Open WebUI troubleshooting and lightweight production

• Avoid losing chats, users, or configuration from a bad update.
• Diagnose Ollama connectivity and tool issues.
• Set up a lightweight installation for small business or small team use.

# View containers and logs
docker ps
docker logs -f open-webui

# Check Ollama from the host
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags

# Check from a container on the same network
docker exec -it open-webui sh
curl http://host.docker.internal:11434/api/tags

Pre-update checklist

• Note the current image version.
• Back up the Open WebUI volume.
• Read release notes if you rely on tools, auth, or RAG.
• Test on a copy if more people use it.
• Have a rollback plan.

# Simple Docker volume backup
docker run --rm \
  -v open-webui:/data \
  -v "$PWD/backups":/backup \
  alpine tar czf /backup/open-webui-$(date +%Y%m%d).tgz -C /data .

Minimal lightweight production

• Open WebUI with persistent volume.
• Ollama running separately and monitored.
• Qdrant with its own volume if you use RAG.
• Reverse proxy with HTTPS if it goes beyond localhost.
• Tested backups, not just configured.

Official sources

• Open WebUI documentation
• Ollama API
• Qdrant documentation