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RAG & Knowledge Systems

Smartrag

SmartRAG is an MIT-licensed C# library for building .NET retrieval-augmented generation applications that answer natural-language questions across databases, documents, images, and audio.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Smartrag — OpenViST project profile in RAG & Knowledge Systems.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use SmartRAG when building a C#/.NET application that needs a common natural-language query layer across structured databases and multimodal content.

Who it is for

  • .NET developers adding RAG-based knowledge search to Web API or console applications.
  • Teams building natural-language question-answering over connected databases and uploaded or watched content.

Documented uses

  • Ask questions across multiple configured databases using natural language.
  • Retrieve and synthesize answers from documents, images, and audio alongside database results.
  • Add a browser dashboard for document management and chat in a web application.
  • Prototype a RAG application using in-memory storage.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

  • The README documents setup for both Web API and console applications.
  • OpenAI and in-memory storage are the providers used in the quick-start example.
  • Database connections are supplied through appsettings.json; the example specifies SQL Server, while the README also discusses multi-database querying.
  • The dashboard is enabled only in Development by default, and production use requires protection with application authentication or an authorization filter.
  • The repository lists an MIT license.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Set up SmartRAG in a .NET application

Install the library, choose example providers, and configure a database connection.

Before you start

  • A .NET application using C#.
  • An application configuration file for database connections.

Steps

  1. Add the SmartRAG package with dotnet add package SmartRAG.

  2. For a Web API, register SmartRAG with AddSmartRag and select OpenAI and in-memory storage as shown in the README; for a console application, use the documented UseSmartRag setup.

  3. Add a database connection under SmartRAG.DatabaseConnections in appsettings.json, specifying its name, connection string, and database type.

Expected outcome

The application has the documented library registration and database-connection configuration in place.

Guide limitations

  • The example selects OpenAI and in-memory storage; configuring other providers is not covered in these steps.
  • The README's query and upload examples are a later stage and are not included in this setup recipe.
Documentation 1 ↗
COMPARE OPTIONS

Compare options for Retrieval-augmented applications

These projects document a common task and share a project role. This is a source-based comparison, not an execution benchmark or a guarantee of interchangeability.

ProjectDocumented purposePlatformAccess and requirements
SmartragAsk questions across multiple configured databases using natural language.Cloud, Server
LangsearchCrawl website or local data for a knowledge base.CLI, Self-hosted, Server
Hybrid Search RagCombine document retrieval and language-model generation in a configurable workflow.
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
16 October 2026
Original website title
byerlikaya/SmartRAG · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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