What is Ollama Client?

Ollama Client is an open-source browser extension for private, local-first AI chat with Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM, LocalAI, KoboldCPP, and other OpenAI-compatible servers.

Does Ollama Client require OpenAI?

No. Ollama Client is designed for local and self-hosted providers. You can use Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM, LocalAI, or KoboldCPP without any OpenAI account.

Where is my chat history stored?

Chat history is stored locally in the browser extension using SQLite in IndexedDB. Uploaded-file vectors and knowledge sets also stay in local browser storage.

Can Ollama Client read the current web page?

Yes, when tab access and page context are enabled. The extension can add selected text, current page content, tab context, uploaded files, and optional web search results to a chat.

Why do I see a 403 or CORS error with Ollama?

Firefox and strict local servers may block extension origins. For Ollama, allow browser-extension origins with OLLAMA_ORIGINS, then restart Ollama and retry.

Ollama Client FAQ

Ollama Client is a local-first browser extension for chatting with local and self-hosted AI models. It runs in Chrome and Firefox and connects to providers you control: Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp, vLLM, LocalAI, KoboldCPP, or another OpenAI-compatible server.

Does Ollama Client send my data to a cloud service?

No cloud service is required by Ollama Client. Chat history, settings, uploaded files, and knowledge indexes are stored locally in the browser extension. Model requests go to the provider endpoint you configure.

If you configure a remote provider, the prompt data needed for that request goes to that remote endpoint. If you configure a local provider such as Ollama or LM Studio on localhost, requests stay on your machine.

Which providers work with Ollama Client?

Ollama Client supports:

Ollama
LM Studio
llama.cpp server
vLLM
LocalAI
KoboldCPP
Other OpenAI-compatible servers through the shared OpenAI-compatible adapter

See Provider Setup for endpoints and setup steps.

Is Ollama Client an Open WebUI alternative?

Yes, for users who want a browser extension instead of a self-hosted web application. Open WebUI is a server-hosted interface. Ollama Client lives in the browser side panel and focuses on page context, local storage, RAG, web search, and browser-aware tools.

Can I use files and RAG locally?

Yes. Ollama Client can process uploaded files and store local vector indexes for retrieval-augmented generation. File retrieval is local-first: uploaded content and embeddings are stored in browser storage, not in a hosted service.

Can models search the web?

Yes, if you enable web search and configure a backend. Supported backends include SearXNG, Brave Search, and Tavily. Web search is optional, and API keys stay in local extension storage.

How do I fix a 403 or CORS error?

For Ollama, set OLLAMA_ORIGINS so the local server accepts requests from browser-extension origins:

OLLAMA_ORIGINS="chrome-extension://*,moz-extension://*" ollama serve

For persistent setup and platform-specific steps, see Fix Ollama CORS errors.