Microsoft Edge ADMX: How to Use Group Policy Editor & Templates

Microsoft Edge opens a myriad of customization options for enterprises, thanks to ADMX (Administrative Templates). With the help of this tool, administrators can define, manage, and configure Microsoft Edge settings through Group Policy.

Editing the Group Policy settings allows managers to build a standardized browsing experience within their organization. Similarly, other browsers like Opera One allow configuring settings in enterprise environments as well.

To get a better idea, we compared 3 different browsers including Edge vs Chrome vs Brave for deciding who leads the way.

What is ADMX Microsoft?

ADMX files contain configuration settings that unlock broader control for administrators. With the help of this tool, administrators can manage various aspects of the Microsoft Edge browser running across different devices.

They can set up new security rules, enforce privacy policies, customize the home page, and more. The main aim is to build a standardized and coherent browsing experience within the organization.

How do I Install Microsoft Edge ADMX policy files?

Administrators prepare Microsoft Edge ADMX files as per the need and then deploy them through Group Policy Objects (GPOs).

Now, let’s just dive straight into how to install and deploy the Microsoft Edge policy template on Windows 11. First off, you have to download the Microsoft Edge Policy template files on Windows from Edge for Business page in order to get started.

You can pick between different Windows 32-bit and 64-bit policy versions or ARM64.

In addition, you can simply install Admx files on Windows 11 as well and update the group policy.

How do I Use the Microsoft Edge policy template?

Now that you’ve downloaded the required version, it’s time to extract the contents. Just follow the steps below and learn how to deploy these settings on your network and enforce settings across devices running in your organization.

1. Click on the installer folder to open it.
2. Now, launch the MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates CAB file.
   
3. Open the file with File Explorer and extract it on the desktop.
   
4. Now, click on the Windows folder to open the file.
   
5. Between the two options, choose the admx files folder.
   
6. Next, scroll down to the bottom to find the admx files for Microsoft Edge.
   
7. Copy them into the C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions folder.
8. Open the Group Policy editor in order to check if the files loaded correctly.
   Note: Group Policy Editor doesn’t come pre-installed on Windows 11 Home Edition. So, you may not see it directly under Administrator tools in the Control Panel.
9. Follow this quick guide on how to open Group Policy Editor on Windows 11.
10. Once set up, you can configure Microsoft Edge with the Group Policy Editor for individual computers. Policies are organized into folders in their respective categories.

After applying the steps above, you can also tweak different settings and the way your browser behaves. For instance, you can set new rules to start Edge in the full screen every time you launch it.

Alternatively, you can also take a more technical route in order to update Group Policy settings using the hkey_local_machine\software\policies\microsoft\edge registry keys. These keys store configuration information for the operating system and installed applications. Within the ‘Edge’ key, several subkeys can be created to enforce several policies for Microsoft Edge.

So, this was the complete process for installing or updating Microsoft Edge ADMX policy files on your browser and modifying the Group Policy settings.

Carefully follow our step-by-step guide when you install the Edge ADMX templates on Active Directory or individual computers. In case you get stuck somewhere, just write to us using the comments section below and we will try to come up with a solution.