Users and Roles in Local AI

What this article covers

• Why roles and permissions matter.
• How basic user management works.
• The difference between roles, groups, and permissions.
• How to set up roles in Open WebUI and other tools.
• Tips for production environments and common mistakes.

Introduction: Users and roles in local AI

When multiple people use an AI infrastructure, handing out access to everyone is not enough. You need to control who can use which models, who can change settings, and who has access to sensitive documents. User and role management ensures the right people get the right permissions.

The concept is familiar from enterprise environments, but it applies equally well to small teams and self-hosting projects. Local AI platforms like Open WebUI offer roles, groups, and model sharing. Using these features keeps your setup organized and secure.

Why do I need users and roles?

Without roles, things fall apart:

• Everyone has admin rights.
• Important settings can be changed by accident.
• Expensive models get used unintentionally.
• Confidential data has no boundaries.
• You can’t track who did what.

Roles let you separate tasks and responsibility clearly.

Core concepts

• User: A person with an account.
• Role: A collection of permissions, such as Admin or User.
• Group: Multiple users bundled together.
• Permission: A specific right, such as using Model X.
• Policy: A rule that controls access.
• RBAC: Role-Based Access Control.
• ABAC: Attribute-Based Access Control, for finer-grained rules.

Typical roles

Admin

Full access. Can manage users, models, settings, and knowledge bases. Only a few people should have admin rights.

User

Standard user. Can chat, manage their own conversation history, and use assigned models. No global settings.

Moderator

Can review content, delete conversations, and enforce policies. No admin rights.

Guest

Restricted access, often to specific models or knowledge bases only.

Roles in Open WebUI

Open WebUI includes a built-in role system:

• Admin: Full control over WebUI, users, and models.
• User: Standard access with personal chat history.
• Groups: Users can be organized into groups.
• Model access: Configurable per group or user.
• Knowledge access: Collections can be shared or restricted.

Best practices for roles

• Principle of least privilege: Allow only what’s necessary.
• Few admins: Usually two or three are enough.
• Groups over individual users: Manage teams rather than single accounts.
• Review model sharing: Restrict large models to qualified users only.
• Enable auditing: Track who got which role and when.
• Regular reviews: Adjust roles as responsibilities change.

Use cases

Development team

Admins manage the server and models. Developers use coding models. Testers have access to smaller models. Management sees only selected knowledge bases.

Support team

Support agents use a FAQ bot with RAG. Team leads can view conversations and provide feedback. Admins maintain the knowledge base.

Family or small circle

Create one admin account and a few regular accounts. Children or guests get restricted models. This keeps costs and content under control.

Roles and permissions in a reverse proxy

Beyond Open WebUI, a reverse proxy like Authelia or Authentik can enforce finer rules:

• Only specific user groups can access WebUI.
• External access requires two-factor authentication.
• IP-based rules complement role-based access.

Common pitfalls

• Everyone is admin: A security risk and configuration error.
• Undocumented roles: After a few months, you lose track.
• Orphaned accounts: Former employees stay active.
• Over-provisioned permissions: Users can do more than they need.
• No groups: Managing each user individually.
• Unprotected RAG: Everyone sees all documents.

Further reading and resources

• BotServ.de Authentication
• BotServ.de Managing API Keys Securely
• BotServ.de Open WebUI Multiple Users
• BotServ.de AI in Customer Service

FAQ: Users and roles

What is RBAC? RBAC means permissions are assigned through roles. Users get a role and inherit all associated rights.

Should I manage users or groups? For multiple users, groups are less work. Individual user management works for exceptions.

Can I manage roles outside of Open WebUI? Yes, via LDAP, OAuth, or a reverse proxy with appropriate rules.

How many admins do I need? As few as possible. At least two for redundancy, but no more than necessary.

Are roles possible in Ollama? Ollama itself has no role system. Access control happens at a higher layer or through a proxy.

Sources and further reading

• NIST Role-Based Access Control: https://csrc.nist.gov/projects/role-based-access-control
• OWASP Access Control: https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Access_Control_Cheat_Sheet.html
• Open WebUI Roles Docs: https://docs.openwebui.com/

Summary: Users and roles in local AI

Users and roles separate responsibility and protect sensitive content. The principle of least privilege, few admins, groups instead of individual users, and regular reviews are your core safeguards. Open WebUI provides roles, groups, and model sharing. For Ollama itself, a reverse proxy handles access control. Take this seriously, and you’ll have a secure, scalable AI environment.