HTTPS using ngrok

Instant public HTTPS for your local Open WebUI. Zero config, zero open ports.

ngrok creates a secure tunnel from a public URL to your local machine. It's the fastest way to get HTTPS working for development, demos, or testing features that require a secure context (like Voice Calls).

When to use ngrok

ngrok is ideal for development and testing. For production deployments, use a reverse proxy like Nginx or Caddy, or a Cloudflare Tunnel for zero-trust access.

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Prerequisites

Requirement	Details
Open WebUI	Running locally on port 8080 (default)
ngrok account	Free at ngrok.com, provides a stable authtoken

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1. Install ngrok

macOS

brew install ngrok

Linux

curl -sSL https://ngrok-agent.s3.amazonaws.com/ngrok-v3-stable-linux-amd64.tgz \
  | sudo tar xz -C /usr/local/bin

Windows

choco install ngrok

Or download directly from ngrok.com/download.

2. Authenticate

ngrok config add-authtoken YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN

Find your authtoken at dashboard.ngrok.com/get-started/your-authtoken.

3. Start the tunnel

ngrok http 8080

ngrok outputs a public URL like:

Forwarding  https://a1b2-203-0-113-42.ngrok-free.app → http://localhost:8080

Open that https:// URL in your browser. You're done.

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Configure Open WebUI

Set WEBUI_URL so OAuth callbacks and internal links resolve correctly:

docker run -d \
  -p 8080:8080 \
  -e WEBUI_URL=https://a1b2-203-0-113-42.ngrok-free.app \
  -v open-webui:/app/backend/data \
  --name open-webui \
  ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

warning

ngrok free-tier URLs change every time you restart the tunnel. Update WEBUI_URL accordingly, or use a ngrok custom domain (paid) for a stable URL.

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Custom domain (optional)

With a paid ngrok plan, claim a fixed subdomain so your URL never changes:

ngrok http 8080 --url=your-name.ngrok-free.app

This gives you a permanent URL you can set once in WEBUI_URL and forget.

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Quick reference

What	Command / Value
Start tunnel	ngrok http 8080
Custom domain	ngrok http 8080 --url=your-name.ngrok-free.app
Dashboard	dashboard.ngrok.com
Inspect traffic	http://localhost:4040 (ngrok's local inspector)
Set CORS origin	CORS_ALLOW_ORIGIN=https://your-name.ngrok-free.app

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Limitations

Concern	Detail
Free-tier URLs rotate	URL changes on every restart unless you use a custom domain
Interstitial warning	Free-tier shows an ngrok splash page on first visit
Not for production	ngrok adds latency and is a single point of failure; use a reverse proxy or Cloudflare Tunnel instead
Rate limits	Free tier has connection rate limits; paid plans remove them