* feat(settings): expand settings api payload * feat(webui): build app-style settings center * feat(webui): add centered chat search dialog * fix(webui): shorten chat search label * fix(webui): center dialog entrance animation * fix(webui): simplify chat search results * fix(webui): tighten mobile settings navigation * feat(webui): persist sidebar state * feat(webui): add sidebar organization controls * refactor(webui): organize backend helpers * refactor(webui): remove utils compatibility shims * refactor(session): move shared webui helpers out of webui package * feat(webui): add image generation settings * style(webui): refine settings overview layout * fix(webui): localize settings zh-CN copy * style(webui): add settings status indicators * feat(webui): show sidebar run indicators * fix(webui): persist sidebar run indicators * fix(webui): highlight settings pending status * fix(webui): align settings test with provider update * fix(utils): preserve legacy webui helper imports
nanobot webui
The browser front-end for the nanobot gateway. It is built with Vite + React 18 + TypeScript + Tailwind 3 + shadcn/ui, talks to the gateway over the WebSocket multiplex protocol, and reads session metadata from the embedded REST surface on the same port.
For the project overview, install guide, and general docs map, see the root
README.md.
Just want to use the WebUI?
If you installed nanobot via pip install nanobot-ai, the WebUI is already bundled in the wheel. Enable the WebSocket channel in ~/.nanobot/config.json and run nanobot gateway — see the root README.md for the 3-step setup. You do not need anything in this directory.
This webui/ tree is for people hacking on the WebUI itself (UI changes, new components, styling, etc.).
Layout
webui/ source tree (this directory)
nanobot/web/dist/ build output served by the gateway
Develop the WebUI (Vite HMR)
1. Install nanobot from source
From the repository root:
pip install -e .
Editable installs intentionally skip the WebUI bundle step — Vite HMR is faster than rebuilding
dist/on every change.
2. Enable the WebSocket channel
In ~/.nanobot/config.json:
{ "channels": { "websocket": { "enabled": true } } }
3. Start the gateway
In one terminal:
nanobot gateway
4. Start the WebUI dev server
In another terminal:
cd webui
bun install # npm install also works
bun run dev
Then open http://127.0.0.1:5173.
By default the dev server proxies /api, /webui, /auth, and WebSocket traffic to http://127.0.0.1:8765.
If your gateway listens on a non-default port, point the dev server at it:
NANOBOT_API_URL=http://127.0.0.1:9000 bun run dev
Access from another device (LAN)
To use the WebUI from another device on the same network, set host to "0.0.0.0" and configure a token or tokenIssueSecret in ~/.nanobot/config.json:
{
"channels": {
"websocket": {
"enabled": true,
"host": "0.0.0.0",
"port": 8765,
"tokenIssueSecret": "your-secret-here"
}
}
}
The gateway will refuse to start if host is "0.0.0.0" and neither token nor tokenIssueSecret is set.
Then open http://<your-ip>:8765 on the other device. The WebUI will show an authentication form where you enter the secret. It is saved in your browser so you only need to enter it once.
Build for packaged runtime
You usually do not need to run this by hand: python -m build invokes the WebUI build automatically when packaging the wheel.
If you want to preview the production bundle locally without rebuilding the wheel:
cd webui
bun run build # writes to ../nanobot/web/dist
The gateway picks up the new bundle on the next restart.
Test
cd webui
bun run test
Acknowledgements
agent-chat-uifor UI and interaction inspiration across the chat surface.