---
title: Connect a backend
description: Mount createChatHandler and optional Ask backends for production chat.
---

# Connect a backend

## Overview

<Mermaid
  chart={
    'flowchart LR\n' +
      '  UI[AgentChat shell] --> CH[createChatHandler]\n' +
      '  UI --> ASK[createAskServiceHandler]\n' +
      '  CH --> AK[AgentsKit adapter]\n' +
      '  ASK --> RAG[AgentsKit RAG + provider]'
  }
/>

## Chat HTTP handler

```ts
import { createChatHandler } from '@agentskit/chat/server'
import { supportChat } from './chat'

export default createChatHandler({
  authenticate: async request => { /* … */ },
  resolveDefinition: () => supportChat,
  sessionStorage: () => storage,
})
```

Details: [Server](/docs/server) · recipes: [Deployment](/docs/deployment).

## Ask / grounded Q&A

```ts
import { createAskServiceHandler } from '@agentskit/chat/server'

export const POST = createAskServiceHandler({
  authenticate: /* … */,
  resolveSite: /* … */,
  retrievers: { local: { retrieve: /* AgentsKit RAG */ } },
  generator: /* AgentsKit provider */,
})
```

Full contract: [Backend](/docs/backend).

## Sessions

Persist application metadata with CAS storage; messages stay in AgentsKit memory — [Sessions](/docs/sessions).

## Checklist

1. Shared `defineChat` definition  
2. `createChatHandler` (or local adapter) for turns  
3. Optional Ask handler for grounded misses  
4. Auth + rate limits on the host  
5. Native renderer per client  

## Related

- [Install](/docs/guides/install-and-run)
- [Add RAG](/docs/guides/add-rag)
- [Support bot example](/docs/examples/support-bot)