Open WebUI
Connect Open WebUI to a Pangolin AI Gateway resource
Open WebUI is a self-hosted chat interface. It talks the OpenAI API, so point it at an AI Gateway resource that has an OpenAI-compatible provider attached (OpenAI, OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, Microsoft Foundry, or custom). See AI Gateway Overview if you haven't set that up yet.
You'll need the resource's URL (its <endpoint>) and its API key (<key>). Both are on the resource's Keys page.
Public vs. private resources
Wherever these instructions show <key>, what you put there depends on the resource type:
- Public resource - reachable from anywhere, so the gateway checks a virtual API key. Copy it from the resource URL after login, the Resource Launcher more-info panel, or
https://app.pangolin.net/<org-id>/keys(use your self-hosted dashboard URL in place ofapp.pangolin.netif you self-host). - Private resource - only reachable from devices connected to your Pangolin network, so no key is checked. You must have the Pangolin client installed and connected. Use the literal string
noneas the key.
Don't delete the key field for private resources. Most clients refuse to start without some key set, so they need an inert placeholder rather than a missing one.
If you're running Open WebUI for the first time
docker run -d -p 3000:8080 \
-e OPENAI_API_BASE_URL=<endpoint>/v1 \
-e OPENAI_API_KEY=<key> \
-v open-webui:/app/backend/data \
--name open-webui \
--restart always \
ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:mainOpen http://localhost:3000, finish the first-run account setup, and your Pangolin gateway is already the active connection.
If Open WebUI is already running
Go to Settings → Connections and add a connection:
- URL:
<endpoint>/v1 - Key:
<key>
Save, then open a new chat - the models exposed by your resource's attached provider(s) show up in the model picker.
For a private resource, set the key to none rather than leaving it blank. Open WebUI treats a blank key as "no connection configured" and won't list the models.
Note that Open WebUI runs as a server, not on your laptop - so it's the Open WebUI host that needs the Pangolin client installed and connected to reach a private resource, not the browser you're viewing it from.
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