Skip to main content
warning

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

Browser Search Engine Integration

Open WebUI allows you to integrate directly into your web browser. This tutorial will guide you through the process of setting up Open WebUI as a custom search engine, enabling you to execute queries easily from your browser's address bar.

Setting Up Open WebUI as a Search Engine​

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, ensure that:

  • You have Chrome or another supported browser installed.
  • The WEBUI_URL environment variable is set correctly, either using Docker environment variables or in the .env file as specified in the Getting Started guide.

Step 1: Set the WEBUI_URL Environment Variable​

Setting the WEBUI_URL environment variable ensures your browser knows where to direct queries.

Using Docker Environment Variables​

If you are running Open WebUI using Docker, you can set the environment variable in your docker run command:

docker run -d \
  -p 3000:8080 \
  --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway \
  -v open-webui:/app/backend/data \
  --name open-webui \
  --restart always \
  -e WEBUI_URL="https://<your-open-webui-url>" \
  ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main

Alternatively, you can add the variable to your .env file:

WEBUI_URL=https://<your-open-webui-url>

Step 2: Add Open WebUI as a Custom Search Engine​

For Chrome:​

  1. Open Chrome and navigate to Settings.
  2. Select Search engine from the sidebar, then click on Manage search engines.
  3. Click Add to create a new search engine.
  4. Fill in the details as follows:
    • Search engine: Open WebUI Search
    • Keyword: webui (or any keyword you prefer)
    • URL with %s in place of query: 
      https://<your-open-webui-url>/?q=%s
  5. Click Add to save the configuration.

For Firefox:​

  1. Go to Open WebUI in Firefox.
  2. Expand the address bar by clicking on it.
  3. Click the plus icon that is enclosed in a green circle at the bottom of the expanded address bar. This adds Open WebUI's search to the search engines in your preferences.

Alternatively:

  1. Go to Open WebUI in Firefox.
  2. Right-click on the address bar.
  3. Select "Add Open WebUI" (or similar) from the context menu.

Optional: Using Specific Models​

If you wish to utilize a specific model for your search, modify the URL format to include the model ID:

https://<your-open-webui-url>/?models=<model_id>&q=%s

Note: The model ID will need to be URL-encoded. Special characters like spaces or slashes need to be encoded (e.g., my model becomes my%20model).

Example Usage​

Once the search engine is set up, you can perform searches directly from the address bar. Simply type your chosen keyword followed by your query:

webui your search query

This command will redirect you to the Open WebUI interface with your search results.

Troubleshooting​

If you encounter any issues, check the following:

  • Ensure the WEBUI_URL is correctly configured and points to a valid Open WebUI instance.
  • Double-check that the search engine URL format is correctly entered in your browser settings.
  • Confirm your internet connection is active and that the Open WebUI service is running smoothly.