Dashboard

SmartRAG Dashboard - browser-based document management and chat UI

Overview

The SmartRAG.Dashboard package adds a browser-based web UI to your application. When you add 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 core and the Dashboard package to your ASP.NET Core project:

dotnet add package SmartRAG
dotnet add package SmartRAG.Dashboard

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.

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)

Usage

  1. Run your ASP.NET Core app (e.g. dotnet run).
  2. Open the dashboard in a browser: https://localhost:5000/smartrag (or your app’s URL and path).
  3. Use the Documents panel to upload files (with supported types), view the list, and delete documents.
  4. 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.