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ASP.NET MVC Data Grid AI Chat Assistant

Updated on Feb 10, 2026

The ASP.NET MVC Grid can be enhanced with an AI-powered chat assistant that allows users to interact with Grid data using natural language commands.

By integrating the Kendo UI Chat component with the Grid's AI helpers (for example getAIRequest() and handleAIResponse()), you can create an intuitive conversational interface where users perform supported Smart Grid operations through simple text commands instead of navigating multiple UI controls.

The following example demonstrates how to implement an AI Chat Assistant that enables users to manage Grid data through natural language commands. Click the AI Grid button in the Grid toolbar to open the Chat panel and try inserting a prompt to interact with the data.

For a full runnable example demonstrating integration betweeh ASP.NET MVC Grid and Chat please refer to the AI Chat Assitant Demo

Implementation Steps

To implement an AI Chat Assistant for your Grid, follow the steps below:

Add placeholders for the Grid and Chat; render the Grid with the HtmlHelper or TagHelper and initialize the kendoChat on the client.

csharp

  @(
    Html.Kendo().Grid<EcommerceProduct>()
      .Name("grid")
      .ToolBar(toolbar => { toolbar
          .Template(@<text><button id="ai-grid-button" class="ai-chat-button">AI Grid</button></text>); })
      .DataSource(ds => ds.Ajax().Read(r => r.Action("ECommerceProducts_Read", "Grid")).PageSize(20))
  )

  <div id="chat"></div>

Initialize the Grid with the features you want to expose to the AI (sortable, filterable, groupable, pageable) and add an AI toolbar button that opens the Chat drawer:

csharp

    @(
        Html.Kendo().Grid<EcommerceProduct>()
            .Name("grid")
            .ToolBar(toolbar => { toolbar.Template(@<text><button id="ai-grid-button" class="ai-chat-button">AI Grid</button></text>); })
            .Sortable()
            .Filterable()
            .Groupable()
            .Pageable()
            .Columns(columns => { /* ...columns... */ })
            .DataSource(ds => ds.Ajax().Read(r => r.Action("ECommerceProducts_Read", "Grid")).PageSize(20))
    )

Handle user input in the Chat by generating an AI request with the Grid helper getAIRequest() and sending it to your AI endpoint. When the response arrives, apply changes with handleAIResponse() and render messages into the Chat:

javascript

    function handleSendMessage(e) {
      var grid = $("#grid").data("kendoGrid");
      var prompt = e.message.text.toLowerCase().trim();
      var aiRequest = grid.getAIRequest(prompt);

      $.ajax({
        url: "https://demos.telerik.com/service/v2/ai/grid/smart-state",
        method: "POST",
        contentType: "application/json",
        data: JSON.stringify(aiRequest),
        success: function(response) {
          // Post AI messages into the chat UI (demo concatenates command messages)
          grid.handleAIResponse(response);
        },
        error: function() {
          // handle error
        }
      });
    }

Initialize kendoChat with sendMessage wired to your handler and optional suggestions to guide users:

javascript

    var chat = $("#chat").kendoChat({
      authorId: "123",
      height: 630,
      suggestions: [
        { id: "sort_bookings", text: "Sort by Bookings descending" },
        { id: "group_sales_person", text: "Group by Sales Person" }
      ],
      sendMessage: handleSendMessage
    }).data("kendoChat");

When your AI response includes user-facing messages or command descriptions, render them in the Chat and use handleAIResponse() to apply the returned commands (sorting, filtering, grouping, paging, column management, selection, highlighting, export).

javascript

    // Example: show AI reply and apply grid changes
    chat.postMessage({ authorId: "ai-assistant", text: "Processing..." });
    // after AJAX success:
    chat.updateMessage(message, { isTyping: false, text: allMessages });
    grid.handleAIResponse(response);

For a full runnable example demonstrating integration between the ASP.NET MVC Grid and Chat please refer to the AI Chat Assitant Demo

ASP.NET MVC Data Grid AI Chat Assistant

Implementation Steps

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