Overview

SmartRAG includes a built-in browser-based web UI (Dashboard). When you enable the dashboard, you get:

Document management: List, upload, and delete documents from the browser
Supported types: Only SmartRAG-supported document types can be uploaded (PDF, Word, Excel, text, images, audio, etc.)
Chat: Chat with the currently configured AI model (the same provider and model as in your SmartRAG configuration)

The dashboard is served at a configurable path (default: /smartrag) and is intended for development or trusted environments. Do not expose it publicly in production without adding your own authentication or authorization.

Installation

Add the SmartRAG package to your ASP.NET Core project (Dashboard is included):

dotnet add package SmartRAG

Configuration

In Program.cs (or your startup), register SmartRAG and the dashboard:

using SmartRAG.Extensions;
using SmartRAG.Dashboard;

var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);

builder.Services.AddSmartRag(builder.Configuration);
builder.Services.AddSmartRagDashboard(options =>
{
    options.Path = "/smartrag";
    options.EnableInDevelopmentOnly = true;
});

var app = builder.Build();

app.UseRouting();
app.UseSmartRagDashboard("/smartrag");
app.MapSmartRagDashboard("/smartrag");

app.MapControllers();
app.Run();

Path: Base path for the dashboard (default /smartrag). All UI and API routes are under this path.
EnableInDevelopmentOnly: When true, the dashboard returns 404 in non-Development environments. Set to false only if you explicitly want the dashboard in production and will protect it yourself.
AuthorizationFilter: Optional Func<HttpContext, bool>. When set, the dashboard calls it for each request; if it returns false, the response is 403.

Dashboard Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
`Path`	`string`	`"/smartrag"`	Base path for the dashboard UI and all API endpoints.
`EnableInDevelopmentOnly`	`bool`	`true`	When `true`, the dashboard returns 404 in non-development environments.
`AuthorizationFilter`	`Func<HttpContext, bool>`	`null`	Optional filter that runs for every dashboard request; return `false` to block access with HTTP 403.

Security and Production

The dashboard has no built-in authentication. Anyone who can reach the URL can list, upload, delete documents and use the chat.
Development: With EnableInDevelopmentOnly = true, the dashboard is only available when IHostEnvironment.IsDevelopment() is true.
Production: If you enable the dashboard in production:
- Use a reverse proxy or middleware to restrict access (IP allowlist, VPN, etc.), or
- Integrate with your app’s auth (e.g. require a role or policy for the dashboard path), or
- Use the AuthorizationFilter option to implement custom checks.

Example: restrict dashboard to a specific path and require authorization:

builder.Services.AddSmartRagDashboard(options =>
{
    options.Path = "/smartrag";
    options.EnableInDevelopmentOnly = false;
    options.AuthorizationFilter = ctx => ctx.User.Identity?.IsAuthenticated == true;
});

// Then ensure the dashboard path is under your auth middleware/policy.

API Endpoints (under the dashboard path)

All endpoints are relative to the configured path (e.g. /smartrag).

Method	Path	Description
GET	`/api/documents`	List documents (query: `skip`, `take`)
GET	`/api/documents/{id}`	Get one document by ID
DELETE	`/api/documents/{id}`	Delete a document
POST	`/api/documents`	Upload a document (multipart: `file`, `uploadedBy`, optional `language`)
GET	`/api/upload/supported-types`	Supported file extensions and MIME types
GET	`/api/chat/config`	Active AI provider and model name
POST	`/api/chat/messages`	Send a chat message (JSON: `message`, optional `sessionId`)
GET	`/api/chat/sessions`	List chat sessions
GET	`/api/chat/sessions/{sessionId}`	Get one chat session with messages
DELETE	`/api/chat/sessions`	Delete all chat sessions
DELETE	`/api/chat/sessions/{sessionId}`	Delete one chat session
GET	`/api/settings`	Dashboard configuration (providers, features, chunking, etc.)

Usage

Run your ASP.NET Core app (e.g. dotnet run).
Open the dashboard in a browser: https://localhost:5000/smartrag (or your app’s URL and path).
Use the Documents panel to upload files (with supported types), view the list, and delete documents.
Use the Chat panel to send messages to the currently configured AI model; the active provider/model is shown in the header.

The dashboard uses the same SmartRAG services (IDocumentService, IAIService, etc.) as the rest of your application, so documents and chat are consistent with your existing configuration.