On a mission to make the web more intelligent and human-friendly, I recently had the opportunity to present and host a session at our joint Nashua CLOUD .NET and DevBoston meetup groups, introducing an exciting open-source initiative from Microsoft: NLWeb.
Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/x_4gbzUrW0s
View the slides on SlideShare: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/transform-any-website-into-a-conversational-experience-with-nlweb/281034902
What Is NLWeb?
NLWeb (Natural Language Web) is a robust protocol and toolset developed by Microsoft that turns any traditional website into a conversational interface, leveraging the power of large language models. It’s built around the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing developers to process natural-language queries and respond using structured Schema.org JSON.
In my session, I demonstrated how NLWeb works, highlighting its design for flexibility (enabling the swapping out of models, vector databases, and embeddings), and how it seamlessly connects to data and APIs to deliver intelligent, real-time responses to users.
Real-World Impact
I also highlighted real-world use cases where NLWeb is already in action:
- Tripadvisor – enabling users to plan family trips through conversation
- Eventbrite – allowing event discovery through natural-language search
- O’Reilly, Qdrant, Delish, Shopify, and others – showcasing early success in turning structured content into AI-driven UX
These examples demonstrate how businesses are already leveraging the potential of conversational web interfaces to drive engagement and discovery.
How to Get Started
For those interested in experimenting or building with NLWeb, here are a few resources I shared:
- GitHub: https://github.com/microsoft/NLWeb
- Quick start guide:
docs/nlweb-hello-world.md - Local test interface:
http://localhost:8000/static/debug.html - Azure deployment:
docs/setup-azure.md
Whether you’re a developer, architect, or product leader, NLWeb offers a modern and modular approach to embedding LLM-driven intelligence into any web property.
Thanks to everyone who attended the session and contributed to a lively discussion. I’m excited to see what you build next with NLWeb. If you missed it, feel free to catch the recording or browse through the slides.
Stay connected and join us at Nashua CLOUD .NET and DevBoston for more sessions like this.