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title description ms.date ms.topic ms.custom author ms.author zone_pivot_groups
Quickstart - Build an AI chat app with .NET
Create a simple AI powered chat app using Semantic Kernel SDK for .NET and the OpenAI or Azure OpenAI SDKs
04/09/2025
quickstart
devx-track-dotnet, devx-track-dotnet-ai
fboucher
frbouche
openai-library

Build an AI chat app with .NET

In this quickstart, you learn how to create a conversational .NET console chat app using an OpenAI or Azure OpenAI model. The app uses the xref:Microsoft.Extensions.AI library so you can write code using AI abstractions rather than a specific SDK. AI abstractions enable you to change the underlying AI model with minimal code changes.

Note

The Microsoft.Extensions.AI library is currently in Preview.

:::zone target="docs" pivot="openai"

[!INCLUDE openai-prereqs]

:::zone-end

:::zone target="docs" pivot="azure-openai"

[!INCLUDE azure-openai-prereqs]

:::zone-end

[!INCLUDE semantic-kernel]

[!INCLUDE clone-sample-repo]

Create the app

Complete the following steps to create a .NET console app to connect to an AI model.

  1. In an empty directory on your computer, use the dotnet new command to create a new console app:

    dotnet new console -o ChatAppAI

  2. Change directory into the app folder:

    cd ChatAppAI

  3. Install the required packages:

    :::zone target="docs" pivot="azure-openai"

    dotnet add package Azure.Identity
dotnet add package Azure.AI.OpenAI
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets

    :::zone-end

    :::zone target="docs" pivot="openai"

    dotnet add package OpenAI
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.AI.OpenAI
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration
dotnet add package Microsoft.Extensions.Configuration.UserSecrets

    :::zone-end

  4. Open the app in Visual Studio Code (or your editor of choice).

    code .

:::zone target="docs" pivot="azure-openai"

[!INCLUDE create-ai-service]

:::zone-end

:::zone target="docs" pivot="openai"

Configure the app

  1. Navigate to the root of your .NET project from a terminal or command prompt.

  2. Run the following commands to configure your OpenAI API key as a secret for the sample app:

    dotnet user-secrets init
dotnet user-secrets set OpenAIKey <your-openai-key>
dotnet user-secrets set ModelName <your-openai-model-name>

:::zone-end

Add the app code

The app uses the Microsoft.Extensions.AI package to send and receive requests to the AI model and is designed to provide users with information about hiking trails.

  1. In the Program.cs file, add the following code to connect and authenticate to the AI model.

    :::zone target="docs" pivot="azure-openai"

    :::code language="csharp" source="snippets/build-chat-app/azure-openai/program.cs" range="1-12":::

    [!NOTE] xref:Azure.Identity.DefaultAzureCredential searches for authentication credentials from your local tooling. If you aren't using the azd template to provision the Azure OpenAI resource, you'll need to assign the Azure AI Developer role to the account you used to sign in to Visual Studio or the Azure CLI. For more information, see Authenticate to Azure AI services with .NET.

    :::zone-end

    :::zone target="docs" pivot="openai"

    :::code language="csharp" source="snippets/build-chat-app/openai/program.cs" range="1-11":::

    :::zone-end

  2. Create a system prompt to provide the AI model with initial role context and instructions about hiking recommendations:

    :::code language="csharp" source="snippets/build-chat-app/openai/program.cs" range="13-30":::

  3. Create a conversational loop that accepts an input prompt from the user, sends the prompt to the model, and prints the response completion:

    :::code language="csharp" source="snippets/build-chat-app/openai/program.cs" range="32-51":::

  4. Use the dotnet run command to run the app:

    dotnet run

    The app prints out the completion response from the AI model. Send additional follow up prompts and ask other questions to experiment with the AI chat functionality.

:::zone target="docs" pivot="azure-openai"

Clean up resources

When you no longer need the sample application or resources, remove the corresponding deployment and all resources.

azd down

:::zone-end

Next steps