# Open WebUI setup

Open WebUI is a self-hosted chat interface. Add Claudech as an OpenAI API connection and every Claudech model appears in its model picker.

## Before you start

- **A Claudech API key** from [API keys](https://claudech.com/api-keys). API access unlocks after your first purchase.

## Add the connection

1. Open **Admin Panel → Settings → Connections**.
2. Under **OpenAI API**, add a connection:
   - **URL:** `https://api.claudech.com/v1`
   - **Key:** your `sk-...` key
3. Save. Open WebUI calls `GET /v1/models` and lists every Claudech model your account can use.

## Or set it with Docker

```bash
docker run -d -p 3000:8080 \
  -e OPENAI_API_BASE_URL=https://api.claudech.com/v1 \
  -e OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-... \
  -v open-webui:/app/backend/data \
  --name open-webui ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main
```

## Things to know

- **Documents and web search.** Claudech does not offer embeddings or image generation. Keep Open WebUI's built-in embedding model (or another provider) for document search; chat runs on Claudech.
- **Titles and tags.** Open WebUI generates chat titles with a model too. Set its task model to `claude-sonnet-5` to keep that fast and cheap.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom | Fix |
| --- | --- |
| No models in the picker | The URL must end in `/v1`; check the key and save the connection again |
| `401` | Re-copy the key without spaces; check it is active under **API keys** |
| `402 insufficient_balance` | Top up under [Billing](https://claudech.com/billing) |

See [all integrations](https://claudech.com/docs/integrations) for other chat apps. Claudech is an independent service and is not affiliated with the makers of Open WebUI.

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Source: https://claudech.com/docs/integrations/open-webui