> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cortecs.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cortecs.ai/integration-examples/chat/open-webui.md).

# Open WebUI

[**Open WebUI**](https://docs.openwebui.com/) is an extensible, feature-rich, and user-friendly self-hosted AI platform. By combining **Open WebUI** with Cortecs, you can create a privacy-preserving AI Chatbot Platform. This guide will walk you through the setup process.

{% hint style="info" %}
*Before you begin: Make sure you have generated your Cortecs API key. If not, check out our* [*QuickStart*](/quickstart.md) *guide.*
{% endhint %}

## 1. Deploy Open WebUI

There are multiple ways to deploy Open WebUI.

To get started quickly, follow the official [Quick Start guide](https://docs.openwebui.com/getting-started/quick-start/) for Open WebUI.

Once installation is complete, you’ll need to configure the external provider.

## 2. Connect to cortecs

Cortecs provides **OpenAI-compatible API endpoints**, making it easy to integrate with [Open WebUI](https://docs.openwebui.com/getting-started/quick-start/starting-with-openai-compatible) and many other tools. To connect:

1. Open Open WebUI in your browser.
2. Go to ⚙️ **Settings -> Admin Settings** → **Connections**.
3. At **Manage OpenAI API Connections c**lick ➕ **Add Connection.**
   1. **Base URL:**  <code class="expression">space.vars.DEFAULT\_API\_BASE\_URL</code>
   2. **API Key:** Your API Key
4. Click Save.

<figure><img src="/files/fnAGaSNy7SazrDx0ygZA" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
Cortecs Endpoints are **OpenAI compatibl**e to make easier its integration in a lot of products.
{% endhint %}

## 3. (Optional) Configure a Embedding Model

By default, Open WebUI uses **SentenceTransformers** for embedding generation. You can optionally switch to a Cortecs embedding model. To configure:

1. Open Open WebUI in your browser.
2. Go to ⚙️ **Settings** → **Admin Settings** → **Documents** → **Embedding**.
   1. **Embedding Model Engine:** OpenAI
   2. **Base URL:** `https://api.cortecs.ai/v1/`
   3. **API Key:** Your API Key
   4. **Embedding Model:** Choose one of the embedding models of the [models list](https://cortecs.ai/serverlessModels)
3. Click Save.

<figure><img src="/files/UNQysvfBL3qgFVTzGLgA" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## 4. Start Chatting!

You're all set!

* Open the chat interface.
* Select your connected server's model from the model menu.
* Start chatting with your AI assistant.

<figure><img src="/files/BKYT3bdZlt055Wr3CgVy" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>