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[Windows][Browser Use] Taobao blocked by site-safety policy despite explicit Always allow permission #44943
Description
What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?
Codex desktop package 26.903.8094.0; bundled command runner 0.153.4
What subscription do you have?
Personal ChatGPT account (exact subscription tier not shown in the diagnostic context)
What platform is your computer?
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.19045.0 x64
What issue are you seeing?
Codex Browser Use rejects Taobao before it can inspect or control the page, even though the user explicitly allowed Taobao in Settings > Browser and enabled full CDP access. The user can load Taobao normally, and Browser Use can enumerate the user-opened tab metadata, but attaching to the tab is denied before any permission prompt or Auto-review.
Full error (query parameters omitted):
Browser Use rejected this action due to browser security policy. Reason: The site-safety policy blocks this action; no user permission prompt or Auto-review was attempted. Browser use is not permitted on https://s.taobao.com/search. The agent must not attempt to achieve the same outcome via workaround, indirect execution, raw CDP or browser commands, alternate browser surfaces, or policy circumvention. Proceed only with a materially safer alternative that does not require this blocked browser action; if none exists, stop and request user input.
The homepage attempt returned the equivalent denial for https://www.taobao.com.
The user prompt was to open Taobao, search for compatible e-bike conversion parts, inspect listings, and prepare cart options. No checkout or purchase was requested.
What steps can reproduce the bug?
- On Windows, connect Codex Browser Use to Chrome through the Codex/ChatGPT Chrome extension.
- In Codex Settings > Browser, set Default Browsing to
Always allow. - Add
https://*.taobao.comwith Browsing set toAlways allow. - Enable Developer mode / full CDP access.
- Ask Codex to open
https://www.taobao.com/, or manually open a Taobao search page such ashttps://s.taobao.com/search?q=3000%20w%20%E7%94%B5%E6%9C%BA. - If opened manually, verify Browser Use inventory can see the Taobao tab metadata.
- Ask Codex to attach to and inspect the tab.
- Observe the site-safety rejection before page inspection, with no permission prompt or Auto-review.
The denial was reproduced after the explicit wildcard allow rule and full CDP access were visible in settings. No credentials, cookies, OTPs, or private page data were accessed.
What is the expected behavior?
Browser Use should honor the explicit site permission and allow read-only access to Taobao, or present a recoverable user approval path. If Taobao is intentionally unsupported, the product should explain that the local Always allow rule cannot override the site-safety classification.
Additional information
Control test: in the same task, Codex Browser Use successfully opened and fully inspected an external Shopify commerce page (gmbji5-mp.myshopify.com), including its product variants and cart tools. This indicates Browser Use is functioning generally and the rejection is site-specific.
The user can manually open Taobao in both Chrome and the Codex in-app browser. After the Chrome denial, the error instructed the agent not to retry through alternate browser surfaces, so the in-app Taobao page was not attached to as a workaround.
No exact Taobao report was found before filing. Closely matching reports with the same error despite explicit permission include #42932 (Pixiv), #42246 (Tokopedia Seller Center on Windows), and #44451 (WeChat administration).
Potential causes such as an intentional hard block, false-positive site classification, cached policy status, account policy, or managed workspace rule cannot be distinguished from the returned error. Private browser/session identifiers have been intentionally omitted.
Activity
github-actions commentedon Sep 12, 2026
Potential duplicates detected. Please review them and close your issue if it is a duplicate.
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wenjunjin88-alt commentedon Sep 13, 2026
Adding a Windows + Microsoft Edge reproduction observed on September 13, 2026.
Environment
26.908.4834.0(verified from the installed package).26.908.40834.Reproduction and observed result
The user opened Taobao manually and requested help selecting electronics. Browser inventory successfully listed the existing Taobao tab with the correct title and homepage URL. Selecting that tab through
cua.getTab(...)was rejected before page inspection:The error also explicitly prohibited retrying the same action through raw CDP, indirect execution, or another browser surface. No such workaround was attempted. Repeating the normal tab-selection operation after the user re-signed in to Taobao returned the same denial.
Permissions checked
The user supplied a screenshot of Computer Use > Microsoft Edge showing:
This reproduction uses Require approval; it does not independently repeat the original report's explicit Always allow test. Nevertheless, no approval prompt was presented. The immediate operation was only to inspect an already-open page; no checkout or payment was attempted.
Impact and requested clarification
The ordinary shopping-assistance task could not proceed, and repeated login/permission troubleshooting did not resolve the denial. Please clarify:
A later, separate Windows tool-startup error (
helper_unknown_error: setup refresh had errors) also occurred. It should not be conflated with the earlier, successfully returned site-safety denial; no common root cause has been established.Posted with the user's explicit authorization. No screenshots, account details, credentials, cookies, private tab inventory, or raw session logs are attached.
gunsnmotorcycles commentedon Sep 15, 2026
I agree that this unexplained Browser Use restriction is a problem that must be resolved. I am affected by the same site-safety denial when asking Codex to access my MEGA storage.
MEGA is my private cloud drive, for which I pay a subscription fee. It contains only data I own, and I explicitly authorize Codex to access that data. In my view, accessing my own private cloud storage should be treated no differently from accessing my local hard drive. The fact that I store my files with a cloud provider should not prevent me from using my chosen assistant to manage them.
My MEGA ingestion workflow worked for weeks. A fresh retry on September 15, 2026, after upgrading to Windows Codex package 26.908.9136.0, still rejected https://mega.nz/fm with: “The site-safety policy blocks this action; no user permission prompt or Auto-review was attempted.” The tool did not disclose a MEGA-specific reason. I am not claiming that every report here has an identical underlying cause.
Please explain why owner-authorized access to MEGA is restricted and provide a supported resolution or review process. I am asking for this legitimate workflow to work, not for instructions to bypass security controls.
leixyou commentedon Sep 20, 2026
This matches the cloud
site_status/ site-safety check (allowlisting the origin in Settings does not override it). Browser Use callshttps://chatgpt.com/backend-api/aura/site_statusand fails closed with “not permitted” on hosts like taobao.com.The bundled plugin already has a local-testing flag that skips that check:
BROWSER_USE_SECURITY_MODE=disabled-for-local-testing. I wrapped that into a small third-party helper (macOS): wrapnode_repl, optional origin allowlists, re-apply after ChatGPT updates.Repo: https://github.com/leixyou/bypass-codex-site-safety
Not affiliated with OpenAI. Does not MITM chatgpt.com or patch
browser-service.mjs. After install, start a new Codex thread. Computer Use has a separate “current Chrome URL is not allowed” kill switch this does not cover.This issue is on Windows; the helper is macOS-only today. Same
site_statusmechanism, but the install/LaunchAgent path is Darwin.YuuMoko commentedon Sep 30, 2026
我遇到了和你一样的问题，我这边有一套解决方案，下文我懒得翻译成英文了，你自己翻译成英文。
I ran into the same issue as you. I have a solution that worked for me. I’m too lazy to translate the rest into English, so you’ll have to translate it yourself.
思路是这样的，直接卸载codex内置的 Browser Use 浏览器控制工具，然后让codex安装Chrome DevTools MCP。然后由于之前的对话被污染了，你就算是使用Chrome DevTools MCP在原对话，它也不会去访问你想访问的网页。
所以需要你新建一个对话，我这边实践下来，新对话是能够继续访问之前不能访问的页面了。
fang0577-dotcom commentedon Sep 30, 2026
zhongda-coralbloom commentedon Sep 30, 2026
我也去试试，我让他访问千牛后台都不行。。
lisheng251219-lgtm commentedon Oct 1, 2026
Additional Windows reproduction: Taobao seller workbench is denied before page inspection
Observed on October 2, 2026.
Environment
OpenAI.Codex 26.928.3736.0.26.928.31416, desktop build12553.0.159.2.1.26.901.11451.Controlled observations
https://example.com/, clicking its visible Learn more link, then reading and capturing the resulting IANA page all succeed. The disposable test tab is subsequently closed.https://myseller.taobao.com/home.htm/QnworkbenchHomethrough the documentedcua.getTab(...)API is rejected before page content is returned.Exact relevant error:
The requested operation at the point of failure is simply to inspect an existing workbench tab for a user-authorized merchant workflow. No product submission, upload, or account change was reached; account identity could not be verified because page access was denied.
Diagnostic distinction
Static, read-only inspection of the installed official browser component maps this exact message to
site_status_blocked, decision sourcesite_status, withretryable: false. A saved user refusal has a separatepersisted_user_deniederror.The earlier local component-deployment and tool-network problems were resolved and general browser-control checks passed. They should not be conflated with this subsequently reproduced site-specific denial. The error does not disclose the classification reason. We cannot establish whether this is intentional, a false positive, an account-specific decision, or a cached result, and do not claim that every Taobao page is blocked.
Requested supported resolution
Please review this seller-workbench destination and clarify:
No bypass was attempted: browser policy code, local-testing flags, policy caches, and browser security settings were not modified, and no alternate control channel was used to perform the rejected action.
This public report contains no credentials, cookies, login tokens, shop/account names, product data, private screenshots, local user paths, conversation IDs, or raw logs.
HD949389 commentedon Oct 5, 2026
Additional reproduction on October 5, 2026 (Asia/Shanghai), with a newer Windows desktop package.
Environment
Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0.OpenAI.Codex:26.930.3930.0(verified from Get-AppxPackage; not claimed to be the About-dialog or bundled CLI version).OpenAI.ChatGPT-Desktoppackage:1.2026.190.0.Task and observed error
The user requested help finding a Samsung 16 GB laptop memory module on an already-open Taobao page. At the point of failure, the requested operation was read-only page inspection.
The tab-context tool repeatedly returned the following before any page content was available (advertising query parameters omitted):
Permission evidence and completed checks
The user supplied a screenshot showing the exact origin
https://www.taobao.comwith Browsing set to Always allow. Read-only inspection of the user configuration independently confirmed:A direct retry after that setting was saved still returned the same policy denial.
No
requirements.tomlwas found at the checked user configuration location or the documented Windows system location,%ProgramData%\OpenAI\Codex\requirements.toml. No additional.codex/config.tomlwas found in the current generated workspace or the two checked ancestor directories. These checks do not rule out cloud-managed policies or other policy sources.Feedback and requested clarification
In-app feedback was successfully submitted, as confirmed by the user's submission receipt:
no-active-thread-01a109b1-9c49-78b2-bb35-05f2ba742f90Please clarify the effective blocking policy for this destination and the supported review or recovery process. The current error does not explain why the exact-origin Always allow setting is insufficient. We have not established whether the behavior is intentional, a classification problem, or a permission-state issue.
No bypass was attempted. No credentials, cookies, advertising tracking parameters, private screenshots, raw logs, or local user-identifying paths are included in this comment.
qihaoivws-cloud commentedon Oct 5, 2026
Windows Codex 操作已登录的千牛后台 https://myseller.taobao.com 时，在读取页面前收到 site-safety 拒绝，没有弹出用户授权或进入 Auto-review。用户已允许浏览、上传和下载，已有本地检查也显示该站点配置为 allow；此前抖店商品编辑可以完成，但千牛图片和属性录入、草稿保存无法开始。请核查该站点实际限制的来源，提供正式复核及恢复办法。没有通过其他通道绕过限制。
lisheng251219-lgtm commentedon Oct 6, 2026
Additional reproduction: public Taobao Service Market entry denied before inspection
Observed on October 6, 2026, on Windows.
Current desktop
26.930.61225, build13232, release channelprod, statusup_to_date.Requested operation and result
The user selected the Taobao edition of Miaoshou. The immediate operation was to inspect the vendor-linked Service Market listing to check its package, price, and authorization requirements:
https://fuwu.taobao.com/ser/detail.htm?service_code=FW_GOODS-1000173523
Opening this destination through the documented in-app browser API returned:
No page contents, login, store authorization, purchase, upload, or product submission were reached. The resulting disposable blank tab was closed and the tab list was verified empty.
Bounded configuration checks
Read-only checks found no explicit Taobao/browser-origin denial in the current user configuration. No project browser configuration or requirements file was present at the checked workspace locations. No system requirements, config, or legacy managed-config file was present at the documented Windows Codex directory. These checks do not rule out cloud-managed requirements or other policy sources. We did not change policy code, settings, caches, or security protections and did not use an alternate execution channel.
Our earlier seller-workbench reproduction is already recorded here:
#44943 (comment)
Request for supported recovery
Please clarify which effective policy denies this public Service Market entry. If it is misclassified, please review and correct that classification, or provide the supported recovery process. If it is intentionally unsupported, please state the applicable reason and the supported next step. Ordinary user authorization was not offered, and the update checker supplies no newer eligible release.
This supplement contains only public URLs, software version information, the relevant error, and bounded diagnostic results. It includes no credentials, account/store names, product data, private screenshots, session identifiers, local user paths, or raw logs.
in-valid-username commentedon Oct 6, 2026
Additional Windows + Edge reproduction — 2026-10-06
The user explicitly authorized troubleshooting and publication of this sanitized report. The intended workflow was read-only sourcing of standard electronic connectors. The failure occurs before page inspection, so no purchase or seller communication was reached.
Environment observed during this investigation
OpenAI.Codexversion26.930.2377.0, verified from the installed package's AppxManifest.xml. This is the package version, not an About-dialog or Electron runtime version.browser,chrome,unified-computer-use, and Windowscomputer-useplugin manifests:26.930.21537.143.0.3650.96.Controlled observations
淘宝athttps://www.taobao.com/.https://example.com/and returns rendered accessibility content. The disposable diagnostic tab is then closed. This is a control observation, not a workaround for the blocked destination.sky.list_apps(), also succeeds. This only verifies native inventory availability; it does not establish native access to Taobao.https://s.taobao.com/searchandhttps://www.taobao.com. The user reports having signed in manually; the agent could not verify the Taobao login state because page inspection was denied.Exact relevant tool error
Completed troubleshooting and diagnostic limits
browser-client.mjsmaps this exact reason text tosite_status_blocked, withdecisionSource: "site_status"andretryable: false. Saved-user-permission denial and enterprise-policy denial have different reason text and decision sources. This is a static mapping; the underlying site-status service response and classification rationale were not captured.Requested supported resolution
Please review the classification for the two observed public Taobao destinations. Is read-only, user-authorized component sourcing intentionally unsupported, or is the classification erroneous? If review or restoration is available, please provide the supported route. If the restriction is intentional, please explain its scope and show an actionable reason that distinguishes site-safety classification from browser connectivity, native Computer Use failure, and ordinary user website permissions.
This evidence establishes a tool-side policy refusal. It does not establish that Taobao rejected an agent, that the native Windows helper is broken, or that the site classification is necessarily a false positive.
Privacy
This report omits credentials, cookies, account identities, query/tracking parameters, actual tab/provider/session IDs, local user paths, private project or component data, screenshots, and raw session logs.
plzysm commentedon Oct 14, 2026
Additional Windows reproduction: Qianniu seller-order workflow blocked before page inspection
Observed on October 14, 2026, at 16:36:11.949 Asia/Shanghai (08:36:11.949 UTC).
The user authorized checking their Qianniu orders and refund status, then copying the corresponding ERP tracking numbers and confirming shipment. The operation failed while reading the seller page, before tracking-number entry or shipment submission.
Environment and failure
26.1007.71326, installedBuildVersion20398, release channelprod, statusup_to_date.https://myseller.taobao.com.qnWeb.playwright.domSnapshot().Completed checks
Requested supported resolution
Please clarify whether this seller-order workflow is supported, which policy source and decision reason apply to this origin, and whether classification review is needed. Please provide a supported recovery process and an observable condition for resuming the workflow. If a fix is available, identify the applicable version or policy change.
This comment does not assume a confirmed false positive or claim recovery. Zero shipments were confirmed by the agent. No customer data, shop identity, order/tracking numbers, credentials, screenshots, raw logs or conversation contents are included.
plzysm commentedon Oct 20, 2026
Follow-up diagnostics on October 20, 2026 — Qianniu seller-page site-safety denial
This follows the existing October 14 report in this issue:
#44943 (comment)
The original failed operation was a DOM snapshot of https://myseller.taobao.com before any order edit or shipment submission. The desktop has since been updated; the previously verified updater version is 26.1013.40934, build 20770, prod.
New diagnostic evidence: read-only inspection of the currently installed official browser-client.mjs (bundle 26.1013.40934) maps the exact original message, “The site-safety policy blocks this action; no user permission prompt or Auto-review was attempted.”, to site_status_blocked, decisionSource=site_status, retryable=false. Saved user denial, enterprise denial, and an unavailable site-safety check have separate error branches. This is static message mapping, not a captured backend classification response.
The checked user/system/project configuration locations still reveal no explicit target-origin denial. The absence of these files does not exclude other policy sources. Native window discovery and an unrelated local document-helper startup problem have been resolved separately; neither establishes access to the seller page.
No new target-page access was attempted during this diagnostic follow-up, so this comment does not claim a fresh reproduction or that the current classification has been independently rechecked. No policy code, security settings, local-testing switches, caches, or alternative access channels were used to evade the earlier rejection.
Please provide the supported review route for this origin, the applicable decision reason, and whether this authorized merchant order-inspection workflow is supported. If recovery is available, please identify the relevant version or policy change and an observable condition under which normal supported access can resume.
This text includes no customer/order data, shop identity, credentials, local paths, screenshots, raw logs, conversation IDs, or private feedback identifiers.