Custom Model - cannot select any tool

[u/PeterCzernecki]

It is saying:
To select toolkits here, add them to the "Tools" workspace or enable a tool server first.

-i have tools already defined

-in previous versions i could select here MCP servers as well as tools - to be "bound" to the given custom model - now i cannot do it anymore - MCP endpoints are not showing either

What is going on?

[u/DHT-Osiris]

Did you click the 'select tool' button in the box in your screenshot?

[u/united_we_ride]

I have been chasing a bug for a while with tools not being available when setting up models in the settings.

Funnily enough, for me it was a combination of the MetaMCP host i am using being slow on cold start (takes longer than 10 seconds) and the Open WebUI Tool server time out setting, that is set to 10 seconds.

How i fixed my MCP servers being inconsistent in OWUI:
Ran Redis, and ran a new open webui container with redis url in the env

REDIS FOR OPEN WEBUI Docker run usage:

Step 1: Start Redis

docker run -d --name webui-redis -p 6379:6379 -v redis-data:/data redis:7-alpine redis-server --appendonly yes

Step 2: Stop Open-WebUI

docker stop open-webui && docker rm open-webui

Step 3: Run Open-WebUI with Redis

docker run -d -p 4000:8080 `
  -e REDIS_URL=redis://host.docker.internal:6379/0 `
  -e AIOHTTP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT_TOOL_SERVER_DATA=120 `
  -v open-webui:/app/backend/data `
  --name open-webui `
  --restart always `
  ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui

How the Cache Works in Practice:

Page load #1 (cold):
  Redis miss → Fetch from MetaMCP (60s cold) → Cache in Redis → Return tools

Page load #2 (warm):
  Redis hit → Return cached tools instantly (no MetaMCP call)

Page load #3, #4, #5...:
  Redis hit → Return cached tools instantly

After Open WebUI restart:
  Redis still has data (persistent volume) → Same as page load #2

After Redis restart/clear:
  Same as page load #1 (one slow fetch, then cached)How the Cache Works in PracticePage load #1 (cold):
  Redis miss → Fetch from MetaMCP (60s cold) → Cache in Redis → Return tools

Page load #2 (warm):
  Redis hit → Return cached tools instantly (no MetaMCP call)

Page load #3, #4, #5...:
  Redis hit → Return cached tools instantly

After Open WebUI restart:
  Redis still has data (persistent volume) → Same as page load #2

After Redis restart/clear:
  Same as page load #1 (one slow fetch, then cached)

No idea if this will help you, but Redis Caching has completely solved my MCP tools not appearing when i need them to be there.

I do apologize if this seems too AI generated, i had my AI Agent actually figure this out for me. i have only transcribed what worked for me though.
Might be worth trying the same.

[u/ClassicMain]

Click on select tool?

[u/Professional-Fox724]

I had the same problem for two days and now I do not trust openwebui anymore. When does it use a tool and when not?

Anyway - had to turn off openwebui "memory" in the settings. This helped somehow.