What is NLWeb
NLWeb is an open-source project launched by Microsoft. Based on simplifying the creation of natural language interfaces for websites, it enables any website to become an AI-driven application. NLWeb uses semi-structured data such as Schema.org and RSS, combined with LLM tools, to provide users with an AI assistant-like interaction experience. NLWeb natively supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), enabling humans and Agents to use the same natural language API. NLWeb supports multiple operating systems and mainstream models, with low deployment cost and ease of use.
NLWeb's main features
- Natural language interaction: NLWeb enables websites to interact with users based on natural language. Users can simply enter questions or instructions to obtain website content or services.
- Content discovery and access: Present website content to users in a structured form, helping users find the information they need more quickly and accurately.
- Agent interaction: NLWeb natively supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), enabling websites to interact with agents (such as AI assistants, chatbots, etc.).
- Data integration and enhancement: Integrate the website's existing semi-structured data (such as Schema.org, RSS, etc.), combine it with external knowledge provided by LLMs (large language models), and provide users with a richer and more accurate interaction experience.
NLWeb's technical principles
- Based on semi-structured data: Based on the website's existing semi-structured data (such as Schema.org, RSS, etc.), the data provides semantic descriptions for website content, enabling NLWeb to better understand and process user questions.
- LLM-driven: NLWeb combines the powerful language understanding and generation capabilities of LLMs (large language models) to provide users with a natural and smooth interaction experience. LLMs can understand users' natural language input and generate accurate, relevant answers.
- MCP protocol: NLWeb natively supports MCP (Model Context Protocol), which is used for interaction between chatbots and AI assistants and tools. Each NLWeb instance is an MCP server, supporting one core method, "ask", which asks questions to the website in natural language and returns structured responses.
- Technology agnosticism: NLWeb is an open project with strong technology agnosticism. It supports all mainstream operating systems (such as Windows, MacOS, Linux). Developers can choose the components that best meet their own needs. It supports all mainstream models and vector databases, and has good flexibility and scalability.
NLWeb's project addresses
- Project official website：https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/company-news/introducing-nlweb
- GitHub repository：https://github.com/microsoft/NLWeb
NLWeb's application scenarios
- Retail shopping: Retailers create chatbots to help users recommend clothing and products based on their needs, and provide services such as size selection and inventory inquiries.
- Food service: Cooking websites or restaurants recommend recipes or dishes based on user tastes and ingredient inventory, and provide reservation services.
- Travel booking: Travel websites provide users with services such as itinerary planning, hotel booking, and attraction recommendations, and generate personalized plans based on user preferences.
- News and content recommendation: News websites or content platforms recommend related news, articles, or videos based on users' interests and historical browsing records through natural language interaction.
- Technical support and customer service: Build an intelligent customer service system for the enterprise website to answer users' questions about product usage, troubleshooting, and other issues, and provide technical support.