User Guides

This is the main map for user-facing tldw_server documentation. Start here when you need to choose a setup path, understand what the WebUI and browser extension can do, find the right API docs, or operate a shared server.

The short version:

1. Choose a setup profile.
2. Open the WebUI.
3. Complete a first successful chat.
4. Add your first source.
5. Use the Feature Map to find the next workflow.

Start Here

Most first-time users should use the Docker single-user + WebUI path:

• Self-hosting profiles
• Docker single-user + WebUI
• Local single-user
• Docker multi-user + Postgres

After the base server is healthy, complete these first-value steps:

1. Open the WebUI.
2. Finish the first-time setup flow.
3. Send one successful chat message.
4. Add a first source, such as a document, URL, video, or audio file.

Optional setup paths:

• CPU audio setup
• GPU or accelerated audio setup
• Authentication setup

Choose Your Surface

Surface	Use it for	Start here
WebUI	Chat, media, sources, RAG, audio, study, writing, admin, and day-to-day workflows	WebUI user guide
Browser extension	Page capture, sidepanel chat, and browser-adjacent workflows connected to your server	Extension docs
Server API	OpenAI-compatible APIs, ingestion, RAG, evaluations, automation, and integrations	API documentation index
Admin/operator docs	Multi-user setup, hardening, organizations, usage, backups, monitoring, and deployment	Production hardening checklist

What Can I Do?

Use the Feature Map for the full task-oriented matrix.

Common workflows:

• Chat with models and characters: use Chat pages, Chat API documentation, Character roleplay quickstart, Character cards and character chat, and Personas.
• Add sources and media: use Media to RAG evals workflow, Web scraping and ingestion, Media ingest jobs API, and Bulk conference playlist ingest.
• Search and ask questions over knowledge: use RAG API guide, RAG production configuration, and Quick Chat Docs Assistant.
• Transcribe and generate speech: use Getting started with STT and TTS, Audio transcription API, and TTS getting started.
• Study, evaluate, and review outputs: use Evaluations user guide, Evaluations API unified reference, Benchmark creation and runs, and Flashcards Study Guide.
• Create and manage knowledge artifacts: use Chatbook user guide for OpenWebUI chat JSON and database import with post-import attachment hydration, Prompt Studio API, and Reading list API.
• Automate and integrate: use Workflows examples, Collections feeds API, and Getting started with ACP.
• Prototype workspace flows: use Prototype Workspaces User Guide to run isolated workspace experiments.
• Administer a shared server: use Organizations and sharing, BYOK user guide, Usage module, and Metrics cheatsheet.

Troubleshooting

Start with the guide that matches the failing surface:

• Setup and profile issues: self-hosting profiles and troubleshooting.
• Authentication and access issues: Authentication setup, Multi-user Postgres setup, and Multi-user SQLite setup.
• Provider and model issues: BYOK user guide, OpenAI OAuth first-time setup, local LLM setup, and Providers API documentation.
• Media and ingestion issues: Web scraping and ingestion, Media ingest jobs API, and Chunking templates user guide.
• Audio issues: CPU audio setup, GPU or accelerated audio setup, and TTS setup guide.
• Production and operations issues: Production hardening checklist, Backups using Litestream, and Long-term admin guide.

For Builders

• Live API docs on a running server: http://127.0.0.1:8000/docs
• API documentation index
• OpenAPI tag index
• Code documentation index
• Documentation site guide
• Python SDK README
• TypeScript SDK README