Enable AI services on-premises

AI-powered

Overview

PREREQUISITES: To take advantage of all AI-powered capabilities described in this article, Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8633 or a newer version is recommended.

This article contains setup guidance for enabling Sitefinity AI-powered capabilities in a self-hosted Sitefinity CMS setup. It covers the required NuGet packages, the required license add-ons, and the setup steps you must perform for each supported AI capability, including sample configuration values.

IMPORTANT:

• Always confirm the exact Sitefinity CMS version and build number before you start. Some AI features require specific builds, and configuration behavior differs by version.
• Back up the current configuration before applying any of the described changes.
• The configuration values used below are examples only. Replace them with the credentials and endpoints provided for your own organization, project, and environment. Never share or commit sample values to source control or public locations.

Required NuGet packages

Install the required NuGet packages for the Sitefinity AI-powered capabilities you want to enable.

• Progress.Sitefinity.AI.Core
• Progress.Sitefinity.AIServiceConnector
• Progress.Sitefinity.Assistant
• Progress.Sitefinity.AgenticRAGConnector
• Progress.Sitefinity.DynamicExperience
• Progress.Sitefinity.Agents
• Progress.Sitefinity.Mcp

Required license add-ons

Shared connection configuration

Some AI features use the same shared Sitefinity AI service connection or the same Agentic RAG system connection. Configure these once for the target environment, before you enable the dependent features.

Configure the shared SitefinityAIService connection

The shared SitefinityAIService connection settings are required for multiple AI features, such as Dynamically Generated Experience, AI Agents, Sitefinity Gen AI, and Sitefinity MCP Server.

1. Log in to your Sitefinity CMS backend.
2. Navigate to Administration » Settings » Advanced » AI » AIServiceConnections » SitefinityAIService.
3. Enter the provided AccessKeyId, AccessKeySecret, and BaseUrl values.
4. Click Save changes.
5. Recycle the Sitefinity project or application pool so the updated shared connection settings are loaded.

Sample values:

Configure the Agentic RAG system connection

The built-in system connection is required for Sitefinity AI Assistant, Dynamically Generated Experience and Hybrid backend search, after Progress.Sitefinity.AgenticRAGConnector is installed.

1. Log in to your Sitefinity CMS backend.
2. Navigate to Administration » Agentic RAG connection.
3. Locate and open the System connection.
4. Click Edit on the Knowledge box area.
5. Enter the provided NucliaDB API endpoint, Knowledge box UID, and API key.
6. Click Save.
7. Verify that the connection is available.

For more information, see Agentic RAG connection.

Sample values:

AI feature-specific configuration

Sitefinity AI Assistant (SAIA)

PREREQUISITES:

• Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8630 or later is required.
• You must have the Progress.Sitefinity.Assistant NuGet package installed.

1. Navigate to Administration » Settings » Advanced » SitefinityAssistant.
2. Enter the provided SAIA settings, including admin frontend base URL, AI service base URL, AI service access key ID and secret, CDN host name, connection string, and feature state.
3. Click Save changes.

4. In the same Advanced settings area, navigate to AgenticRAG » Assistant.
5. Enter the remaining values, including the admin API base URL and CDN host name.
6. Click Save changes again.
7. Recycle the Sitefinity project or application pool.
8. Open the Sitefinity CMS backend and verify that SAIA is enabled and available.

Sample values:

{
    "AdminFrontendBaseUrl": "https://api.sitefinity.cloud/ui/",
    "AIServiceBaseUrl": "https://api.sitefinity.cloud/v1/organizations/<organization-id>/projects/<project-id>/aiAssistantTenants/<tenant-id>/environments/<environment-name>/ai/assistants/",
    "CdnHostName": "cdn.assistant.cloud.sitefinity.com",
    "DefaultProvider": "OpenAccessDataProvider",
    "AIServiceAccessKeyId": "<access-key-id>",
    "AIServiceAccessKeySecret": "<access-key-secret>",
    "AdminApiBaseUrl": "https://api.sitefinity.cloud"
}

The ASP.NET Core Renderer configuration for SAIA must also be added, because this part is not configured in the Sitefinity CMS backend. Add it to the Renderer application that hosts the assistant UI. Add the following configuration to the appsettings.json file of the environment where the assistant UI is hosted.

{
  "SitefinityAssistant": {
    "CdnHostName": "cdn.assistant.cloud.sitefinity.com"
  }
}

For more information, see Sitefinity AI Assistant.

Dynamically Generated Experience (DGE)

PREREQUISITES: Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8630 or later is required. Progress Agentic RAG connector is also required.

1. Add the required key to the appSettings section of the Sitefinity project web.config.
2. Configure the shared SitefinityAIService connection in your Sitefinity CMS backend, if not already configured.
3. Recycle the Sitefinity project or application pool.
4. Verify that DGE is available and functioning in your Sitefinity CMS backend.

NOTE: The following DGE setting is not available through the Sitefinity CMS backend, so adding it to web.config is required.

<appSettings>
    <add key="sf-env:dynamicExperienceConfig:adminFrontendBaseUrl" value="https://api.sitefinity.cloud/ui/" />
</appSettings>

For more information, see Dynamically Generated Experience.

Sitefinity Gen AI

PREREQUISITES:

• Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8630 or later is required.
• You must have the Progress.Sitefinity.AI.Core NuGet package installed.

1. Navigate to Administration » Settings » Advanced and open AI services.
2. Set Default AI service to SitefinityAIClient.
3. Click Save changes.
4. Configure the shared SitefinityAIService connection in your Sitefinity CMS backend, if not already configured.

Beware that to be able to use this AI feature, every user account must be granted certain AI permissions. For more information, see Permissions for using the built-in AI features.

For more information, see Generate AI content and Create tags with AI.

Sitefinity AI Agents

PREREQUISITES: Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8632 or later is required.

Configure the shared SitefinityAIService connection from your Sitefinity CMS backend, if not already configured.

No feature-specific configuration is required. Beware that to able to use AI agents, every user account must be granted certain AI permissions. For more information, see Permissions for using the built-in AI features.

For more information, see Custom AI agents.

Sitefinity MCP Server

PREREQUISITES: Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8633 or later is required.

Configure the shared SitefinityAIService connection in your Sitefinity CMS backend, if not already configured.

No feature-specific configuration is required.

For more information, see Sitefinity MCP server.

DX Assistant

PREREQUISITES: Sitefinity CMS 15.4.8633 or later is required.

Configure the shared SitefinityAIService connection in your Sitefinity CMS backend, if not already configured.

No feature-specific configuration is required. Beware that to be able to use the DX Assistant, every user account must be granted certain AI permissions. For more information, see Permissions for using the built-in AI features.

For more information, see DX Assistant.

Final validation checklist

• Sitefinity CMS version and build number confirmed
• Required license add-on confirmed
• Required NuGet packages installed
• Shared SitefinityAIService connection configured, where required
• Agentic RAG system connection configured, where required
• Feature-specific settings updated, where required
• Application restarted or recycled, where required
• AI feature tested successfully in Sitefinity CMS