Link a model version

Link a model version to a registered model with the W&B App or programmatically with the Python SDK.

Programmatically link a model

Use the link_model method to programmatically log model files to a W&B run and link it to the W&B Model Registry.

Ensure to replace other the values enclosed in <> with your own:

import wandb

run = wandb.init(entity="<entity>", project="<project>")
run.link_model(path="<path-to-model>", registered_model_name="<registered-model-name>")
run.finish()

W&B creates a registered model for you if the name you specify for the registered-model-name parameter does not already exist.

For example, suppose you have an existing registered model named "Fine-Tuned-Review-Autocompletion"(registered-model-name="Fine-Tuned-Review-Autocompletion") in your Model Registry. And suppose that a few model versions are linked to it: v0, v1, v2. If you programmatically link a new model and use the same registered model name (registered-model-name="Fine-Tuned-Review-Autocompletion"), W&B links this model to the existing registered model and assigns it a model version v3. If no registered model with this name exists, a new one registered model is created and it will have a model version v0.

See an example "Fine-Tuned-Review-Autocompletion" registered model here.

Interactively link a model

Interactively link a model with the Model Registry or with the Artifact browser.

Model Registry

1. Navigate to the Model Registry App at https://wandb.ai/registry/model.
2. Hover your mouse next to the name of the registered model you want to link a new model to.
3. Select the meatball menu icon (three horizontal dots) next to View details.
4. From the dropdown, select Link new version.
5. From the Project dropdown, select the name of the project that contains your model.
6. From the Model Artifact dropdown, select the name of the model artifact.
7. From the Version dropdown, select the model version you want to link to the registered model.

Artifact browser

1. Navigate to your project's artifact browser on the W&B App at: https://wandb.ai/<entity>/<project>/artifacts
2. Select the Artifacts icon on the left sidebar.
3. Click on the model version you want to link to your registry.
4. Within the Version overview section, click the Link to registry button.
5. From the modal that appears on the right of the screen, select a registered model from the Select a register model menu dropdown.
6. Click Next step.
7. (Optional) Select an alias from the Aliases dropdown.
8. Click Link to registry.

View the source of linked models

There are two ways to view the source of linked models: The artifact browser within the project that the model is logged to and the W&B Model Registry.

A pointer connects a specific model version in the model registry to the source model artifact (located within the project the model is logged to). The source model artifact also has a pointer to the model registry.

Model Registry

1. Navigate to your model registry at https://wandb.ai/registry/model.
2. Select View details next the name of your registered model.
3. Within the Versions section, select View next to the model version you want to investigate.
4. Click on the Version tab within the right panel.
5. Within the Version overview section there is a row that contains a Source Version field. The Source Version field shows both the name of the model and the model's version.

For example, the following image shows a v0 model version called mnist_model (see Source version field mnist_model:v0), linked to a registered model called MNIST-dev.

Artifact browser

1. Navigate to your project's artifact browser on the W&B App at: https://wandb.ai/<entity>/<project>/artifacts
2. Select the Artifacts icon on the left sidebar.
3. Expand the model dropdown menu from the Artifacts panel.
4. Select the name and version of the model linked to the model registry.
5. Click on the Version tab within the right panel.
6. Within the Version overview section there is a row that contains a Linked To field. The Linked To field shows both the name of the registered model and the version it possesses(registered-model-name:version).

For example, in the following image, there is a registered model called MNIST-dev (see the Linked To field). A model version called mnist_model with a version v0(mnist_model:v0) points to the MNIST-dev registered model.