In control theory, an open-loop controller, also called a non-feedback controller, is a control loop part of a control system in which the control action ("input" to the system) is independent of the "process output", which is the process variable that is being controlled. It does not use feedback to determine if its output has achieved the desired goal of the input command or process setpoint.

There are many open-loop controls, such as on/off switching of valves, machinery, lights, motors or heaters, where the control result is known to be approximately sufficient under normal conditions without the need for feedback. The advantage of using open-loop control in these cases is the reduction in component count and complexity. However, an open-loop system cannot correct any errors that it makes or correct for outside disturbances unlike a closed-loop control system.

Fundamentally, there are two types of control loop: open-loop control (feedforward), and closed-loop control (feedback).

The definition of a closed loop control system according to the British Standards Institution is "a control system possessing monitoring feedback, the deviation signal formed as a result of this feedback being used to control the action of a final control element in such a way as to tend to reduce the deviation to zero."

An open-loop controller is often used in simple processes because of its simplicity and low cost, especially in systems where feedback is not critical. A typical example would be an older model domestic clothes dryer, for which the length of time is entirely dependent on the judgement of the human operator, with no automatic feedback of the dryness of the clothes.

For example, an irrigation sprinkler system, programmed to turn on at set times could be an example of an open-loop system if it does not measure soil moisture as a form of feedback. Even if rain is pouring down on the lawn, the sprinkler system would activate on schedule, wasting water.

Another example is a stepper motor used for control of position. Sending it a stream of electrical pulses causes it to rotate by exactly that many steps, hence the name. If the motor was always assumed to perform each movement correctly, without positional feedback, it would be open-loop control. However, if there is a position encoder, or sensors to indicate the start or finish positions, then that is closed-loop control, such as in many inkjet printers. The drawback of open-loop control of steppers is that if the machine load is too high, or the motor attempts to move too quickly, then steps may be skipped. The controller has no means of detecting this and so the machine continues to run slightly out of adjustment until reset. For this reason, more complex robots and machine tools instead use servomotors rather than stepper motors, which incorporate encoders and closed-loop controllers.

However, open-loop control is very useful and economic for well-defined systems where the relationship between input and the resultant state can be reliably modeled by a mathematical formula. For example, determining the voltage to be fed to an electric motor that drives a constant load, in order to achieve a desired speed would be a good application. But if the load were not predictable and became excessive, the motor's speed might vary as a function of the load not just the voltage, and an open-loop controller would be insufficient to ensure repeatable control of the velocity.