# ๐ฌ Example Action > **Interactive message input action for OpenWebUI with real-time status updates** [](https://github.com/open-webui/functions) [](https://github.com/open-webui/open-webui) [](LICENSE) [](https://www.python.org) --- ## ๐ Overview **Example Action** is a foundational OpenWebUI action that demonstrates interactive user input capabilities with real-time status updates. This action provides a clean interface for collecting user messages and displaying them with proper event handling and status feedback. ### โจ Key Features - ๐ **Interactive Input** - Clean modal dialog for message collection - โก **Real-time Status** - Live status updates during processing - ๐ **Async Processing** - Non-blocking operation with proper event handling - ๐ซ **Event Emitter Integration** - Native OpenWebUI event system support - ๐ฏ **Simple & Extensible** - Perfect foundation for custom actions - ๐ก๏ธ **Error Handling** - Robust async operation management --- ## ๐ Table of Contents - [๐ Quick Start](#-quick-start) - [๐๏ธ Installation](#๏ธ-installation) - [๐ฏ Core Concepts](#-core-concepts) - [Action Architecture](#action-architecture) - [Event System](#event-system) - [Async Processing](#async-processing) - [๐ ๏ธ Configuration](#๏ธ-configuration) - [Basic Settings](#basic-settings) - [Advanced Options](#advanced-options) - [๐ก Usage Guide](#-usage-guide) - [Basic Usage](#basic-usage) - [Status Messages](#status-messages) - [Event Handling](#event-handling) - [๐๏ธ System Architecture](#๏ธ-system-architecture) - [Code Structure](#code-structure) - [Event Flow](#event-flow) - [Response Handling](#response-handling) - [๐ง Troubleshooting](#-troubleshooting) - [๐ Advanced Features](#-advanced-features) - [๐ค Contributing](#-contributing) --- ## ๐ Quick Start ### 1๏ธโฃ Install the Action 1. Copy the complete action code 2. Add as a new action in OpenWebUI 3. Enable the action in your workspace ### 2๏ธโฃ Trigger the Action - Click the action button in the chat interface - Or use the action through the OpenWebUI actions menu ### 3๏ธโฃ Enter Your Message - Fill in the input dialog that appears - Click submit to process your message ### 4๏ธโฃ View Real-time Updates - Watch status updates as the action processes - See your message displayed in the chat --- ## ๐๏ธ Installation ### Prerequisites - OpenWebUI version 0.3.9 or higher - Python 3.8+ environment - Administrator access to add actions ### Step-by-Step Installation 1. **Access Action Management** - Navigate to OpenWebUI Settings - Go to Admin Panel โ Actions - Click "Add Action" 2. **Install Example Action** - Copy the complete action code - Paste into the action editor - Set action name: "Example Action" - Save and enable the action 3. **Verify Installation** - Check that the action appears in your actions list - Test by triggering the action in a chat - Confirm input dialog appears correctly --- ## ๐ฏ Core Concepts ### Action Architecture The **Example Action** follows OpenWebUI's standard action pattern: #### ๐๏ธ Component Structure ```python class Action: class Valves(BaseModel): # Configuration settings (currently empty) pass def __init__(self): # Initialize action with valve settings self.valves = self.Valves() async def action(self, body, __user__, __event_emitter__, __event_call__): # Main action logic with async processing ``` #### ๐ง Core Components - **Valves**: Configuration management system - **Event Emitter**: Real-time status and message broadcasting - **Event Call**: Interactive input collection - **Async Processing**: Non-blocking operation handling ### Event System The action integrates deeply with OpenWebUI's event system: #### ๐ก Event Types | Event Type | Purpose | Data Structure | |------------|---------|----------------| | `input` | Collect user input | `{title, message, placeholder}` | | `status` | Show processing state | `{description, done}` | | `message` | Display content | `{content}` | #### ๐ Event Flow 1. **Input Request** โ User sees modal dialog 2. **Status Update** โ "adding message" with progress indicator 3. **Processing Delay** โ Simulated work with `asyncio.sleep(1)` 4. **Message Emission** โ User input displayed in chat 5. **Completion Status** โ "added message" with done flag ### Async Processing #### โก Async Benefits - **Non-blocking UI** - Interface remains responsive - **Parallel Operations** - Multiple actions can run simultaneously - **Real-time Updates** - Status changes broadcast immediately - **Error Isolation** - Failed actions don't crash the system --- ## ๐ ๏ธ Configuration ### Basic Settings #### ๐๏ธ Valves Configuration ```python class Valves(BaseModel): # Currently no configuration options # Can be extended for customization pass ``` The Example Action currently uses minimal configuration, making it perfect for: - **Learning & Development** - Simple structure for understanding actions - **Prototyping** - Quick foundation for custom actions - **Testing** - Reliable base for experimenting with features ### Advanced Options #### ๐ง Potential Extensions ```python class Valves(BaseModel): input_title: str = Field(default="write a message", description="Title for input dialog") input_message: str = Field(default="here write a message to append", description="Input dialog message") input_placeholder: str = Field(default="enter your message", description="Input placeholder text") processing_delay: float = Field(default=1.0, description="Simulated processing delay in seconds") status_adding: str = Field(default="adding message", description="Status message while processing") status_completed: str = Field(default="added message", description="Status message when done") ``` --- ## ๐ก Usage Guide ### Basic Usage #### ๐ฏ Triggering the Action 1. **From Chat Interface** - Click the actions button in the chat - Select "Example Action" from the menu - Action will immediately prompt for input 2. **Action Flow** ``` User Clicks Action โ Input Dialog โ User Types โ Processing โ Message Display ``` #### ๐ Input Dialog The action presents a user-friendly input interface: - **Title**: "write a message" - **Message**: "here write a message to append" - **Placeholder**: "enter your message" - **Input Field**: Text area for user message ### Status Messages #### ๐ Processing Feedback The action provides real-time status updates: 1. **Initial Status**: "adding message" (done: false) - Shows processing spinner - Indicates work in progress 2. **Final Status**: "added message" (done: true) - Confirms completion - Removes loading indicator ### Event Handling #### ๐ก Event Sequence ```python # 1. Collect input response = await __event_call__({ "type": "input", "data": { "title": "write a message", "message": "here write a message to append", "placeholder": "enter your message" } }) # 2. Show processing status await __event_emitter__({ "type": "status", "data": {"description": "adding message", "done": False} }) # 3. Simulate processing await asyncio.sleep(1) # 4. Emit user message await __event_emitter__({ "type": "message", "data": {"content": response} }) # 5. Show completion status await __event_emitter__({ "type": "status", "data": {"description": "added message", "done": True} }) ``` --- ## ๐๏ธ System Architecture ### Code Structure ``` Example Action/ โโโ Action Class โ โโโ Valves (Configuration) โ โโโ __init__ (Initialization) โ โโโ action() (Main Logic) โโโ Dependencies โ โโโ pydantic (Data Validation) โ โโโ typing (Type Hints) โ โโโ os (System Access) โ โโโ requests (HTTP Requests) โ โโโ asyncio (Async Operations) โโโ Event Integration โโโ __event_emitter__ (Status/Messages) โโโ __event_call__ (User Input) โโโ __user__ (User Context) ``` ### Event Flow #### ๐ Processing Pipeline ```mermaid graph TD A[User Triggers Action] --> B[Input Dialog Displayed] B --> C[User Enters Message] C --> D[Status: Adding Message] D --> E[Processing Delay] E --> F[Emit User Message] F --> G[Status: Added Message] G --> H[Action Complete] ``` ### Response Handling #### ๐จ Response Types - **Input Response** - User's message text - **Status Response** - Processing state updates - **Message Response** - Content displayed in chat - **Error Response** - Exception handling (implicit) --- ## ๐ง Troubleshooting ### Common Issues #### โ Action Not Appearing **Problem**: Example Action doesn't show in actions menu ``` Solution: Verify installation and permissions 1. Check action is properly saved in OpenWebUI 2. Ensure action is enabled 3. Refresh browser/restart OpenWebUI 4. Verify minimum version requirement (0.3.9+) ``` #### โ Input Dialog Not Opening **Problem**: Clicking action doesn't show input dialog ``` Solution: Check event call configuration 1. Verify __event_call__ is available 2. Check browser console for JavaScript errors 3. Test with a fresh browser session 4. Ensure OpenWebUI is up to date ``` #### โ Status Updates Not Showing **Problem**: No status messages during processing ``` Solution: Verify event emitter functionality 1. Check __event_emitter__ is available 2. Ensure status data structure is correct 3. Verify async/await syntax is proper 4. Test with simpler status messages ``` ### Debug Mode #### ๐ Adding Debug Output ```python async def action(self, body: dict, __user__=None, __event_emitter__=None, __event_call__=None): print(f"action:{__name__}") # Current debug output print(f"User: {__user__}") # Add user debug info print(f"Body: {body}") # Add body debug info # Your existing code... ``` #### ๐ Debug Information - **Action Name** - Confirms action is executing - **User Context** - Validates user permissions - **Request Body** - Shows incoming data structure - **Event Responses** - Logs event call results --- ## ๐ Advanced Features ### Custom Extensions #### ๐จ Enhanced Input Validation ```python from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, validator class Valves(BaseModel): min_message_length: int = Field(default=1, description="Minimum message length") max_message_length: int = Field(default=1000, description="Maximum message length") @validator('min_message_length') def validate_min_length(cls, v): if v < 1: raise ValueError('Minimum length must be at least 1') return v ``` #### ๐ง Message Processing ```python async def action(self, body: dict, __user__=None, __event_emitter__=None, __event_call__=None): # Enhanced input validation if len(response) < self.valves.min_message_length: await __event_emitter__({ "type": "status", "data": {"description": "Message too short", "done": True} }) return # Message transformation processed_message = f"๐ {__user__.get('name', 'User')}: {response}" # Enhanced status updates await __event_emitter__({ "type": "message", "data": {"content": processed_message} }) ``` ### Integration Patterns #### ๐ API Integration ```python import requests async def action(self, body: dict, **kwargs): # External API call example api_response = requests.get("https://api.example.com/process", json={"message": response}) # Process API response if api_response.status_code == 200: result = api_response.json() await __event_emitter__({ "type": "message", "data": {"content": f"API Result: {result}"} }) ``` #### ๐๏ธ Data Storage ```python import os import json async def action(self, body: dict, **kwargs): # Save message to file data_dir = "/app/backend/data/messages" os.makedirs(data_dir, exist_ok=True) message_data = { "timestamp": datetime.now().isoformat(), "user": __user__.get('name', 'Unknown'), "message": response } with open(f"{data_dir}/messages.jsonl", "a") as f: f.write(json.dumps(message_data) + "\n") ``` --- ## ๐ค Contributing ### Development Setup #### ๐ ๏ธ Local Development 1. **Clone Repository** - Set up local OpenWebUI development environment 2. **Install Dependencies** - Ensure pydantic, asyncio are available 3. **Test Changes** - Use OpenWebUI development instance 4. **Submit PR** - Follow OpenWebUI contribution guidelines ### Action Guidelines #### ๐ Best Practices - **Clear Purpose** - Well-defined action functionality - **Proper Async** - Use async/await correctly - **Error Handling** - Graceful failure management - **User Feedback** - Informative status messages - **Code Documentation** - Clear comments and docstrings #### ๐งช Testing Requirements - **Functionality** - Action works as expected - **Performance** - No blocking operations - **Compatibility** - Works with target OpenWebUI version - **Error Handling** - Graceful failure modes ### Bug Reports #### ๐ Reporting Issues Include the following information: - **OpenWebUI Version** - Your OpenWebUI version - **Action Code** - Complete action implementation - **Error Messages** - Full error text and console logs - **Reproduction Steps** - How to recreate the issue - **Expected Behavior** - What should happen instead --- ## ๐ License This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details. --- ## ๐ Acknowledgments - **OpenWebUI Team** - For the amazing platform and action system - **Community Contributors** - For feedback and improvements - **Beta Testers** - For early testing and bug reports --- ## ๐ Support - **GitHub Issues** - [Report bugs and request features](https://github.com/open-webui/functions/issues) - **Discussions** - [Community support and questions](https://github.com/open-webui/functions/discussions) - **Documentation** - [OpenWebUI Actions Documentation](https://docs.openwebui.com) ---