Researcher Platform

WorkSpaces Secure Browser

Researchers can access Meta research tools hosted in Researcher Platform through Amazon WorkSpaces Secure Browser. Researcher Platform runs a modified version of Jupyter within a WorkSpaces Secure Browser instance. This provides researchers access to multiple standard statistical packages including SQL, Python and R.

Getting started

Navigate to a Meta research tool such as Meta Content Library API, Ad Targeting or URL Shares, using one of the WorkSpaces Secure Browser URLs provided in your product-specific documentation. When you log in for the first time, you will see a prompt to install the WorkSpaces Secure Browser Chrome extension.



The Chrome extension is optional to install, but it can greatly improve your experience in WorkSpaces Secure Browser by reducing additional login prompts to your Facebook account. You can also install the extension directly from the Chrome webstore.

Once you begin your WorkSpaces Secure Browser session, you will land on the JupyterLab instance for your intended research tool. You will be prompted to sign into JupyterLab using your Facebook credentials, after which you can start your server and run code in Python or R to analyze the available data.

You will see the WorkSpaces Secure Browser toolbar at the top of your JupyterLab instance:

Best practices

The following simple steps will ensure your WorkSpaces Secure Browser experience is at its best:

  • You do not need a VPN to access Researcher Platform in WorkSpaces Secure Browser. Ensure you are not connected to any unnecessary VPNs as that would negatively affect performance.

  • Select the WorkSpaces Secure Browser portal closest to your location. See your product documentation for portal access instructions.

  • Minimize the WorkSpaces Secure Browser toolbar while you’re working to prevent performance issues. Hover over the toolbar and click the up arrow that appears. You can always maximize it when you need it.

  • We highly recommend installing the WorkSpaces Secure Browser Chrome extension. If you declined this option when you logged in to WorkSpaces Secure Browser for the first time, you can install the extension directly from the Chrome webstore.

  • To maximize your screen space, use WorkSpaces Secure Browser in full screen mode by clicking Full screen in the toolbar. Press your Esc key to exit full screen mode when you need to see your other browser tabs.

  • Get access to the WorkSpaces Secure Browser tutorial and user guide by clicking Profile in the toolbar and selecting the Help tab.

Working within WorkSpaces Secure Browser

Within WorkSpaces Secure Browser, Researcher Platform functions as a cleanroom in which certain activities are restricted. For example:

  • The only URLs accessible in WorkSpaces Secure Browser are Researcher Platform's and the user's Facebook login URL. You cannot access other internet sites.

  • You can copy and paste text into your JupyterLab notebook, but you cannot copy text from your notebook and paste it outside of the Researcher Platform environment. See Export notebooks for an alternative method of exporting a Jupyter notebook. This method keeps the code intact but scrubs the outputs in conformance with privacy rules.

Upload and download files in select environments

A few of the environments that you can access within Researcher Platform through WorkSpaces Secure Browser (URL Shares public environment and Ad Library) allow files to be uploaded and downloaded. If your environment supports this functionality, you will see a Files option in the WorkSpaces Secure Browser toolbar:



For both uploading to and downloading from your local computer, you utilize the WorkSpaces share folder (TemporaryFiles) as a staging location. Click Files in the toolbar to open the TemporaryFiles window:



Upload a file


Step 1: Upload the file to TemporaryFiles

In the WorkSpaces Secure Browser toolbar, click Files, then Upload File(s). This opens a window showing the files on your local computer. Selecting the file you want to upload adds it to TemporaryFiles.

Step 2: Upload to Researcher Platform

In the Researcher Platform dashboard, click the upload button (up arrow).



In the file browser, select the file you previously added to TemporaryFiles. Click Open in the upper right corner of the window to open the file in the Jupyter environment.

Download a file


Step 1: Download the file to TemporaryFiles

In the Researcher Platform left navigation bar, right-click the file you want to download, and select Download. The file is added to TemporaryFiles.

Step 2: Download to your local computer

In the WorkSpaces Secure Browser toolbar, click Files to open the TemporaryFiles window where you will see the file you just added. Select the file you want to download. Click Actions, then Download. This makes the file available on your local computer.

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