Does Open WebUI need a plugin or a fork?

No. Settings > Connections > OpenAI API: the router's /v1 and the key; auto appears in the model list. The router is a standard endpoint; the tool is unchanged.

Which model does the tool get?

Whatever it asks for. The name auto lets the router choose per turn under your policy; a model id pins it and still routes among its providers; a workspace alias maps the tool's own default name to either.

What does the router add that the tool does not have?

The router's models in the picker, auto first. Budgets and redaction. A trace per message.

Can I use my own provider keys?

Yes - connect them under Model providers and the router executes on your accounts; model usage is billed by the provider, the platform meters requests.

Open WebUI through the router

Open WebUI on the router: auto in the model list, a budget on the key.

Open WebUI's OpenAI connection takes a base URL; set it to OpenSmartRoute and the whole model list, including auto, comes from the router, governed by your policy and traced per message.

The router's models in the picker, auto first
Budgets and redaction
A trace per message

Create a free account Open WebUI docs

Open WebUI settingsbash

export OPENAI_API_BASE_URL=https://api.opensmartroute.ai/v1
export OPENAI_API_KEY=$OSR_API_KEY
# then: Settings > Connections > OpenAI API: the router's /v1 and the key; auto appears in the model list.

Open WebUI speaks the OpenAI API; the router serves chat completions and the Responses API at /v1 with streaming, tools and structured output passed through.

Verify

The first turn is on the activity page.

Send one message from the tool and read the row: the model that answered, the cost, the confidence and a link to the full trace with the alternatives and the policy decisions.

verify.shbash

# the tool's next turn is on the activity page with its cost, model and trace
curl -s https://api.opensmartroute.ai/api/v1/activity?limit=3 -H "Authorization: Bearer $OSR_API_KEY"

Questions

Open WebUI and the router

Does Open WebUI need a plugin or a fork?: No. Settings > Connections > OpenAI API: the router's /v1 and the key; auto appears in the model list. The router is a standard endpoint; the tool is unchanged.
Which model does the tool get?: Whatever it asks for. The name auto lets the router choose per turn under your policy; a model id pins it and still routes among its providers; a workspace alias maps the tool's own default name to either.
What does the router add that the tool does not have?: The router's models in the picker, auto first. Budgets and redaction. A trace per message.
Can I use my own provider keys?: Yes - connect them under Model providers and the router executes on your accounts; model usage is billed by the provider, the platform meters requests.

Other tools

The same router behind every tool the team runs.

Put Open WebUI behind the router today.

A free account, one key, one command. Every turn the tool makes is priced, governed and explained from then on.

Create a free account Migrating application code instead?

Free plan, no card. Fifteen thousand decisions a month with the full trace.

export OPENAI_API_BASE_URL=https://api.opensmartroute.ai/v1 export OPENAI_API_KEY=$OSR_API_KEY # then: Settings > Connections > OpenAI API: the router's /v1 and the key; auto appears in the model list.