2.3 First-Time Setup

After opening the WebUI for the first time, create the local administrator account, complete onboarding, and configure a model:

1. Run the bootstrap-admin setup and create the primary local administrator account.
2. Go to model management and select an officially supported model provider, or select OpenAI Compatible to connect a service compatible with the OpenAI API.
3. Fill in Base URL, API Key, and model name.
4. Click "Test Connection" and verify API connectivity.
5. Set the default model, then continue the onboarding tasks. You can also add more models in model management.

Figure 2.1: Model Management dashboard and configuration actions.

After account initialization, configure the model as follows.

Step 1: Add a Model Provider

If you use an officially supported model service, select the corresponding provider directly. If you use a self-hosted gateway, local model service, or third-party service compatible with the OpenAI API, the OpenAI Compatible mode is usually the right choice.

Step 2: Add a Specific Model

You usually need to fill in:

• Base URL or API address
• API Key
• Model name

Step 3: Test the Connection

Skipping this step is a common reason why saved models fail to respond in production. Saving the configuration only writes the details into Flocks; it does not verify API connectivity. Testing the connection catches address errors, authentication failures, and interface incompatibilities early.

Step 4: Set the Default Model

This step is easy to miss during first-time setup.

Key distinction:

• Added model: Flocks can list the model as available.
• Default model: Flocks uses it first for future tasks.

If no default model is set, the home page may still show onboarding as incomplete, and Agents may fail to execute tasks.

First-Time Setup Checklist

• bootstrap-admin setup is complete, and the admin account can log in normally.
• At least one provider has been configured successfully.
• At least one model has been saved.
• Model testing has passed.
• A default model has been set.
• The home page onboarding status shows completed.

If all of the above are correct, continue to Feature Modules for conversation management, workflows, Agents, and tool integration.