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How to Connect Ollama to Open WebUI for a Private Chat Interface

Configure an Ollama endpoint Open WebUI’s backend can reach, confirm models appear, and understand the limits of local-model privacy.
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To connect Ollama to Open WebUI, configure an Ollama address that the Open WebUI backend can reach, then select an available model in a new chat. The right address depends on where each application runs: localhost inside a container usually means that container, not your computer. Running a model locally can keep prompts from going to Ollama, but it does not automatically make every part of an Open WebUI setup private.

Choose the right Ollama address for your deployment

Open WebUI makes requests to Ollama from its backend. Use an endpoint reachable from that backend, not simply one that works in a browser or shell on another machine. The official Open WebUI documentation points administrators to the Connections area for managing an Ollama instance and its models; exact labels may vary by release. See the Open WebUI quick start and its Ollama provider guide.

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Where the services run Address to consider Important qualification
Both run directly on the same host http://localhost:11434 Use this only when Open WebUI’s backend shares the host network context with Ollama.
Open WebUI runs in Docker; Ollama runs on the host http://host.docker.internal:11434 This is the documented example; availability and networking behavior can depend on the platform and Docker setup.
Both run as services in Docker Use the Ollama service name and port on their shared Docker network Container-to-container access normally uses the service name, not a host loopback address.
Ollama runs on another machine Use that server’s reachable internal or otherwise secured hostname or IP address and port The backend must have a network route to it. Open WebUI supports setting the endpoint through OLLAMA_BASE_URL or its connection settings.

Open WebUI’s troubleshooting guidance explains why container networking matters: inside a container, localhost generally points back to that container. Depending on the deployment, a Docker service name, host.docker.internal, or an internal IP may be appropriate. Do not copy host-networking or port-mapping examples without checking the instructions for your operating system and setup.

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Connect Ollama in Open WebUI

  1. Start Ollama and make a model available. You can manage an Ollama instance and models through Open WebUI’s administration settings, or prepare the model through your existing Ollama setup.
  2. Open the administrator connection settings. In Open WebUI, go to Settings > Admin > Connections, then find the Ollama API connection. The interface can change between releases, so consult the documentation for your installed version if the labels differ.
  3. Enter the backend-reachable endpoint. For Docker Open WebUI connecting to Ollama on the host, the documented example is http://host.docker.internal:11434. For other arrangements, enter the address appropriate to the network layout in the table above. For remote Ollama, you can also configure OLLAMA_BASE_URL.
  4. Save or manage the connection and check model availability. The model selector should show models provided by that Ollama instance. If a needed model is not available, use the available model-management or pull flow.
  5. Start a new chat and select the model. Send a simple prompt to confirm that the selected model responds through the connection. This is a check for your own deployment, not a guarantee that every network or model configuration is working.

If Open WebUI cannot find models

  • No models appear: Check the endpoint and confirm it is reachable from the Open WebUI backend. A URL that works from the host shell may fail from a container because it has a different network namespace.
  • Docker Open WebUI cannot reach host Ollama: Try the documented host.docker.internal example where supported, or use an address suited to your platform and Docker configuration.
  • Ollama is on another machine: Check that the configured hostname or IP and port are reachable from the backend, and that the server is listening in a way that permits the intended connection. Use the official troubleshooting documentation for deployment-specific network guidance.
  • The connection works but a model is missing: Confirm that the model is available from the connected Ollama instance, then use Open WebUI’s model-management options or pull flow as needed.
  • Changing network settings seems to fix access: Limit exposure to the network access your deployment requires. Broadly binding a service can make it reachable by more devices than intended; reachability is not the same as safe access.

What “private” means with local Ollama

Ollama’s official FAQ says, “Ollama runs locally. We don’t see your prompts or data when you run locally.” That statement is specifically about running Ollama locally. Ollama’s FAQ also distinguishes cloud-hosted models and describes a configuration option for disabling Ollama Cloud features. When using a cloud-hosted model, do not assume the local-processing statement applies: the model is processed by the cloud service.

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A local Ollama model does not, by itself, establish that every component of an Open WebUI deployment is private. The connection instructions do not make a blanket claim about extensions, remote endpoints, reverse proxies, telemetry, or other services you may enable. Review those services’ data handling and restrict network access to the people and systems that need it.

Keep Open WebUI data when replacing its Docker container

If you run Open WebUI in Docker, retain its persistent data mount when replacing or recreating the container. Open WebUI’s Docker quick-start examples mount a volume at /app/backend/data. Without keeping the configured persistent volume, data stored in the container may not carry over when the container is replaced.

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Check documentation against your installed release

The Open WebUI and Ollama setup pages are rolling documentation, and the cited instructions do not specify a single product version or geographic availability. If a menu label or deployment example differs from your installation, use the current documentation for that release and verify the endpoint from the backend’s point of view.

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