, and McAfee.