Bring Your Own Model

Bring your own model

Take a model you already have (a LoRA or a full checkpoint, as a hosted safetensors file) and import it into Runware so it becomes a first-class catalog model. You assign it an AIR you own, declare its architecture, and from then on you call it in imageInference exactly like any built-in model. The task type is modelUpload.

Inputs to collect

• The model file as a downloadURL. A reachable URL to your safetensors. Runware downloads it server-side, so it must be publicly fetchable (or signed).
• category - what kind of weights: lora, checkpoint, lycoris, vae, or embeddings. (Ask if ambiguous, most "my own model" cases are lora or checkpoint.)
• architecture - the base family the weights were trained on (a FLUX or SDXL family identifier). This must match a known architecture so inference can pair it correctly.
• The AIR to assign under the runware source you control (e.g. runware:@), plus a human name and version.
• Optional: positiveTriggerWords (for a LoRA), defaultWeight, and whether to keep it private.

Models

• This is not a model-picking task, it is a model-importing task. The "model" is yours.
• Confirm the exact modelUpload schema (its enums and required fields) via runware-run before calling, the accepted architecture values and category enum are the gate. Do not hardcode an architecture string from memory, resolve it live.
• To generate after import, route the model choice through runware-models only to confirm your new AIR is showing as available, then call it like any catalog model.

Workflow

1. Resolve the modelUpload schema (runware-run). Confirm the required set: taskType, category, architecture, format, name, version, downloadURL. format is safetensors.
2. Assign your AIR. Pick runware:@ (the runware source is for account-owned models). Set name and version. This AIR is how you will call the model forever after.
3. Submit modelUpload with the file URL, category, architecture, and AIR. Add positiveTriggerWords / defaultWeight for a LoRA if you have them.
4. Wait pragmatically (see Technique). A LoRA deploys in about 2 minutes, a full checkpoint can be 10s of GB and takes much longer. Poll the model's availability, not the upload task.
5. Generate with it. Run imageInference with model set to your AIR. For a LoRA, attach it via the inference schema's LoRA field on a compatible base, for a checkpoint, use the AIR directly as the model.

Technique

• You control the AIR, so name it deliberately. The air you pass becomes the model's permanent handle. Re-using the same AIR (plus uniqueIdentifier) makes the upload idempotent, re-submitting the identical modelUpload does not create a duplicate, it returns the existing deployed model.
• Match architecture to how the weights were trained. A LoRA trained on a FLUX base only composes with FLUX bases at inference time, the same for SDXL. Mismatched architecture is the most common reason a freshly imported model produces garbage.
• Trust readiness, not the upload task. There is a known backend issue: the model finishes downloading, deploys, and is genuinely usable (ready), but getResponse for the upload's taskUUID can stay processing indefinitely and never report a terminal status. Do not block on that poll. Instead, treat readiness pragmatically:
  • Re-issue the same modelUpload (idempotent) and read its status, a deployed model comes back ready.
  • Or query the model directly via runware-models and check it lists as available.
  • Or simply attempt a small imageInference against the new AIR, if it runs, it is ready.
• LoRAs are cheap to iterate, checkpoints are not. Because a LoRA lands in ~2 minutes you can import several variants and A/B them, a multi-GB checkpoint is a slower, heavier commit, get the architecture right the first time.
• For ongoing lifecycle, prefer modelManagement. It is the successor with one task type and operation: import | update | delete. import is parameter-identical to modelUpload (the successor for adding a model), update edits fields, delete removes a model by AIR + uniqueIdentifier + category and is a quick synchronous op.

Parameters that matter

• category - lora | checkpoint | lycoris | vae | embeddings. Drives which extra fields apply (type, defaultWeight, positiveTriggerWords for LoRA/LyCORIS, defaultScheduler/defaultSteps/defaultCFG for checkpoints).
• architecture - must match a recognized base family (FLUX / SDXL etc.). Confirm the accepted string against the live schema, do not invent it.
• format - safetensors (the only accepted format).
• air + uniqueIdentifier - your permanent handle and the idempotency key. Same pair = same model, no duplicate.
• downloadURL - must be server-fetchable. Local files are not accepted here, host them first.
• private - defaults to true, keep it private unless you intend to publish.
• positiveTriggerWords (LoRA/LyCORIS) and defaultWeight - carry the trigger phrase and a sensible default strength so inference calls work without re-specifying.

Quality bar

• The import used only schema-valid fields, with architecture matched to how the weights were trained (verified, not guessed).
• Readiness was confirmed by the model actually generating or listing as available, not by waiting on the upload taskUUID to report terminal (it may never).
• A first real imageInference against the assigned AIR produces a coherent result (not architecture-mismatch noise), retry the import with the correct architecture if it does not.
• The AIR + uniqueIdentifier are recorded so the user can call, update, or delete the model later.

Related skills

runware-run (resolve the modelUpload schema, then run inference with your AIR), runware-models (confirm the imported model is available), runware-prompting (prompt it well, include any positiveTriggerWords), train-style-model (train a new model on Runware instead of importing one).