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Try an Online Browser Sandbox

Enter a URL below to open it in an isolated, remote Chrome instance. No risk to your local network.

What is an online browser sandbox?

An online browser sandbox, also known as an online URL sandbox, lets you securely and safely open a website that you don't trust in a browser that runs in an isolated environment outside of your network. If the website contains an exploit or malware, your computer and other computers on the local network are not at risk as the browser runs in Browserling's infrastructure. The browser that you get via Browserling runs in a virtual machine on Browserling's servers, and it's live and interactive. You can download files, click links, run programs, and all these actions happen inside a virtual machine. Once you close the browser sandbox, the virtual machine gets destroyed together with all files and running processes.

How does Browserling's browser sandbox work?

At Browserling, we developed a cloud-based technology that streams browsers that run on our servers to your browser. The technology is similar to VNC or Remote Desktop but it doesn't require additional installs and runs via JavaScript in your browser. When you request a new browser, we start a fresh virtual machine that has the requested browser installed, and establish a secure websocket connection from your browser to the virtual machine. The virtual machine then streams the desktop changes back to your browser. As the virtual machine runs outside of your network, it's completely sandboxed.

What are URL sandbox use-cases?

The most common URL sandbox use-cases are:

• Opening links that you don't trust. Let's say you receive an email with a link but you aren't sure if it's safe. It could contain a virus, malware, or ransomware that could infect your computer. If you open it in a sandboxed browser, then you can see what's behind the link without risking infecting your computer.
• Testing phishing links. Hackers often send fake emails that look like password reset emails or verification emails. Such links often involve multiple redirects and you can't really know where they'll take you. To test such links, you can open them in an URL sandbox and see the final website that will load after all the redirects.
• Opening malicious links. If you already know that a link is malicious, then you can safely open it in a sandboxed browser and see what happens with the system. It's possible such links contain exploits that take over the entire system but you are completely safe as it happens in Browserling's virtual machine.
• Decoding short links. It's dangerous to click unknown bit.ly or t.co links as they are shortened and you don't know where they point to. You can use Browserling as a redirect detective and instantly see what the link resolves to. As soon as the short URL finishes redirecting, you can also interactively browse the final page.
• Running executables. When you come across an executable file (like .exe for Windows) from an unknown or untrusted source, it could be risky to run it on your own computer. These files may contain harmful software, such as viruses or spyware, which can damage your system or compromise your personal data. Using a sandboxed browser, you can safely execute these files in a controlled, isolated environment. This allows you to observe the behavior of the executable without any risk to your own system.
• Viewing PDF and Word documents. It's also dangerous to open unknown PDF and Word documents as they might contain macros that run on-open or zero-day exploits. We installed a PDF viewer and OpenOffice and you can test the documents without fear. If the documents contain something bad, your computer won't be affected as everything happens inside a Browserling virtual machine. Besides PDF and Word documents, you can also open Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, DJVU documents, and ePub and Mobi book formats.
• Testing browser exploits. Hackers often use websites to attack outdated browsers or plugins. If you suspect a webpage might contain an exploit, you can load it in a sandbox and see if it tries to run malicious code. This way, you don't risk your own system getting compromised.
• Exploring dark web links. If you ever come across a Tor or Onion link but don't want to expose your real device to the dark web, a sandboxed Tor browser lets you check it out safely. You can browse the site without revealing your IP address.
• Testing sites that behave differently by location. Some phishing pages, scam sites, or malware payloads only load in certain countries. With geo-browsing, you can open the same URL from different regions and see location-specific redirects, content, or payloads.
• Analyzing IP-based evasion techniques. Attackers often block datacenter IPs or show clean content to scanners. By switching between datacenter, residential, mobile, Tor, or your own IP, you can see how a site behaves for real users and uncover hidden logic.
• Testing sites that only work from your corporate IP. With the Bring Your Own IP feature, you can open URLs as if the request is coming from your own network, while still staying inside a sandbox. This helps investigate internal phishing, partner portals, or IP-restricted pages without opening links on a local machine.
• Investigating mobile-only phishing and scams. Many phishing pages only target iPhone or Android users. Using mobile sandboxing, you can test how a link behaves on iOS or Android browsers and catch attacks that never appear on desktop.
• Checking untrusted downloads. If you find a software download but aren't sure if it's safe, you can use our sandbox to download and inspect the file first. This helps avoid downloading trojans or ransomware directly onto your device. We have also installed hex editors, disassemblers, and other reverse engineering tools to make your investigations easier.
• Investigating cryptocurrency scam sites. Crypto scams are now everywhere. There are fake exchanges, suspicious investment platforms, and scam wallet apps. If you want to check if a crypto-related website is legit, you can open it in a sandbox first. This lets you see how it works, spot phishing tricks, and find possible risks without using your real account or device.
• Investigating browser extensions safely. If a link pushes users to install a browser extension, you can install and test it inside the sandbox to see what it does, what permissions it asks for, and how it behaves.
• Observing delayed or reboot-based behavior. Some malware waits before doing anything, or only triggers after a reboot. You can leave the sandbox running or reboot the virtual machine to see if new activity appears.

Try Browserling's URL Sandbox

To try our URL sandbox, enter an address of any website below, and we'll open it in Chrome that runs on our servers in our infrastructure:

The demo version lets you use Chrome 125 on a Windows 10 system. To access other browsers and systems, you'll need to get a paid plan.

Who uses Browserling's browser sandbox?

Browserling's browser sandbox has now become the tool of choice for security professionals and it's used by hundreds of thousands of users around the world. Our customers include governments, states, cities, banks, stock exchanges, universities, newspapers, Fortune 100 companies, and private multi-billion dollar companies.

Browser Sandbox FAQ

What browsers and operating systems can you sandbox?

You can run a sandboxed Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, Safari, and Tor browser. We have installed all Chrome versions, all Opera versions, all Firefox versions, Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11, a dozen of latest Edge versions, Safari versions 15, 16, 17, 18, 26, and multiple latest Tor browser versions. Some systems also have Vivaldi, Brave, Duck Duck Go, and Orion browsers.

You can also access the following Windows versions: Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11; almost all Android versions, starting from Android 4.4 all the way up to the latest Android 15; macOS versions 12, 13, 14, 15, 18; iOS versions 15, 16, 17, 18, and 26, including multiple iPhone and iPad devices; and Ubuntu and Kali Linux running in WSL. Coming soon, we're also adding native Linux platform with native Ubuntu, Kali, Debian, Slackware, and Arch.

Do you offer mobile sandboxing?

Yes. Browserling offers mobile sandboxing for both Android and iOS devices. You can access sandboxed browsers on iPhones and iPads, in addition to Android browsers.

Do you support iOS browser sandboxing?

Yes. Browserling supports sandboxed iOS browsers. This allows analysts to test how websites, phishing pages, and malicious content behave on mobile Safari and other supported browsers.

Does iOS sandboxing use real Safari?

Yes. iOS sandbox sessions use the native Safari browser that ships with each iOS version. This is important for accurate testing, since Safari handles JavaScript, storage, and security features differently than desktop browsers.

Can I sandbox websites on an iPhone?

Yes. You can run sandboxed browser sessions on iPhone devices across multiple iOS versions (versions 15, 16, 17, 18, 26). This is useful for analyzing mobile-specific phishing pages, fake login flows, and scams that only target iPhone users.

Can I sandbox websites on an iPad?

Yes. Browserling supports iPad browser sandboxing across multiple iPad models and iOS versions (versions 15, 16, 17, 18, 26). This helps test tablet-specific phishing content that behaves differently on larger mobile screens.

Can I use the browser sandbox for macOS testing?

Yes. You can run browsers on real macOS systems. This is useful when you need to see how a site, exploit, malware, or file behaves on native Safari or other browsers running on macOS. It helps catch macOS-specific issues that don't show up on Windows. macOS sandboxing is commonly used during phishing investigations and web-based threat analysis.

Can I run Linux tools alongside Windows analysis?

Yes. The sandbox supports running Linux via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), including Kali and Ubuntu. This allows analysts to use Linux-based security tools, scripts, and utilities alongside Windows malware analysis in the same session.

Is the browser sandbox safe for testing malware?

That's one of the use cases. Every browser runs inside an isolated virtual machine. If malware executes, it stays inside the sandbox and never touches your device or internal network. When you close the session, the VM is destroyed along with any malware, files, or changes. SOC teams use this daily to safely test suspicious links, payloads, and exploits.

Will my IP address be visible when using the browser sandbox?

No, websites will see the IP address of servers that run the browsers, not your real IP. This adds an extra layer of privacy, especially when investigating unknown and dangerous websites.

Can I test Tor-only or dark web content safely?

Yes. The sandbox supports both the Tor browser and routing traffic through specific Tor exit nodes. This allows analysts to safely inspect onion services, Tor-only phishing pages, or anonymized infrastructure without exposing their real IP or system.

Can I open suspicious PDF or Word files safely?

Yes. You can upload and open PDFs, Word docs, Excel files, and other document formats inside the sandbox. This is helpful when you're dealing with possible macro malware or exploit documents. Everything opens inside the VM, so even if the file is malicious, your device stays clean. Once the session ends, the files are wiped.

Does Browserling support drag and drop files into the sandbox?

Yes. You can drag and drop files directly into the sandbox session. This makes it easy to upload malware samples, phishing attachments, or test files without using email or shared storage. Files only exist inside your session and are deleted when the session closes.

Can I upload malware samples directly into the sandbox?

Yes. You can upload files directly into the sandboxed VM using drag and drop or command-line tools like curl. Samples stay fully isolated inside the session and are deleted when the VM is destroyed. This allows safe handling of executables, scripts, and documents without exposing your local networks.

Can I download files from the sandbox?

Yes. You can download files generated during analysis, such as logs, screenshots, or extracted artifacts. This is useful when you need evidence or samples for reports. As downloads are risky, they are turned off by default and need to be turned on via an enterprise policy or account settings.

Is copy-and-paste supported between my machine and the sandbox?

Yes. You can copy text, scripts, hashes, or indicators in and out of the VM. This makes investigations faster and avoids manual retyping errors or using pastebin during analysis.

Can I input non-English or special characters?

Yes. The sandbox supports full Unicode input. This helps when analyzing international phishing campaigns, IDN domains, or forms that use non-Latin characters.

Can I analyze suspicious email files directly?

Yes. You can open EML files inside real email client (Thunderbird) in the sandbox. This is useful for checking headers, embedded links, attachments, and rendering tricks without risking your local environment.

What is geo-browsing and why would a SOC team use it?

Geo-browsing lets you open websites from different countries using region-specific IPs. This helps when investigating geo-locked phishing pages, regional malware campaigns, or country-specific redirects. You see exactly what users in that location would see, without using a VPN on your own device.

Can I test browser behavior with different IP types?

Yes. You can route your sessions using datacenter IPs, residential IPs, mobile IPs, your own IP (see next FAQ question), a custom proxy IP, and even Tor exit nodes. This helps detect websites that behaves differently based on IP reputation or network type. Analysts often use this to uncover evasion logic.

What does Bring Your Own IP mean?

The Bring Your Own IP feature lets you run the sandbox using your own public IP address instead of a Browserling's IP. From the website's point of view, traffic gets routed directly from your network but the browser runs in a sandbox. SOC teams use this to see how sites behave from their own IP and allows testing IP allowlists, corporate blocks, reputation checks, or location rules, without opening risky links on their own devices.

Will websites know I'm using a sandbox when I bring my own IP?

No. From the website's point of view, traffic comes from your real public IP address. The site does not see Browserling infrastructure IPs. The browser still runs inside an isolated virtual machine.

Can I tunnel internal or local systems into the sandbox?

Yes. You can use reverse SSH tunnels to let the sandbox reach services running on your local machine or internal network. This is mainly used for testing web pages, apps, or APIs that aren't publicly accessible yet, like staging sites or internal tools. When you start a tunnel, Browserling generates a random, hard-to-guess tunnel URL that is only valid for the duration of your session. The local service is temporarily exposed to the internet through this URL, but it's isolated, short-lived, and automatically closed when the session ends.

Can I reboot the sandbox to test persistence?

Yes. You can reboot the virtual machine during a session to observe startup behavior, registry changes, or persistence techniques. This is commonly used when analyzing malware that triggers on reboot.

Can I inspect system-level changes made by malware?

Yes. With admin access, you can inspect registry modifications, scheduled tasks, services, startup folders, and file system changes. This supports deeper malware analysis beyond simple URL detonation.

Do I get admin access inside the sandbox?

Yes. You get full local administrator access in the sandbox (username/password is user/user). This lets you install tools, change system settings, access the registry, and run malware that requires elevated privileges to observe real-world system behavior.

Does the sandbox support system audio?

Yes. Browserling captures real system audio from inside the VM. This matters when testing scam pages, fake support sites, or malware that plays warning sounds or voice prompts.

What happens when I close the sandboxed browser?

When you close the sandboxed browser, your session is instantly deleted, including all downloads, history, and cookies. To continue testing, simply launch a new sandboxed session and start fresh.

Does browser sandbox log my session activity?

No. Sessions are not logged or recorded. Files, memory, and browser state are erased when the session ends. This is useful for investigations that require privacy and clean environments for every test.

Can I use developer tools in the sandboxed browser?

Yes, all browsers in our sandbox come with built-in developer tools enabled. You can press F12 to open them. With developer tools, you can inspect elements, debug JavaScript, and analyze network requests just like you would on a local browser.

Can a browser sandbox protect against zero-day exploits?

Yes, a browser sandbox isolates your browsing activities from your computer, keeping potential threats contained. If an exploit runs, it remains confined to the sandbox and cannot affect your files, operating system, or local network.

Can I test legacy malware or old exploit kits?

Yes. Browserling supports very old Windows versions and legacy browsers (such as Chrome 1 and IE 6). You can safely test malware that only runs on Windows XP, old Internet Explorer versions, or outdated runtimes without building a custom lab.

Can I test browser extensions safely?

Yes. You can install and test browser extensions inside the sandbox. This helps SOC teams analyze malicious or suspicious extensions without exposing local environment.

Does the sandbox support command-line and scripting?

Yes. You can use PowerShell, cmd.exe, and scripting languages like Python and node.js. This is useful for automation, decoding payloads, or running analysis scripts during investigations.

Are there tools pre-installed for malware and file analysis?

Yes. The sandbox comes with common investigation tools already installed, including sysinternals tools, hash utilities, hex viewers, and debuggers. It also includes Notepad++, VSCode, Thunderbird and more tools. This saves setup time during live investigations.

Can you help us with a browser sandboxing problem?

We'd love to help! Please send us an email at hello@browserling.com and briefly describe the problem you're having. We have been solving browser problems for over 10 years and we have seen it all.

Do you have an URL sandbox API?

Yes, please see Live API. It lets you embed a sandboxed browser in any website. Coming soon, we're also launching a Headless API that will let you automate browser interactions and get back reports.

What is Browserling?

Browserling is the world's leading browser sandbox platform that lets you run real web browsers in secure, online virtual machines. It allows you to safely open links, test websites, and browse the web without risking your own device. Each session is fully isolated and automatically destroyed when it ends, so any malware, trackers, or unwanted changes stay contained.

Where can I find Browserling's security documentation?

You can review our full security overview, including details on sandboxing, isolation, data handling, and compliance, in our security documentation PDF here.

Is there a Browserling features one-pager?

Yes. You can download our features PDF one-pager, which outlines Browserling's core security capabilities and key platform features here.

Any other questions?

Please contact us at hello@browserling.com or use our contact form.