Quick Start

Get Open WebUI running on your machine. Pick your preferred method below.

Open WebUI works on macOS, Linux (x86_64 and ARM64, including Raspberry Pi and NVIDIA DGX Spark), and Windows.

Docker: Officially supported and recommended for most users. Requires Docker installed.
Python: Suitable for low-resource environments or manual setups
Kubernetes: Ideal for enterprise deployments requiring scaling and orchestration

Docker
Python
Kubernetes
Desktop
Third Party

Quick Start with Docker

:dev is the pre-release build, and the newest fixes are in it

Think of :dev as the nightly: it is rebuilt from the dev branch every time a change lands, and it becomes the next release unchanged. Fixes reach it the day they are made, which is often weeks before they reach :main.

Swap the tag on any command on this page:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui-dev:/app/backend/data --name open-webui-dev ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:dev

Installing it is your call, and it is a genuinely useful one: pre-release builds are tested by the people who choose to run them. Give it its own volume, as above, and run it beside your normal instance rather than in place of it. Full details in Using the Dev Branch.

info

WebSocket support is required. Ensure your network configuration allows WebSocket connections.

Docker Hub Now Available

Open WebUI images are published to both registries:

GitHub Container Registry: ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui
Docker Hub: openwebui/open-webui

Both contain identical images. Replace ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui with openwebui/open-webui in any command below.

1. Pull the image

docker pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

2. Run the container

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Flag	Purpose
`-v open-webui:/app/backend/data`	Persistent storage. Prevents data loss between restarts.
`-p 3000:8080`	Exposes the UI on port 3000 of your machine.

3. Open the UI

Visit http://localhost:3000.

Image Variants

Tag	Use case
`:main`	Standard image (recommended)
`:dev`	Pre-release (nightly) build from the `dev` branch. Fixes and features arrive here first.
`:main-slim`	Smaller image, downloads Whisper and embedding models on first use
`:cuda`	Nvidia GPU support (add `--gpus all` to `docker run`)
`:ollama`	Bundles Ollama inside the container for an all-in-one setup

How the tags update

:main and :latest are the same rolling image: both point to the newest build from the main branch and are rebuilt every time a change lands there, so their digest moves forward as development continues. Note that :latest follows main; it does not point to the newest stable release.

:dev is the same idea for the dev branch, also rolling. That is the pre-release, effectively a nightly build, and it carries fixes and features weeks before they appear under :main.

Version tags, such as :vX.Y.Z and the shorter :X.Y.Z and :X.Y, are pinned to one stable release and never change. :git-<commit-sha> pins one exact commit.

This is why :main and a specific release tag can show different image digests at the same time: :main already includes everything merged since that release, while the version tag stays frozen at it.

Tag	Points to	Immutable?
`:main`, `:latest`	Newest build of the `main` branch	No (rolling)
`:dev`	Newest build of the `dev` branch, the pre-release	No (rolling)
`:vX.Y.Z`, `:X.Y.Z`, `:X.Y`	A specific stable release	Yes
`:git-<sha>`	One exact commit	Yes

For reproducible or production deployments, pin a version tag. For the newest build, use :main (or the identical :latest). For the next release before it is released, use :dev.

Specific release versions

For production environments, pin a specific version instead of using floating tags. Replace X.Y.Z with a version from the releases page:

docker pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:vX.Y.Z
docker pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:vX.Y.Z-cuda
docker pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:vX.Y.Z-ollama

Common Configurations

GPU support (Nvidia)

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --gpus all -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:cuda

Bundled with Ollama

A single container with Open WebUI and Ollama together:

With GPU:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 --gpus=all -v ollama:/root/.ollama -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:ollama

CPU only:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v ollama:/root/.ollama -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:ollama

Connecting to Ollama on a different server

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -e OLLAMA_BASE_URL=https://example.com -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -e WEBUI_AUTH=False -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

warning

You cannot switch between single-user mode and multi-account mode after this change.

Using the Dev Branch

:dev is Open WebUI's pre-release channel, and in practice a nightly build: the image is rebuilt from the dev branch as changes land, and every change lands there before it lands anywhere else. There is no separate beta programme, because dev fills that role. Changes that reach it are not reverted, so the next release is dev as it stands on release day.

That has two consequences worth knowing:

If you are waiting on a fix, it is probably already available. Check the changelog on dev, then run :dev rather than waiting for the release.
If you run Open WebUI for other people, testing the pre-release is how you avoid surprises. A second instance on :dev shows you the next release before your users meet it, and tells you whether your plugins, your models and your configuration still behave.

Whether to run it is entirely your decision, and running it is what makes releases good. A pre-release is only as well tested as the number of people who choose to install it, and that number is currently small.

Setup is the same as any other image, with the tag changed:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui-dev:/app/backend/data --name open-webui-dev --restart always ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:dev

Use a separate volume

Never share a data volume between dev and production. Dev builds may include database migrations that a release image cannot read back, so a shared volume can leave you unable to go back to :main. The -v open-webui-dev:/app/backend/data above is a different volume from the open-webui one used elsewhere on this page, and that is deliberate. The container name differs too, so both can run at once.

Anything that looks wrong on :dev is worth reporting on GitHub. Reports at that stage get fixed before the release instead of after it, which is the whole point of a pre-release existing.

If Docker is not your preference, follow the Developing Open WebUI.

Uninstall

Stop and remove the container:
```
docker rm -f open-webui
```

Remove the image (optional):

docker rmi ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Remove the volume (optional, deletes all data):
```
docker volume rm open-webui
```

Updating

To update your local Docker installation to the latest version, you can either use Watchtower or manually update the container.

Option 1: Using Watchtower

With Watchtower, you can automate the update process:

docker run --rm --volume /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock nickfedor/watchtower --run-once open-webui

(Replace open-webui with your container's name if it's different.)

Option 2: Manual Update

Stop and remove the current container:
```
docker rm -f open-webui
```

Pull the latest version:

docker pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Start the container again:

docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data \
  -e WEBUI_SECRET_KEY="your-secret-key" \
  --name open-webui --restart always \
  ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Set WEBUI_SECRET_KEY

Without a persistent WEBUI_SECRET_KEY, you'll be logged out every time the container is recreated. Generate one with openssl rand -hex 32.

For version pinning, rollback, automated update tools, and backup procedures, see the full update guide.

Docker Compose Setup

:dev is the pre-release build, and the newest fixes are in it

:dev is the nightly image, rebuilt from the dev branch as changes land, and it becomes the next release unchanged. Fixes reach it the day they are made. Running it is your call, and it is how pre-releases get tested. It is one word in your Compose file: see Running the pre-release image below, and give it its own volume.

Using Docker Compose simplifies the management of multi-container Docker applications.

Docker Compose requires an additional package, docker-compose-v2.

warning

Warning: Older Docker Compose tutorials may reference version 1 syntax, which uses commands like docker-compose build. Ensure you use version 2 syntax, which uses commands like docker compose build (note the space instead of a hyphen).

Example `docker-compose.yml`

Here is an example configuration file for setting up Open WebUI with Docker Compose:

services:
  openwebui:
    image: ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
    ports:
      - "3000:8080"
    volumes:
      - open-webui:/app/backend/data
volumes:
  open-webui:

Using Slim Images

For environments with limited storage or bandwidth, you can use the slim image variant that excludes pre-bundled models:

services:
  openwebui:
    image: ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main-slim
    ports:
      - "3000:8080"
    volumes:
      - open-webui:/app/backend/data
volumes:
  open-webui:

note

Note: Slim images download required models (whisper, embedding models) on first use, which may result in longer initial startup times but significantly smaller image sizes.

Running the pre-release image

:dev is Open WebUI's pre-release channel, and in practice a nightly build: every change lands on the dev branch before it lands anywhere else, and the next release is dev as it stands on release day. Running it on a second instance shows you that release early, and anything you report gets fixed before it ships rather than after.

Change the tag and, importantly, give it a separate volume and a separate port:

services:
  openwebui-dev:
    image: ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:dev
    ports:
      - "3001:8080"
    volumes:
      - open-webui-dev:/app/backend/data
volumes:
  open-webui-dev:

Never point dev at your production volume

Dev builds may include database migrations that a release image cannot read back, so a shared volume can leave you unable to go back to :main. Keep open-webui-dev as its own volume, as above.

Add this as a second service alongside your normal one and both run at the same time, on ports 3000 and 3001. Report anything that looks wrong on GitHub. A pre-release is only as well tested as the number of people who choose to install it, so this is the single most useful thing an operator can contribute.

Starting the Services

To start your services, run the following command:

docker compose up -d

Helper Scripts

A set of helper scripts is included with the codebase to streamline common Docker workflows:

docker-compose-launcher.sh: Interactive Compose launcher with GPU auto-detection, configurable WebUI/API ports, host data mounts, and optional Playwright support. Run ./docker-compose-launcher.sh --help for the full list of flags. Use --drop to tear down the project.
docker-cleanup.sh: Stops the Compose project and deletes all volumes, including persistent data. Prompts for confirmation before destroying data.
docker-run.sh: Builds the Open WebUI image and runs a single container, exposing it on OPEN_WEBUI_PORT (default 3000).
docker-ollama.sh: Pulls and runs the official Ollama container with optional GPU passthrough, exposing it on OLLAMA_PORT (default 11434).
docker-update-models.sh: Iterates through every model installed in the Ollama container and pulls the latest version.

note

Note: For Nvidia GPU support, you change the image from ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main to ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:cuda and add the following to your service definition in the docker-compose.yml file:

deploy:
  resources:
    reservations:
      devices:
        - driver: nvidia
          count: all
          capabilities: [gpu]

This setup ensures that your application can leverage GPU resources when available.

Uninstall

To uninstall Open WebUI running with Docker Compose, follow these steps:

Stop and Remove the Services: Run this command in the directory containing your docker-compose.yml file:
```
docker compose down
```
Remove the Volume (Optional, WARNING: Deletes all data): If you want to completely remove your data (chats, settings, etc.):
```
docker compose down -v
```
Or manually:
```
docker volume rm <your_project_name>_open-webui
```

Remove the Image (Optional):

docker rmi ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Using Podman

Podman is a daemonless container engine for developing, managing, and running OCI Containers.

Basic Commands

Run a Container:

podman run -d --name openwebui -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

List Running Containers:
```
podman ps
```

Networking with Podman

If networking issues arise (specifically on rootless Podman), you may need to adjust the network bridge settings.

Slirp4netns Deprecation

Older Podman instructions often recommended slirp4netns. However, slirp4netns is being deprecated and will be removed in Podman 6.

The modern successor is pasta, which is the default in Podman 5.0+.

Accessing the Host (Local Services)

If you are running Ollama or other services directly on your host machine, use the special DNS name host.containers.internal to point to your computer.

Modern Approach (Pasta - Default in Podman 5+)

No special flags are usually needed to access the host via host.containers.internal.

Legacy Approach (Slirp4netns)

If you are on an older version of Podman and pasta is not available:

Ensure you have slirp4netns installed.
Start the container with the following flag to allow host loopback:

podman run -d --network=slirp4netns:allow_host_loopback=true --name openwebui -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Connection Configuration

Once inside Open WebUI, navigate to Settings > Settings > Admin > Connections and set your Ollama API connection to: http://host.containers.internal:11434

Refer to the Podman documentation for advanced configurations.

Uninstall

To uninstall Open WebUI running with Podman, follow these steps:

Stop and Remove the Container:
```
podman rm -f openwebui
```

Remove the Image (Optional):

podman rmi ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Remove the Volume (Optional, WARNING: Deletes all data): If you want to completely remove your data (chats, settings, etc.):
```
podman volume rm open-webui
```

Podman Quadlets (systemd)

Podman Quadlets allow you to manage containers as native systemd services. This is the recommended way to run production containers on Linux distributions that use systemd (like Fedora, RHEL, Ubuntu, etc.).

🛠️ Setup

Create the configuration directory: For a rootless user deployment:
```
mkdir -p ~/.config/containers/systemd/
```

Create the container file: Create a file named ~/.config/containers/systemd/open-webui.container with the following content:

[Unit]
Description=Open WebUI Container
After=network-online.target

[Container]
Image=ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
ContainerName=open-webui
PublishPort=3000:8080
Volume=open-webui:/app/backend/data

# Networking: Pasta is used by default in Podman 5+
# If you need to access host services (like Ollama on the host):
AddHost=host.containers.internal:host-gateway

[Service]
Restart=always

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

Reload systemd and start the service:

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user start open-webui

Enable auto-start on boot:
```
systemctl --user enable open-webui
```

📊 Management

Check status:
```
systemctl --user status open-webui
```
View logs:
```
journalctl --user -u open-webui -f
```
Stop service:
```
systemctl --user stop open-webui
```

Updating

To update the image, simply pull the new version (podman pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main) and restart the service (systemctl --user restart open-webui).

Podman Kube Play Setup

Podman supports Kubernetes like-syntax for deploying resources such as pods, volumes without having the overhead of a full Kubernetes cluster. More about Kube Play.

If you don't have Podman installed, check out Podman's official website.

Example `play.yaml`

Here is an example of a Podman Kube Play file to deploy:

apiVersion: v1
kind: Pod
metadata:
  name: open-webui
spec:
  containers:
    - name: container
      image: ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
      ports:
        - name: http
          containerPort: 8080
          hostPort: 3000
      volumeMounts:
        - mountPath: /app/backend/data
          name: data
  volumes:
    - name: data
      persistentVolumeClaim:
        claimName:  open-webui-pvc
---
apiVersion: v1
kind: PersistentVolumeClaim
metadata:
  name: open-webui-pvc
spec:
  accessModes:
    - ReadWriteOnce
  resources:
    requests:
      storage: 5Gi

Starting

To start your pod, run the following command:

podman kube play ./play.yaml

Using GPU Support

For Nvidia GPU support, you need to replace the container image with ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:cuda and need to specify the device (GPU) required in the pod resources limits as followed:

      [...]
      resources:
        limits:
          nvidia.com/gpu=all: 1
      [...]

important

To successfully have the open-webui container access the GPU(s), you will need to have the Container Device Interface (CDI) for the GPU you wish to access installed in your Podman Machine. You can check Podman GPU container access.

Docker Swarm

This installation method requires knowledge on Docker Swarms, as it utilizes a stack file to deploy 3 seperate containers as services in a Docker Swarm.

It includes isolated containers of ChromaDB, Ollama, and OpenWebUI. Additionally, there are pre-filled Environment Variables to further illustrate the setup.

Why ChromaDB Runs as a Separate Container

This stack correctly deploys ChromaDB as a separate HTTP server container, with Open WebUI connecting to it via CHROMA_HTTP_HOST and CHROMA_HTTP_PORT. This is required for any multi-worker or multi-replica deployment.

The default ChromaDB mode (without CHROMA_HTTP_HOST) uses a local SQLite-backed PersistentClient that is not fork-safe: concurrent writes from multiple worker processes will crash workers instantly. Running ChromaDB as a separate server avoids this by using HTTP connections instead of direct SQLite access.

If you plan to scale the openWebUI service to multiple replicas, you should also switch to PostgreSQL for the main database and set up Redis. See the Scaling & HA guide for full requirements.

Choose the appropriate command based on your hardware setup:

Before Starting:

Directories for your volumes need to be created on the host, or you can specify a custom location or volume.

The current example utilizes an isolated dir data, which is within the same dir as the docker-stack.yaml.
- For example:
```
mkdir -p data/open-webui data/chromadb data/ollama
```
With GPU Support:

Docker-stack.yaml

services:
  openWebUI:
    image: ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
    depends_on:
        - chromadb
        - ollama
    volumes:
      - ./data/open-webui:/app/backend/data
    environment:
      DATA_DIR: /app/backend/data
      OLLAMA_BASE_URLS: http://ollama:11434
      CHROMA_HTTP_PORT: 8000
      CHROMA_HTTP_HOST: chromadb
      CHROMA_TENANT: default_tenant
      VECTOR_DB: chroma
      WEBUI_NAME: Awesome ChatBot
      CORS_ALLOW_ORIGIN: "*" # This is the current Default, will need to change before going live
      RAG_EMBEDDING_ENGINE: ollama
      RAG_EMBEDDING_MODEL: nomic-embed-text-v1.5
      RAG_EMBEDDING_MODEL_TRUST_REMOTE_CODE: "True"
    ports:
      - target: 8080
        published: 8080
        mode: overlay
    deploy:
      replicas: 1
      restart_policy:
        condition: any
        delay: 5s
        max_attempts: 3

  chromadb:
    hostname: chromadb
    image: chromadb/chroma:0.5.15
    volumes:
      - ./data/chromadb:/chroma/chroma
    environment:
      - IS_PERSISTENT=TRUE
      - ALLOW_RESET=TRUE
      - PERSIST_DIRECTORY=/chroma/chroma
    ports:
      - target: 8000
        published: 8000
        mode: overlay
    deploy:
      replicas: 1
      restart_policy:
        condition: any
        delay: 5s
        max_attempts: 3
    healthcheck:
      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "curl localhost:8000/api/v1/heartbeat || exit 1"]
      interval: 10s
      retries: 2
      start_period: 5s
      timeout: 10s

  ollama:
    image: ollama/ollama:latest
    hostname: ollama
    ports:
      - target: 11434
        published: 11434
        mode: overlay
    deploy:
      resources:
        reservations:
          generic_resources:
            - discrete_resource_spec:
                kind: "NVIDIA-GPU"
                value: 0
      replicas: 1
      restart_policy:
        condition: any
        delay: 5s
        max_attempts: 3
    volumes:
      - ./data/ollama:/root/.ollama

Additional Requirements:
1. Ensure CUDA is Enabled, follow your OS and GPU instructions for that.
2. Enable Docker GPU support, see Nvidia Container Toolkit
3. Follow the Guide here on configuring Docker Swarm to with with your GPU
- Ensure GPU Resource is enabled in /etc/nvidia-container-runtime/config.toml and enable GPU resource advertising by uncommenting the swarm-resource = "DOCKER_RESOURCE_GPU". The docker daemon must be restarted after updating these files on each node.

With CPU Support:

Modify the Ollama Service within docker-stack.yaml and remove the lines for generic_resources:

    ollama:
  image: ollama/ollama:latest
  hostname: ollama
  ports:
    - target: 11434
      published: 11434
      mode: overlay
  deploy:
    replicas: 1
    restart_policy:
      condition: any
      delay: 5s
      max_attempts: 3
  volumes:
    - ./data/ollama:/root/.ollama

Deploy Docker Stack:

docker stack deploy -c docker-stack.yaml -d super-awesome-ai

Using Docker with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

This guide provides instructions for setting up Docker and running Open WebUI in a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) environment.

Step 1: Install WSL

If you haven't already, install WSL by following the official Microsoft documentation:

Install WSL

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop is the easiest way to get Docker running in a WSL environment. It handles the integration between Windows and WSL automatically.

Download Docker Desktop: https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/
Install Docker Desktop: Follow the installation instructions, making sure to select the "WSL 2" backend during the setup process.

Step 3: Configure Docker Desktop for WSL

Open Docker Desktop: Start the Docker Desktop application.
Enable WSL Integration:
- Go to Settings > Resources > WSL Integration.
- Make sure the "Enable integration with my default WSL distro" checkbox is selected.
- If you are using a non-default WSL distribution, select it from the list.

Step 4: Run Open WebUI

Now you can run Open WebUI by following the standard Docker instructions from within your WSL terminal.

docker pull ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
docker run -d -p 3000:8080 -v open-webui:/app/backend/data --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Important Notes

Run Docker Commands in WSL: Always run docker commands from your WSL terminal, not from PowerShell or Command Prompt.
File System Access: When using volume mounts (-v), make sure the paths are accessible from your WSL distribution.

Python version compatibility

Open WebUI supports Python 3.11 and 3.12. Python 3.13 is not supported yet: a handful of our dependencies still need to ship 3.13-compatible releases, and until they do, installs on 3.13 will fail or break at runtime.

For production, run the Docker image or use the latest Python 3.11. This is the combination we test against most heavily.
Python 3.12 also works, but we have seen very rare reports of odd behaviour on 3.12 that we have not reproduced on 3.11. If something inexplicable happens on 3.12, drop to the latest 3.11 first.

pip
uv
Conda
Venv

Installation with pip

The simplest way to install Open WebUI with Python.

1. Install Open WebUI

pip install open-webui

2. Start the server

open-webui serve

Open WebUI is now running at http://localhost:8080.

'open-webui: command not found'?

If you used a virtual environment, make sure it's activated.
Try running directly: python -m open_webui serve
To store data in a specific location: DATA_DIR=./data open-webui serve

Uninstall

Uninstall the package:
```
pip uninstall open-webui
```
Remove data (optional, deletes all data):
```
rm -rf ~/.open-webui
```

Updating with Python

To update your locally installed Open-WebUI package to the latest version using pip, follow these simple steps:

pip install -U open-webui

The -U (or --upgrade) flag ensures that pip upgrades the package to the latest available version.

After upgrading, restart the server and verify it starts correctly:

open-webui serve

Multi-Worker Environments

If you run Open WebUI with UVICORN_WORKERS > 1 (e.g., in a production environment), you MUST ensure the update migration runs on a single worker first to prevent database schema corruption.

Steps for proper update:

Update open-webui using pip.
Start the application with UVICORN_WORKERS=1 environment variable set.
Wait for the application to fully start and complete migrations.
Stop and restart the application with your desired number of workers.

For version pinning, rollback, and backup procedures, see the full update guide.

Installation with `uv`

The uv runtime manager ensures seamless Python environment management for applications like Open WebUI. Follow these steps to get started:

1. Install `uv`

Pick the appropriate installation command for your operating system:

macOS/Linux:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

Windows:

powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"

2. Run Open WebUI

Once uv is installed, running Open WebUI is a breeze. Use the command below, ensuring to set the DATA_DIR environment variable to avoid data loss. Example paths are provided for each platform:

macOS/Linux:

DATA_DIR=~/.open-webui uvx --python 3.11 open-webui@latest serve

Windows (PowerShell):

$env:DATA_DIR="C:\open-webui\data"; uvx --python 3.11 open-webui@latest serve

Open WebUI is now running at http://localhost:8080.

Why set DATA_DIR?

Setting DATA_DIR ensures your chats and settings are saved in a predictable location. If you don't set it, uvx might store it in a temporary folder that gets deleted when the process ends.

Uninstall

To remove Open WebUI when running with uvx:

Stop the Server: Press Ctrl+C in the terminal where it's running.
Uninstall from UV: Enter uv tool uninstall open-webui
Available cleanup commands: The uvx command runs the application ephemerally or from cache. To remove cached components:
```
uv cache clean
```
Remove Data (WARNING: Deletes all data): Delete your data directory (default is ~/.open-webui or the path set in DATA_DIR):
```
rm -rf ~/.open-webui
```

Updating with Python

To update your locally installed Open-WebUI package to the latest version using pip, follow these simple steps:

pip install -U open-webui

The -U (or --upgrade) flag ensures that pip upgrades the package to the latest available version.

After upgrading, restart the server and verify it starts correctly:

open-webui serve

Multi-Worker Environments

If you run Open WebUI with UVICORN_WORKERS > 1 (e.g., in a production environment), you MUST ensure the update migration runs on a single worker first to prevent database schema corruption.

Steps for proper update:

Update open-webui using pip.
Start the application with UVICORN_WORKERS=1 environment variable set.
Wait for the application to fully start and complete migrations.
Stop and restart the application with your desired number of workers.

For version pinning, rollback, and backup procedures, see the full update guide.

Install with Conda

Create a Conda Environment:
```
conda create -n open-webui python=3.11
```
Activate the Environment:
```
conda activate open-webui
```
Install Open WebUI:
```
pip install open-webui
```
Start the Server:
```
open-webui serve
```

'open-webui: command not found'?

If your terminal says the command doesn't exist:

Ensure your conda environment is activated (conda activate open-webui).
If you still get an error, try running it via Python directly: python -m open_webui serve
If you want to store your data in a specific place, use (Linux/Mac): DATA_DIR=./data open-webui serve or (Windows): $env:DATA_DIR=".\data"; open-webui serve

Uninstall

Remove the Conda Environment:
```
conda remove --name open-webui --all
```
Remove Data (WARNING: Deletes all data): Delete your data directory (usually ~/.open-webui unless configured otherwise):
```
rm -rf ~/.open-webui
```

Updating with Python

To update your locally installed Open-WebUI package to the latest version using pip, follow these simple steps:

pip install -U open-webui

The -U (or --upgrade) flag ensures that pip upgrades the package to the latest available version.

After upgrading, restart the server and verify it starts correctly:

open-webui serve

Multi-Worker Environments

If you run Open WebUI with UVICORN_WORKERS > 1 (e.g., in a production environment), you MUST ensure the update migration runs on a single worker first to prevent database schema corruption.

Steps for proper update:

Update open-webui using pip.
Start the application with UVICORN_WORKERS=1 environment variable set.
Wait for the application to fully start and complete migrations.
Stop and restart the application with your desired number of workers.

For version pinning, rollback, and backup procedures, see the full update guide.

Using Virtual Environments

Create isolated Python environments using venv.

Venv Steps

Create a Virtual Environment:
```
python3 -m venv venv
```
Activate the Virtual Environment:
- On Linux/macOS:
```
source venv/bin/activate
```
- On Windows:
```
venv\Scripts\activate
```
Install Open WebUI:
```
pip install open-webui
```
Start the Server:
```
open-webui serve
```

'open-webui: command not found'?

If your terminal says the command doesn't exist:

Ensure your virtual environment is activated (Step 2).
If you still get an error, try running it via Python directly: python -m open_webui serve
If you want to store your data in a specific place, use: DATA_DIR=./data open-webui serve

Uninstall

Delete the Virtual Environment: Simply remove the venv folder:
```
rm -rf venv
```
Remove Data (WARNING: Deletes all data): Delete your data directory (usually ~/.open-webui unless configured otherwise):
```
rm -rf ~/.open-webui
```

Updating with Python

To update your locally installed Open-WebUI package to the latest version using pip, follow these simple steps:

pip install -U open-webui

The -U (or --upgrade) flag ensures that pip upgrades the package to the latest available version.

After upgrading, restart the server and verify it starts correctly:

open-webui serve

Multi-Worker Environments

If you run Open WebUI with UVICORN_WORKERS > 1 (e.g., in a production environment), you MUST ensure the update migration runs on a single worker first to prevent database schema corruption.

Steps for proper update:

Update open-webui using pip.
Start the application with UVICORN_WORKERS=1 environment variable set.
Wait for the application to fully start and complete migrations.
Stop and restart the application with your desired number of workers.

For version pinning, rollback, and backup procedures, see the full update guide.

Helm

Helm Setup for Kubernetes

Helm helps you manage Kubernetes applications.

Prerequisites

Kubernetes cluster is set up.
Helm is installed.

Helm Steps

Add Open WebUI Helm Repository:

helm repo add open-webui https://open-webui.github.io/helm-charts
helm repo update

Install Open WebUI Chart:

helm install openwebui open-webui/open-webui

Verify Installation:
```
kubectl get pods
```

warning

If you intend to scale Open WebUI using multiple nodes/pods/workers in a clustered environment, you need to setup a NoSQL key-value database (Redis). There are some environment variables that need to be set to the same value for all service-instances, otherwise consistency problems, faulty sessions and other issues will occur!

Important: The default vector database (ChromaDB) uses a local SQLite-backed client that is not safe for multi-replica or multi-worker deployments. SQLite connections are not fork-safe, and concurrent writes from multiple processes will crash workers instantly. You must switch to an external vector database (PGVector, Milvus, Qdrant) via VECTOR_DB, or run ChromaDB as a separate HTTP server via CHROMA_HTTP_HOST.

For the complete step-by-step scaling walkthrough, see Scaling Open WebUI. For troubleshooting multi-replica issues, see the Scaling & HA guide.

Critical for Updates

If you run Open WebUI with multiple replicas/pods (replicaCount > 1) or UVICORN_WORKERS > 1, you MUST scale down to a single replica/pod during updates.

Scale down deployment to 1 replica.
Apply the update (new image version).
Wait for the pod to be fully ready (database migrations complete).
Scale back up to your desired replica count.

Failure to do this can result in database corruption due to concurrent migrations.

Access the WebUI

You can access Open WebUI by port-forwarding or configuring an Ingress.

Ingress Configuration (Nginx)

If you are using the NGINX Ingress Controller, you can enable session affinity (sticky sessions) to improve WebSocket stability. Add the following annotation to your Ingress resource:

metadata:
  annotations:
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/affinity: "cookie"
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/session-cookie-name: "open-webui-session"
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/session-cookie-expires: "172800"
    nginx.ingress.kubernetes.io/session-cookie-max-age: "172800"

This ensures that a user's session remains connected to the same pod, reducing issues with WebSocket connections in multi-replica setups (though correct Redis configuration makes this less critical).

Uninstall

Uninstall the Helm Release:
```
helm uninstall openwebui
```
Remove Persistent Volume Claims (WARNING: Deletes all data): Helm does not automatically delete PVCs to prevent accidental data loss. You must delete them manually if you want to wipe everything.
```
kubectl delete pvc -l app.kubernetes.io/instance=openwebui
```

After You Install

First Login

Admin account: The first account created gets Administrator privileges and controls user management and system settings.
New sign-ups: Subsequent registrations start with Pending status and require Administrator approval.
Privacy: All data, including login details, is stored locally on your device by default. Open WebUI does not make external requests by default. All models are private by default and must be explicitly shared.

Connect a Model Provider

Open WebUI needs at least one model provider to start chatting. Choose yours:

Provider	Guide
Ollama (local models)	Starting with Ollama →
OpenAI	Starting with OpenAI →
Any OpenAI-compatible API	OpenAI-Compatible Providers →
Anthropic	Starting with Anthropic →
llama.cpp	Starting with llama.cpp →
vLLM	Starting with vLLM →

Connect an Agent

Want more than a model? AI agents can execute terminal commands, read and write files, search the web, maintain memory, and chain complex workflows, all through Open WebUI's familiar chat interface.

Agent	Description	Guide
Hermes Agent	Autonomous agent by Nous Research with terminal, file ops, web search, memory, and extensible skills	Set up Hermes Agent →
OpenClaw	Open-source self-hosted agent with shell access, file operations, web browsing, and messaging integrations	Set up OpenClaw →

Learn more about how agents differ from providers in the Connect an Agent overview →

New to Open WebUI?

If this is your first time with Open WebUI, read the Essentials for Open WebUI guide next. It covers the six things every new user needs to know: plugins, tool calling, task models, context management, RAG, and Open Terminal.

Explore Features

Once connected, explore what Open WebUI can do: Features Overview →

Experimental: Open Responses

Open WebUI has experimental support for the Open Responses specification. See the Starting with Open Responses Guide to learn more.

Community

Discord for questions, discussion, and support
GitHub Issues for bug reports and feature requests
Want to help? Test the development branch and report issues. No code required.

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.

Quick Start with Docker​

1. Pull the image​

2. Run the container​

3. Open the UI​

Image Variants​

How the tags update​

Specific release versions​

Common Configurations​

GPU support (Nvidia)​

Bundled with Ollama​

Connecting to Ollama on a different server​

Single-user mode (no login)​

Using the Dev Branch​

Uninstall​

Updating​

Option 1: Using Watchtower​

Option 2: Manual Update​

Example docker-compose.yml​

Using Slim Images​

Running the pre-release image​

Starting the Services​

Helper Scripts​

Uninstall​

Basic Commands​

Networking with Podman​

Accessing the Host (Local Services)​

Modern Approach (Pasta - Default in Podman 5+)​

Legacy Approach (Slirp4netns)​

Connection Configuration​

Uninstall​

🛠️ Setup​

📊 Management​

Example play.yaml​

Starting​

Using GPU Support​

Docker Swarm​

Docker-stack.yaml​

Using Docker with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)​

Step 1: Install WSL​

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop​

Step 3: Configure Docker Desktop for WSL​

Step 4: Run Open WebUI​

Important Notes​

Installation with pip​

1. Install Open WebUI​

2. Start the server​

Uninstall​

Installation with uv​

1. Install uv​

2. Run Open WebUI​

Uninstall​

Uninstall​

Venv Steps​

Uninstall​

Prerequisites​

Helm Steps​

Access the WebUI​

Ingress Configuration (Nginx)​

Uninstall​

Desktop App​

Pinokio.computer Installation​

After You Install​

Connect a Model Provider​

Connect an Agent​

New to Open WebUI?​

Explore Features​

Experimental: Open Responses​

Community​

Quick Start with Docker

1. Pull the image

2. Run the container

3. Open the UI

Image Variants

How the tags update

Specific release versions

Common Configurations

GPU support (Nvidia)

Bundled with Ollama

Connecting to Ollama on a different server

Single-user mode (no login)

Using the Dev Branch

Uninstall

Updating

Option 1: Using Watchtower

Option 2: Manual Update

Example `docker-compose.yml`

Using Slim Images

Running the pre-release image

Starting the Services

Helper Scripts

Uninstall

Basic Commands

Networking with Podman

Accessing the Host (Local Services)

Modern Approach (Pasta - Default in Podman 5+)

Legacy Approach (Slirp4netns)

Connection Configuration

Uninstall

🛠️ Setup

📊 Management

Example `play.yaml`

Starting

Using GPU Support

Docker Swarm

Docker-stack.yaml

Using Docker with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)

Step 1: Install WSL

Step 2: Install Docker Desktop

Step 3: Configure Docker Desktop for WSL

Step 4: Run Open WebUI

Important Notes

Installation with pip

1. Install Open WebUI

2. Start the server

Uninstall

Installation with `uv`

1. Install `uv`

2. Run Open WebUI

Uninstall

Uninstall

Venv Steps

Uninstall

Prerequisites

Helm Steps

Access the WebUI

Ingress Configuration (Nginx)

Uninstall

Desktop App

Pinokio.computer Installation

After You Install

Connect a Model Provider

Connect an Agent

New to Open WebUI?

Explore Features

Experimental: Open Responses

Community