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Building Custom Kendo UI Scripts Locally

Updated on Mar 13, 2026

The local custom builder is a practical way to reduce script size and include only the Kendo UI for jQuery components and features your project needs.

With this approach, you can:

Build a tailored script package on your machine.
Select a specific product version, starting with the current 2026.1.212 release.
Reuse a configuration file when you need to build the same selection again.
Integrate the custom build process as part of your CI pipeline.
Keep payloads smaller by shipping only required components.
Control optional component-level features, such as Grid editing and export.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have the latest Node 22 or Node 24 installed. See Node Setup on Windows with nvm-windows for a quick setup guide.

Install the Kendo CLI package:

npm i -g @progress/kendo-cli

Using an existing config.json from the online download builder

Creating a custom bundle from an existing config.json is extremely easy.

Find your existing config.json file.
Rename it to kendo-config.json.
Open a terminal in the folder that contains kendo-config.json.

Run the following command:

kendo jquery custom-build --no-interactive

The command generates kendo.custom.min.js, containing only the components and features from your existing configuration. The build uses the latest available Kendo UI for jQuery version by default.

When a new release is published, run the same command again to produce an updated custom bundle with the latest version.

Creating a new config or editing an existing one

If you want to create a brand new configuration, or add and remove components from an existing one, follow these steps.

1. Create a Working Folder

Create a dedicated folder for the custom build process, for example custom-build, and navigate to it.

mkdir custom-build
cd custom-build

If you want to create a brand new configuration file, make sure the folder does not contain an existing kendo-config.json file. If your goal is to edit an existing configuration, keep kendo-config.json in the folder and continue.

2. Start the Custom Build Process

Run the custom builder command:

kendo jquery custom-build

The CLI starts an interactive flow where you can choose the output that matches your project.

3. Select the Product Version

To select a specific Kendo UI for jQuery version, run the command with the --version flag:

kendo jquery custom-build --version 2026.1.212

Version selection through --version works for versions starting with 2026. If you run kendo jquery custom-build without the flag, the CLI uses the latest available version.

4. Select Components

Choose only the components your application requires.

For example, you can include Grid, DropDownList, Editor, and other components based on your scenario.

Select components in the Kendo UI custom builder

5. Select Optional Component Features

For selected components, the builder lets you choose optional features.

For the Grid, for example, you can select options like editing, filtering, grouping, paging, selection, and export features.

Select Grid features in the Kendo UI custom builder

6. Work with kendo-config.json

You can drive the process with a predefined configuration file named kendo-config.json.

If kendo-config.json already exists in the folder, the builder can use it to preselect components and options.
If you complete the selection manually, the builder generates a kendo-config.json file in the same folder.
You can keep reusing this file for future builds, including when you switch to a different product version.
You can edit the file manually at any time, or rerun the interactive command to update selected components and feature options.

This reusable configuration makes the local custom builder a strong option for teams that need predictable outputs across multiple environments.