microsoft/simplechat v0.237.001

v0.237.001

Repository: microsoft/simplechat

Tag: v0.237.001

Published: 2026-01-26T14:48:59Z

Prerelease: no

Release notes:

(v0.237.001)

New Features

• Retention Policy Defaults
• Admin-configurable organization-wide default retention policies for conversations and documents across all workspace types.
• Organization Defaults: Set default retention periods (1 day to 10 years, or "Don't delete") separately for personal, group, and public workspaces.
• User Choice: Users see "Using organization default (X days)" option and can override with custom settings or revert to org default.
• Conditional Display: Default retention settings only appear in Admin Settings when the corresponding workspace type is enabled.
• Force Push Feature: Administrators can push organization defaults to all workspaces, overriding any custom retention policies users have set.
• Settings Auto-Save: Force push automatically saves pending settings changes before executing to ensure current values are pushed.
• Activity Logging: Force push actions are logged to activity_logs container for audit purposes with admin info, affected scopes, and results summary.
• API Endpoints: New /api/retention-policy/defaults/ (GET) and /api/admin/retention-policy/force-push (POST) endpoints.
• Files Modified: functions_settings.py, admin_settings.html, route_frontend_admin_settings.py, route_backend_retention_policy.py, functions_retention_policy.py, functions_activity_logging.py, profile.html, control_center.html, workspace-manager.js.
• (Ref: Default retention settings, Force Push modal, activity logging, retention policy execution)

• Private Networking Support
• Comprehensive private networking support for SimpleChat deployments via Azure Developer CLI (AZD) and Bicep infrastructure-as-code.
• Network Isolation: Private endpoints for all Azure PaaS services (Cosmos DB, Azure OpenAI, AI Search, Storage, Key Vault, Document Intelligence).
• VNet Integration: Full virtual network integration for App Service and dependent resources with automated Private DNS zone configuration.
• AZD Integration: Seamless deployment via azd up with ENABLE_PRIVATE_NETWORKING=true environment variable.
• Post-Deployment Security: New postup hook automatically disables public network access when private networking is enabled.
• Enhanced Deployment Hooks: Refactored all deployment hooks in azure.yaml with stepwise logging, explicit error handling, and clearer output for troubleshooting.
• Documentation Updates: Expanded Bicep README with prerequisites, Azure Government (USGov) considerations, and post-deployment validation steps.
• (Ref: deployers/azure.yaml, deployers/bicep/, private endpoint configuration, VNet integration)

• User Agreement for File Uploads
• Global admin-configurable agreement that users must accept before uploading files to workspaces.
• Configuration Options: Enable/disable toggle, workspace type selection (Personal, Group, Public, Chat), Markdown-formatted agreement text (200-word limit), optional daily acceptance mode.
• User Experience: Modal prompt before file uploads with agreement text, "Accept & Upload" or "Cancel" options, daily acceptance tracking to reduce repeat prompts.
• Activity Logging: All acceptances logged to activity logs for compliance tracking with timestamp, user, workspace type, and action context.
• Admin Access: Settings accessible via Admin Settings → Workspaces tab → User Agreement section, with sidebar navigation link.
• Files Added: user-agreement.js (frontend module), route_backend_user_agreement.py (API endpoints).
• Files Modified: admin_settings.html, route_frontend_admin_settings.py, base.html, _sidebar_nav.html, functions_activity_logging.py, workspace-documents.js, group_workspaces.html, public_workspace.js, chat-input-actions.js.
• (Ref: User Agreement modal, file upload workflows, activity logging, admin configuration)

• Web Search via Azure AI Foundry Agents
• Web search capability through Azure AI Foundry agents using Grounding with Bing Search service.
• Admin Consent Flow: Requires explicit administrator consent before enabling due to data processing considerations outside Azure compliance boundary.
• Consent Logging: All consent acceptances are logged to activity logs for compliance and audit purposes.
• Setup Guide Modal: Comprehensive in-app configuration guide with step-by-step instructions for creating the agent, configuring Bing grounding, setting result count to 10, and recommended agent instructions.
• User Data Notice: Admin-configurable notification banner that appears when users activate web search, informing them that their message will be sent to Microsoft Bing. Customizable notice text, dismissible per session.
• Graceful Error Handling: When web search fails, the system informs users rather than answering from outdated training data.
• Seamless Integration: Web search results automatically integrated into AI responses when enabled.
• Settings: enable_web_search toggle, web_search_consent_accepted tracking, enable_web_search_user_notice toggle, and web_search_user_notice_text customization in admin settings.
• Files Added: _web_search_foundry_info.html (setup guide modal).
• Files Modified: route_frontend_admin_settings.py, route_backend_chats.py, functions_activity_logging.py, admin_settings.html, chats.html, chat-input-actions.js, functions_settings.py.
• (Ref: Grounding with Bing Search, Azure AI Foundry, consent workflow, activity logging, pricing, user transparency)

• Conversation Deep Linking
• Direct URL links to specific conversations via query parameters for sharing and bookmarking.
• URL Parameters: Supports both conversationId and conversation_id query parameters.
• Automatic URL Updates: Current conversation ID automatically added to URL when selecting conversations.
• Browser Integration: Uses history.replaceState() for seamless URL updates without new history entries.
• Error Handling: Graceful handling of invalid or inaccessible conversation IDs with toast notifications.
• Files Modified: chat-onload.js, chat-conversations.js.
• (Ref: deep linking, URL parameters, conversation navigation, shareability)

• Plugin Authentication Type Constraints
• Per-plugin-type authentication method...