Open WebUI’s Admin settings configure the instance; a user’s personal settings configure that person’s account. Administrators use the interface to connect model providers, manage authentication and signups, and choose defaults, while deployment environment variables control startup and other configuration. The exact options and behavior can vary by release, so check the official reference for the version you run.
Where do I configure Open WebUI as an admin?
Sign in with an administrator account and open the Admin area from the interface. Its sections organize instance-wide configuration, including provider connections, authentication, interface behavior, and model defaults. Menu labels and available controls can vary by release.
Open WebUI’s documentation describes the administrator role as root-equivalent on the deployment. Treat administrator access as trusted access to broad control, and secure the server and administrator accounts accordingly. Visibility toggles in the admin interface are not a security boundary against an administrator.
What’s the difference between Admin settings and my own settings?
Admin settings apply across the instance or establish defaults for its users. Individual user settings apply to one account. For example, an administrator can choose Default Interface Settings, but users can change those starting values for themselves. Model settings can likewise establish instance-wide defaults without preventing a user from making personal choices.
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| Area | What an administrator configures | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Connections | Provider endpoints and credentials | Instance |
| Authentication | Login and signup controls and authentication setup | Instance |
| Interface / General | Starting values for interface behavior | Instance defaults; users can change their own settings |
| Models | Selected or pinned model defaults | Instance defaults, distinct from a user’s own choices |
| Environment configuration | Deployment and startup configuration | Depends on the setting and installed release |
How do I connect Ollama or an OpenAI-compatible provider?
Open WebUI is the interface, not the model provider. Its Quick Start documentation states, “Open WebUI has no models of its own.” To use models, connect a local or cloud provider in the Admin Connections area.
| Connection type | Where it runs | What to prepare | Model availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ollama | Often a local or self-hosted provider | The provider’s reachable endpoint; credentials if your setup requires them | Follow the Ollama connection guide for how models are made available |
| OpenAI-compatible API | Local, self-hosted, or cloud endpoint | Endpoint URL and, where required, API credentials | Some providers require model IDs to be entered manually |
Use the endpoint URL and credentials supplied by your provider, and consult its connection instructions if Open WebUI does not discover the expected models. Do not assume every compatible service exposes an identical model list or authentication method.
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How do I control signups and authentication?
Plan authentication and account access before exposing an instance to users. Open WebUI’s environment reference says WEBUI_AUTH defaults to enabled. It also warns that disabling authentication is available only on a fresh installation with no users, and advises setting up SSO or LDAP before turning off the login form.
Initial administrator and new accounts
On a fresh database with no users, setting both WEBUI_ADMIN_EMAIL and WEBUI_ADMIN_PASSWORD can create the initial administrator. Once that account has been created, signup is disabled automatically. Later, an administrator can enable new accounts in Admin Authentication; accounts may require approval.
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Use a strong, unique administrator password and keep credentials out of source control. The initial-account rule concerns first-run provisioning; it is not a substitute for reviewing the authentication options in the installed release.
Login form, signup, and API authentication are distinct
The environment reference describes ENABLE_LOGIN_FORM as configurable from Admin Authentication and applying immediately. It says disabling the form also refuses local signup through the documented signup endpoint, while password sign-in through the API has a separate control. These are separate behaviors, not one universal “login off” switch; verify the details for your release before changing access.
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Protect tokens and secrets
WEBUI_SECRET_KEY is used for JWT signing and encryption of sensitive data. The reference says standard launch methods generate and persist a random key on first start, while development launch methods may require the operator to set one. It warns against setting JWT_EXPIRES_IN to -1 in production because that disables token expiration. Both details are release-sensitive; check the current reference before relying on them.
How do environment variables interact with settings in the UI?
Use the Admin interface for settings managed there, and environment configuration for deployment-specific or startup behavior. Do not assume one method always overrides the other: the behavior depends on the setting and the installed release.
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In the official environment reference, values marked ConfigVar are persisted internally; other settings may be read from the process environment. The reference also documents JSON-based defaults for some model and connection configuration. Its examples warn that malformed JSON can result in empty defaults, so copy syntax only from documentation matching your release.
The Environment Variable Configuration page identifies its contents as v0.11.1 and says it is a work in progress. Open WebUI’s Reference page describes itself as the canonical source for environment variables, API endpoints, network architecture, reverse proxies, and monitoring. Confirm names, defaults, persistence, and restart requirements against the documentation for your installed version before deploying a change.
Quick Recap
Which official guides should I use?
- Open WebUI Reference for the canonical reference areas, including environment variables and deployment topics.
- Quick Start for the interface/provider distinction and initial setup.
- Understanding Settings for how settings are organized.
- Authentication & Access for access controls.
- Default Interface Settings for instance defaults users can change.
- Models for model-related configuration.
- Ollama connection guide and OpenAI-compatible connection guide for provider setup.
- API Endpoints for the documented API reference.
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