Install AI Chat

AI Chat is delivered by the ServiceStack.AI.Chat NuGet package and requires a .NET 8+ ServiceStack App.

Add the plugin​

The fastest way to add AI Chat is with the add-in npx script, which adds the package, registers both plugins and writes a starting configuration:

npx add-in chat

This creates a Configure.AI.Chat.cs Modular Startup registering ChatFeature and PdfFeature:

[assembly: HostingStartup(typeof(MyApp.ConfigureAiChat))]

namespace MyApp;

public class ConfigureAiChat : IHostingStartup
{
    public void Configure(IWebHostBuilder builder) => builder
        .ConfigureServices((context, services) => {

            services.AddPlugin(new ChatFeature {
                RequireAuth = true,
                // RequiredRole = "Admin",
                Tools = {
                    // EnableCodeExecution = true,
                    // EnableFilesystemTools = true,
                },
                // ApiTools = {
                //     IncludeTags = ["todos"]
                // },
                // Mcp = {
                //     ToolGroups = ["api_tools"],
                // },
            });

            services.AddPlugin(new PdfFeature());
        });
}

Manual install​

<PackageReference Include="ServiceStack.AI.Chat" Version="10.*" />

services.AddPlugin(new ChatFeature());

Requirements​

Requirement Needed for Notes
.NET 8+ Everything net8.0 and net10.0 builds
IDbConnectionFactory Threads, analytics, media, Gemini Registered by every ServiceStack App template
At least one provider API key Talking to a model See Providers & Models
AuthFeature or Identity Auth RequireAuth = true See Integrated Auth
typst CLI PDF Studio + PDF rendering Optional - self-disables when missing
ffmpeg or Mistral Voice transcription Optional - self-disables when missing

INFO

AI Chat resolves its OrmLite connection from the host's IDbConnectionFactory and creates its tables when AutoInitSchema is true (the default). Without a registered IDbConnectionFactory, threads aren't persisted and the gemini extension disables itself.

Configure a provider​

Set an API key for at least one provider as an environment variable before running your App:

Or supply them in code, which takes precedence over environment variables:

services.AddPlugin(new ChatFeature {
    Variables = {
        ["OPENAI_API_KEY"] = context.Configuration["OpenAi:ApiKey"]!,
    },
});

A local Ollama or LM Studio endpoint needs no key at all - see Providers & Models.

Run it​

Start your App and open:

Your existing users can sign in immediately with the account they already have.

Surface AI Chat from ServiceStack's metadata page:

services.ConfigurePlugin<MetadataFeature>(feature => {
    feature.AddPluginLink("/chat", "AI Chat");
});

Install typst for PDF support​

PDF Studio and PdfFeature shell out to the Typst CLI. Both self-disable when it isn't found, so this is only needed if you want PDF support:

brew install typst

cargo install --locked typst-cli

AI Chat resolves typst from $TYPST_PATH first, then PATH. See PDF Studio and Rendering PDFs.

First-run files​

On first request AI Chat seeds its configuration into App_Data/chat:

These files are yours to edit and check in. See Data & Storage.

What's next​

Edit this page on GitHub