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📁 File Management

Open WebUI provides a comprehensive file management system that allows you to upload, organize, and utilize your documents across various features like Knowledge Bases and RAG.

Centralized File Manager​

The Centralized File Manager provides a unified interface to view, search, and manage every file you have uploaded to your Open WebUI instance, whether it was uploaded directly to a chat or into a Knowledge Base.

Accessing the File Manager​

  1. Click on your profile name or avatar in the bottom-left corner.
  2. Select Settings from the menu.
  3. Navigate to the Data Controls tab.
  4. Locate the Manage Files row and click the Manage button.

Key Features​

The File Manager modal offers several powerful tools for maintaining your data:

  • Universal Search: Quickly find any file by its filename using the integrated search bar.
  • Advanced Sorting: Organize your file list by:
    • Filename: Sort alphabetically to find specific documents.
    • Created At: See your most recent uploads or find older files.
  • File Details: View important information at a glance, including:
    • File Size: See how much space each document occupies (e.g., KB, MB).
    • Upload Date: Track when each file was added to your instance.
  • Built-in Viewer: Click on any file to open the File Item Viewer, which displays the file's metadata and specific details (such as size and type).
  • Safe Deletion: Easily remove files you no longer need.
    • :::info Knowledge Base Cleanup When you delete a file through the File Manager, Open WebUI automatically performs a deep cleanup. It removes the file from all associated Knowledge Bases and deletes its corresponding vector embeddings, ensuring your database stays clean and efficient. :::

Using Files in Open WebUI​

Files are at the heart of the platform's advanced capabilities:

1. Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG)​

By uploading documents (PDFs, Word docs, text files, etc.), you can ground your AI's responses in your own data.

  • Chat Uploads: Simply drag and drop files into a chat or use the upload icon.
  • Knowledge Bases: Add files to structured collections for more permanent and organized retrieval.

2. File Metadata​

Every file carries metadata that helps both you and the AI understand its context. This includes content type, original filename, and size.

Best Practices​

  • Naming Conventions: Use clear, descriptive filenames. This improves the accuracy of the File Manager's search and helps you identify specific documents.
  • Regular Audits: Periodically use the Manage Files dashboard to delete old or redundant documents. This saves disk/database space and improves the performance of your system by ensuring only relevant data is retained.

FAQ​

Q: If I delete a file, is it gone from my chats?
A: Yes. Deleting a file via the File Manager removes it from the system entirely. Any chat that referenced that file using RAG will no longer be able to pull information from it.

Q: Can I download my files back from the File Manager?
A: Currently, the File Manager focuses on viewing metadata and management (deletion). To download a file, you should typically access it from the original chat or Knowledge Base where it was used.

Q: Are there limits on the number of files I can manage?
A: There is no hard-coded limit in Open WebUI. The scalability depends on your storage (disk/S3) and your Vector Database (e.g., ChromaDB, PGVector).

Q: Does managing files require Admin privileges?
A: Regular users can manage their own uploaded files. Administrators have additional tools to manage global files and configuration via the Admin Panel.