# How to Disable the llmfit Web Dashboard

> Learn how to disable the llmfit Web dashboard by passing the --no-dashboard flag to the CLI binary. Stop the automatic background web server startup with this simple command.

- Repository: [Alex Jones/llmfit](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-19

---

**Pass the `--no-dashboard` flag to the llmfit CLI binary to suppress the automatic background web server startup.**

The llmfit tool from the AlexsJones/llmfit repository provides an interactive TUI with an optional web dashboard. By default, the binary launches a background HTTP server to serve the UI, but you can disable this behavior using a simple command-line argument to improve security or reduce resource usage.

## Understanding the Automatic Dashboard Behavior

When you run llmfit without flags, the application automatically attempts to start a web dashboard. According to the source code in [`llmfit-tui/src/main.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/main.rs), the binary checks environment variables for the dashboard host and port, verifies if the server is already reachable, and starts the HTTP server if needed. It also writes a PID file for later cleanup. This entire flow is gated by the CLI configuration and executes unless explicitly disabled.

## Disabling the Dashboard with `--no-dashboard`

The primary method to disable the llmfit web dashboard is the `--no-dashboard` flag. This boolean argument is parsed into the `no_dashboard` field of the internal `Cli` struct. The startup logic at lines 180 and 2779 of [`llmfit-tui/src/main.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/main.rs) evaluates `!cli.no_dashboard`, skipping the server initialization when the flag is present.

### CLI Usage Examples

Run the binary without the dashboard:

```bash

# Default behavior - dashboard starts automatically on http://<host>:<port>/

llmfit

# Disable the web dashboard completely

llmfit --no-dashboard

```

### Python Wrapper Usage

If you invoke llmfit through the Python module wrapper, forward the flag directly after the module name:

```bash
python -m llmfit --no-dashboard

```

## Technical Implementation Details

The dashboard disable logic is implemented in the Rust source code with precise conditional checks. In [`llmfit-tui/src/main.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/main.rs), the decision to start the server depends on the evaluation of `!cli.no_dashboard`. When this condition returns false (meaning the user provided the flag), the code bypasses the server initialization routine defined in [`llmfit-tui/src/serve_api.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/serve_api.rs).

The user-facing documentation in [`docs/tui.md`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/docs/tui.md) (line 322) confirms this flag prevents the automatic launch of the dashboard server, providing authoritative confirmation of the behavior described in the source.

## Summary

- The `--no-dashboard` flag completely disables the automatic web dashboard startup in llmfit
- When omitted, the binary binds to the configured host/port and manages a PID file for the background process
- The flag functions identically whether using the native Rust binary or the Python wrapper
- Implementation resides in [`llmfit-tui/src/main.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/main.rs) with the HTTP server logic contained in [`llmfit-tui/src/serve_api.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/serve_api.rs)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What port does the llmfit dashboard use by default?

The dashboard server binds to the host and port specified via environment variables. When reachable, it serves the interactive UI on `http://<host>:<port>/`. Check your environment configuration or the startup logs for the specific binding address, as the defaults are determined by the application's configuration parser.

### Can I disable the dashboard if I'm using the Python wrapper?

Yes. Pass `--no-dashboard` after the module invocation: `python -m llmfit --no-dashboard`. The Python wrapper forwards arguments directly to the underlying Rust binary's CLI parser, ensuring the `no_dashboard` field is set correctly in the `Cli` struct.

### Does disabling the dashboard affect the TUI functionality?

No. The terminal user interface operates independently of the web dashboard. Disabling the web server only prevents the background HTTP process from starting and writing its PID file; the interactive TUI continues to function normally within your terminal session.

### Where is the dashboard server implementation located?

The HTTP server implementation resides in [`llmfit-tui/src/serve_api.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/serve_api.rs). The startup decision logic that checks the `no_dashboard` field before invoking the server is implemented in [`llmfit-tui/src/main.rs`](https://github.com/AlexsJones/llmfit/blob/main/llmfit-tui/src/main.rs) at lines 180 and 2779.