Main View

@Html.SimpleGridAjax(
    partialViewEndpoint: "/Samples/SimpleGrid/PartialGrid",
    id: "Grid1",
    displaySearchField: true)

Partial View (_PartialGrid)

@(await Html
    .SimpleGrid(Model)
    .AddColumnsForModel()
    .Sortable()
    .AddPager(options =>
    {
        options.RowsPerPage = 10;
        options.RowsPerPageOptions = new[] { 3, 5, 10, 50 };
    })
    .AddSearch("Name", (source, query) 
        => source.Where(movie => movie.Name.Contains(query)))
    .Options(options =>
    {
        options.SearchViewName = null;
    })
    .RenderAsync())

Controller (Partial View)

[HttpGet]
public PartialViewResult PartialGrid() 
    => PartialView("_PartialGrid", MovieQuery);

To use AJAX, you need to put your SimpleGrid (just the Grid by itself) in a Partial View. Then in your main view call Html.SimpleGridAjax which creates the placeholder object and supporting JavaScript to dynamically load the Partial View.

The JavaScript code will intercept column sorting and pagination clicks and instead make a request to the PartialGrid. Also, a listener is installed in the Search text box to intercept key strokes to update the Grid while typing; it will perform a search on the first search configured (i.e. via a call to AddSearch(...)). Setting the SearchViewName to null will disable (hide) the standard search (non-AJAX) controls.

Overall, it works, but the solution is a little kludge, and could use some work...