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documentation.suse.com / Using Open WebUI for Effective AI Model Interaction

Using Open WebUI for Effective AI Model Interaction

Publication Date: 19 Dec 2024
WHAT?

Open WebUI is a Web-based application that allows you to interact with AI models.

WHY?

To understand what Open WebUI is and learn how to use it to effectively interact with AI models.

EFFORT

It takes less than an hour to understand the basics of Open WebUI.

REQUIREMENTS

The descriptions and procedures in this article assume that the following requirements are already fulfilled:

  • You have successfully deployed the SUSE AI.

  • You can access the Open WebUI interface in your Web browser.

  • Your Open WebUI user account has been created, and you have received the login credentials.

  • You have navigated your Web browser to the URL of your instance of Open WebUI and logged in with your credentials.

1 Introduction

 

This document provides an overview of Open WebUI and its user interface.

1.1 What is Open WebUI?

 

Open WebUI is a Web-based interface that allows you to interact with AI models, such as large language models (LLMs). It simplifies working with AI by providing a graphical user interface (GUI) instead of relying on command-line tools. The goal of Open WebUI is to make AI accessible to a broader audience, including those without technical expertise in AI development.

1.2 What are the key benefits of using Open WebUI?

 
Interaction with AI models

You can load a preferred AI model and interact with it using prompts in your natural language.

Custom data handling for RAG workflows

Open WebUI allows you to upload documents or specify URLs of pages that the AI can parse and reference during interaction, which is particularly useful for RAG workflows.

User-friendly interface

By providing a graphical user interface, Open WebUI makes AI tools more accessible to non-technical users. It helps them use the power of advanced AI models with no need for technical knowledge.

Data privacy

You can deploy Open WebUI locally or in a private environment. Such deployment is required for users concerned about privacy and data security.

1.3 Open WebUI user interface

 
Open WebUI user interface
Figure 1: Open WebUI user interface
 

The Open WebUI interface consists of three parts:

Top panel

Contains controls to manage tasks related to the current chat, such as:

  • Maximizing the chat window

  • Selecting an AI model for the current chat

  • Viewing and managing advanced settings for the current chat

  • Changing settings related to the current user

  • Viewing archived chats of the current user

  • Accessing the Admin Panel

Left sidebar

Contains links to perform the following tasks:

  • Start a new chat

  • Access the administrator's Workspace

  • Search the content of the current chat

  • Browse through the history of your chats

Main chat window

Displays your recent queries and corresponding answers provided by the AI. By using the prompt field at the bottom, you can accomplish the following tasks related to the current chat:

  • Enter the query that you want the AI to answer

  • Upload custom documents that you want the AI to process and use as a source of information when answering

  • Select a document, collection of documents, or URL to extend the AI model's knowledge base

  • Select a preconfigured AI model for the current chat

  • Interrupt the chatbot from answering if you are already satisfied with the provided information

1.4 Workspace

 
Important
Important

You must have Open WebUI administrator privileges to access configuration screens or settings mentioned in this section.

The Workspace area of the Open WebUI is a place where you can manage important parts of the AI stack. To access it, click Workspace at the top of the left panel. Workspace consists of the following parts:

Models

Manage existing AI modules or add your custom AI module based on an existing one. Refer to https://documentation.suse.com/suse-ai/1.0/html/openwebui-configuring/index.html#openwebui-managing-models for more details and related procedures.

Knowledge

Manage information sources—such as custom documents—that the users can use to enhance the current AI model's knowledge base. This helps making the model's responses more contextual. Refer to https://documentation.suse.com/suse-ai/1.0/html/openwebui-configuring/index.html#openwebui-managing-knowledgebase for more details and related procedures.

Prompts

Define the system prompts that guide the AI model to respond accurately in the style and format that you prefer. Refer to https://documentation.suse.com/suse-ai/1.0/html/openwebui-configuring/index.html#openwebui-managing-prompts for more details and related procedures.

Tools

Tools include a collection of Python snippets that enhance interaction and expand functionality for working with AI models. Tools can, for example, integrate additional data sources into the model knowledge base, such as databases.

Functions

Functions include a collection of Python snippets that can perform mostly internal data processing to automate workflows or manage text processing.

1.5 Admin Panel

 
Important
Important

You must have Open WebUI administrator privileges to access configuration screens or settings mentioned in this section.

The Admin Panel is a centralized control interface for administrators to manage system settings, user accounts and overall application functionality.

To access the Admin Panel, click your avatar button at the top right of the Open WebUI screen and select Admin Panel.

Admin Panel
Figure 2: Admin Panel
 

2 The chat window

 

This topic explains how to use the Open WebUI chat window to interact with an AI model.

  1. At the top left of the chat window, verify that an AI model is selected. If no model is selected, select the preferred one from the drop-down list.

    Tip
    Tip: Your default model

    To make the selected model your default one, click Set as default next to the AI model name.

    Tip
    Tip: Multiple AI modules

    You can select multiple AI modules by clicking the plus sign next to the name of the already selected module.

  2. Enter your prompt that you want AI to process in the chat input field.

    Tip
    Tip: Audio prompt

    If you prefer speaking rather than writing, click the small microphone icon to the right of the chat input field. Then say your prompt aloud and click the small check mark when finished.

  3. Confirm with Enter or click the “up” arrow to the right of the chat input field so that the AI model can process your prompt. Wait for the response.

    AI answering with 2 models
    Figure 3: AI answering with two models
     

  4. Depending on the number of selected AI models, one or multiple responses arrive. Below each response, there is a set of icons that help you perform the following tasks on the response:

    • Edit the response in a Markdown format in case you want to copy it for later use.

    • Copy the response to the clipboard.

    • Let Open WebUI read the response aloud.

    • Mark the response as good or bad. This way, the model learns to more effectively address the same or related subjects.

    • Regenerate the response if you are not happy with its current version. You can then cycle between individual versions of responses with the small left and right arrows.

3 The chat input field

 

For a new chat, the chat input field is located at the center of the Open WebUI chat window. During a chat session, the chat window slides to the bottom. Its main purpose is to accept a user prompt so that the AI can process it and respond (see Section 2, “The chat window”). Besides that, the chat input field provides extended functionality that can help you achieve the following tasks.

3.1 Selecting an AI model from the chat input field

 

This topic explains how to specify an AI model for the current chat from the input field.

You can specify which model you want the AI to use when responding to the prompts in your current chat. The selected model temporarily overrides your default model or the model you selected in the top right of the chat window.

  1. In the chat input field, type the @ character.

  2. From the drop-down list that appears, select one of the preconfigured AI models you want to talk to. You can only select one model at a time.

    Selecting an AI model
    Figure 4: Selecting an AI model
     

    Your selection is confirmed by the Talking to MODEL_NAME message right above the chat input field.

  3. Type your prompt and confirm with Enter or by clicking the “up” arrow to the right of the chat input field.

    Prompt for a selected model
    Figure 5: Prompt for a selected model
     

  4. To deactivate the previously selected model from the current chat, click the “cross” icon to the right of the model name.

3.2 Adding preconfigured documents or external URLs from the chat input field

 

This topic explains how to add preconfigured collections of documents and external URLs from the chat input field.

Besides prompting preconfigured AI models, you can “talk” to documents or collections of documents uploaded by the administrator. You can also specify external URLs whose content will be processed. AI then responds to your prompts based on the specified information sources.

  1. In the chat input field, type the # character.

    1. From the drop-down list that appears, select one of the preconfigured documents or a collection of documents whose content you want AI to use as an information source. You can select multiple documents, one by one.

      Selecting documents and collections
      Figure 6: Selecting documents and collections
       

    2. Instead of selecting the preconfigured documents, you can start typing http: followed by the full valid URL to the page that you want AI to process. After you confirm it with Enter, AI starts processing it.

      Adding a URL source
      Figure 7: Adding a URL source
       

  3. Type your prompt and confirm with Enter or by clicking the “up” arrow to the right of the chat input field.

    Prompt with selected documents and collections
    Figure 8: Prompt with selected documents and collections
     

  4. To deactivate the previously selected document from the current chat, hover over its name and click the “cross” icon to the right of its name.

3.3 Adding custom data sources from the chat input field

 

This section describes how to add external data sources from the input field.

Besides prompting preconfigured AI models, you can “talk” to custom data sources specified in the chat input field. AI processes these sources so that it can respond based on their content.

  1. Click the “+” sign to the left of the chat input field.

  2. Click Upload Files and specify the document from your disk to process. You can upload multiple documents at the same time.

  3. Type your prompt and confirm with Enter or by clicking the “up” arrow to the right of the chat input field.

    Prompt with uploaded documents
    Figure 9: Prompt with uploaded documents
     

  4. To deactivate the previously selected document from the current chat, hover over its name and click the “cross” icon to the right of its name.

3.4 Specifying a preconfigured system prompt from the chat input field

 

System prompts define the mood, context or style for user interactions. This section details how to select a preconfigured system prompt from the input field.

  1. In the chat input field, type the / character.

  2. From the drop-down list that appears, select the system prompt that you want to apply for the current chat.

    Preconfigured system prompt
    Figure 10: Preconfigured system prompt
     

  3. The content of the selected system prompt is pasted to the chat input field. Confirm it with Enter or by clicking the “up” arrow to the right of the chat input field.