[GH-ISSUE #13648] feat: Disambiguate models with identical names from different sources in workspace model configuration #32511

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GiteaMirror · 2026-04-25T06:26:37-05:00

GiteaMirror commented

2026-04-25 06:26:37 -05:00

Originally created by @Geequlim on GitHub (May 7, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui/issues/13648

Check Existing Issues

I have searched the existing issues and discussions.

Problem Description

When creating a model in a workspace, the base model is configured using only the model name. This causes a problem when multiple external sources (e.g., knowledge bases or APIs) provide models with the same name. The system cannot distinguish which version of the model to use, leading to confusion or incorrect behavior.

For example:

External Knowledge Base A provides a model named google/gemma-3-27b-it via its API, intended for answering knowledge type A.

External Knowledge Base B also provides a model named google/gemma-3-27b-it, but intended for knowledge type B.

Since the workspace model configuration only uses the model name, it's not possible to specify which provider's version should be used.

Desired Solution you'd like

Introduce a way to distinguish models by including additional metadata in the base model configuration—such as the source provider, a unique identifier, or a namespace. This would allow users to specify exactly which source's model should be used, even when model names are identical.

Alternatives Considered

Manually renaming models when importing them (e.g., appending a suffix like -from-A or -from-B), though this is error-prone and not scalable.

Using different workspaces for different providers, but this breaks unified model management and increases complexity.

Additional Context

This feature would greatly help teams using multiple external knowledge providers who might rely on popular open-source models with the same names. Supporting disambiguation at the system level would improve robustness and reduce configuration errors in multi-source environments.

Originally created by @Geequlim on GitHub (May 7, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui/issues/13648 ### Check Existing Issues - [x] I have searched the existing issues and discussions. ### Problem Description When creating a model in a workspace, the base model is configured using only the model name. This causes a problem when multiple external sources (e.g., knowledge bases or APIs) provide models with the same name. The system cannot distinguish which version of the model to use, leading to confusion or incorrect behavior. For example: External Knowledge Base A provides a model named google/gemma-3-27b-it via its API, intended for answering knowledge type A. External Knowledge Base B also provides a model named google/gemma-3-27b-it, but intended for knowledge type B. Since the workspace model configuration only uses the model name, it's not possible to specify which provider's version should be used. ### Desired Solution you'd like Introduce a way to distinguish models by including additional metadata in the base model configuration—such as the source provider, a unique identifier, or a namespace. This would allow users to specify exactly which source's model should be used, even when model names are identical. ### Alternatives Considered Manually renaming models when importing them (e.g., appending a suffix like -from-A or -from-B), though this is error-prone and not scalable. Using different workspaces for different providers, but this breaks unified model management and increases complexity. ### Additional Context This feature would greatly help teams using multiple external knowledge providers who might rely on popular open-source models with the same names. Supporting disambiguation at the system level would improve robustness and reduce configuration errors in multi-source environments.

GiteaMirror closed this issue

2026-04-25 06:26:38 -05:00

GiteaMirror commented

2026-04-25 06:26:42 -05:00

@Classic298 commented on GitHub (May 7, 2025):

You can add a provider prefix

Admin settings > connections > edit the connection

there you can add a prefix (custom name) which will be added in front of every single model you fetch from this provider.

@Classic298 commented on GitHub (May 7, 2025): You can add a provider prefix Admin settings > connections > edit the connection there you can add a prefix (custom name) which will be added in front of every single model you fetch from this provider.

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Reference: github-starred/open-webui#32511