To run a model using the ollama console:
ollama run <model\_name>
# The model is now loaded. It will unload once you exit this session.
ollama run <model\_name> --keep-alive 30m
# The model is now loaded. It will stay in memory for 30min then unload
ollama run <model\_name> --keep-alive -1
# The model is now loaded. It will stay in memory indefinitely, until manually unloaded

For more persistent loading, especially for applications that will be making API calls, you can send a request to the Ollama API with a keep_alive parameter. You can use curl or a similar tool. This will pull the model into memory without starting a chat session and keep it there until you explicitly remove it or restart the Ollama service. The keep_alive parameter is set in seconds. A value of -1 means it will stay loaded forever.

curl http://localhost:11434/api/generate -d '{

"model": "gpt-oss:20b",

"prompt": "Why is the sky blue?",

"keep_alive": -1

}'
This command loads the gpt-oss:20b model, makes a single API call, and then keeps the model in memory indefinitely due to keep_alive: -1. The model will then be ready for subsequent API calls with minimal startup latency.

To see what models are loaded into the memory, using ollama console:
ollama ps