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Serpstack

Use Serpstack to retrieve search engine results for Open WebUI conversations. Open WebUI sends search queries to Serpstack’s hosted API using your account’s access key.

warning

This tutorial is a community contribution and is not supported by the Open WebUI team. It serves only as a demonstration on how to customize Open WebUI for your specific use case. Want to contribute? Check out the contributing tutorial.

Requirements​

  • A running Open WebUI instance and an administrator account.
  • Outbound access from the Open WebUI server to the search provider and, for full-page retrieval, the sites returned by the search.
  • A chat model with reliable native tool calling and the Web Search capability enabled.

Create a Serpstack account and copy the access key from your account dashboard. Check your search allowance and HTTPS entitlement against the current plan details. The pricing page currently lists HTTPS encryption on the Free plan as well as paid plans, while the FAQ still names HTTPS as a plan-dependent feature; confirm availability for your account rather than assuming all free accounts require HTTP.

Configure in Open WebUI​

  1. Open Settings → Admin → Web Search and enable web search.
  2. Set Web Search Engine to serpstack.
  3. Paste your key into Serpstack API Key and save the settings.
  4. Enable the model’s Web Search capability and its Web Search default feature, or turn on Web Search for the conversation. Follow the native search setup for the model settings.

Keep SERPSTACK_HTTPS=true, the default, when your account supports HTTPS. If the API reports that HTTPS is unavailable, check your account entitlement with Serpstack. SERPSTACK_HTTPS=false selects unencrypted HTTP and exposes both the access key and search query in transit; use an account with HTTPS support for sensitive queries.

Environment example​

For a deployment configured through environment variables:

ENABLE_WEB_SEARCH=true
WEB_SEARCH_ENGINE=serpstack
SERPSTACK_API_KEY=your-api-key
SERPSTACK_HTTPS=true

Restart Open WebUI after changing the environment. Previously saved admin settings can take precedence over these startup values; if the selected engine or key has not changed, update it in the Admin Panel. See the web search configuration reference for persistence behavior and additional options.

Verify​

Start a new conversation with the configured model and turn on Web Search in the chat’s integrations menu if it is not already enabled. Ask: “Search the web for the official Python documentation and give me a link to it.”

Confirm that the conversation shows a web search tool call and returned sources, then open a source to check it. A plausible answer without a search tool call does not demonstrate that the provider is connected.

Troubleshooting​

  • Authentication or quota error: check that the saved API key is correct and the provider account has an available search allowance.
  • HTTPS access error: confirm your account’s HTTPS entitlement. Do not change to HTTP just because the account is on a free tier; see the HTTPS notes above.
  • No search tool call: check the model’s Web Search capability, the chat toggle or default feature, and Native function calling using the native search setup.
  • Search succeeds but page content is empty: check outbound connectivity, proxy settings, and web loader errors using Web Search troubleshooting. Search results and full-page fetching are separate steps.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a warranty, guarantee, or contractual commitment. Open WebUI is provided "as is." See your license for applicable terms.