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Abstract Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important part of ocean carbon biogeochemistry with relevance to long‐term observations of ocean biology due to its dominant light absorption properties. Thus, understanding the underlying processes controlling CDOM distribution is important for predicting changes in light availability, primary production, and the cycling of biogeochemically important matter. We present a biogeochemical CDOM model for the open ocean with two classes of biological lability and uncertainty estimates derived from 43 ensemble members that provide a range of model parameter variations. Ensemble members were optimized to match global ocean in situ CDOM measurements and independently assessed against satellite CDOM estimates, which showed good agreement in spatial patterns. Based on the ensemble median, we estimate that about 7% of open‐ocean CDOM is of terrestrial origin, but the ensemble range is large (<0.1–26%). CDOM is rapidly removed in the surface ocean (<200 m) due to biological degradation for short‐lived CDOM and photodegradation for long‐lived CDOM, leading to a net flux of CDOM to the surface ocean from the dark ocean. This deep‐water source (ensemble median 0.001 m⁻¹ yr⁻¹) is similar in magnitude to the riverine flux (0.005 m⁻¹ yr⁻¹) into the surface ocean. Though discrepancies between the model and observational data remain, this work serves as a foundational framework for a mechanistic assessment of global CDOM distribution that is independent of satellite data.