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To show the current time on an OBS stream, add a Browser source to your scene and load a local HTML clock file. Set its viewport, position it on the canvas, and check that the time format and contrast are readable. A hosted overlay URL is another option. A clock overlay only displays the time; it does not keep OBS, your computer, or the YouTube broadcast running continuously.
Use a local HTML clock in OBS
OBS Browser Source can display a local webpage or a URL, with its own viewport dimensions and optional custom frame rate. OBS documents a transparent page background and no body margins or scrollbars by default, which makes a small HTML page suitable as a scene layer. OBS Browser Source documentation
- Get a clock HTML file. Use the local clock resource Time and Date Overlay updated, or create an equivalent trusted local HTML clock page. If you download a file, make sure you know where it is saved.
- Add the source. In OBS, select the scene where the clock should appear. In the Sources panel, select +, choose Browser, and give the source a recognizable name.
- Load the file. In Browser Source properties, enable Local file and browse to the clock HTML file. Set the width and height large enough to show the text and any background without clipping.
- Place and size it. Close the properties and position the source in the preview. Resize it to fit the intended corner or other clear area of the frame. Keep it away from documentary subtitles, captions, and other essential on-screen information.
- Check the display before going live. Confirm the time is advancing, the displayed time zone is the one you intend, and the date/time format, contrast, and placement remain legible at the output resolution.
Change the clock’s appearance or format
The cited HTML resource describes editing its CSS in a text editor to change font, size, alignment, color, rounded corners, padding, and background. Its default display uses day/month/year and 24-hour time with seconds; the resource also gives an alternative month/day/year-style example and points to Moment.js formatting tokens. Make a backup before editing, and verify the result in OBS after each change.
Keep the source active when the clock should update
OBS documents Shutdown source when not visible as an option that unloads a Browser Source while it is hidden or outside the active scene. For a clock that should keep updating while visible, leave it active in the live scene. If it is hidden between scenes, test whether refreshing the source when the scene becomes active produces the display you want; the documentation does not guarantee clock timing across a 24/7 broadcast. OBS Browser Source documentation
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Use a hosted overlay URL instead
If you already build overlays in StreamElements, its documented workflow is to copy the overlay URL, add an OBS Browser source, paste the URL, and set the dimensions. Its instructions use 1920 × 1080 as a common example and suggest 30 or 60 FPS depending on stream settings and computer capability. Those are examples, not required clock settings: a simple clock may fit in a smaller viewport. StreamElements: Adding an overlay to OBS Studio
StreamElements supports custom widgets, but the available documentation does not establish that it provides a ready-made clock widget. Do not share a private overlay URL: StreamElements warns that overlay tokens are sensitive. StreamElements overlay documentation
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| Choice | What you load in OBS | Useful when | Consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local HTML clock | A file on your computer | You want to edit the clock file’s formatting and keep the page local. | You are responsible for the local file and its edits. |
| Hosted overlay | A URL from an overlay service | You already use an overlay editor or want to manage an overlay remotely. | Protect private overlay URLs; clock-specific widget availability is not established by the cited documentation. |
The sources document both setup routes but do not establish that either is more reliable.
What the clock does not do for a 24/7 stream
The overlay is a visual element, not an uptime mechanism. It does not keep OBS open, prevent a computer from sleeping, stabilize a home internet connection, or guarantee that YouTube will keep the broadcast live. YouTube’s encoder help lists OBS among software encoders and says enabling live streaming for the first time may take up to 24 hours; that timing concerns initial live-stream enablement, not clock setup. YouTube Help: Go live with an encoder
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For a 24/7 broadcast, treat clock configuration and stream continuity as separate jobs. Check computer power and network arrangements if OBS is running locally, and verify YouTube live eligibility before scheduling a first broadcast.
Troubleshoot a missing, clipped, or incorrect clock
- Nothing appears: Confirm the Browser source is enabled in the current scene, the local-file option points to the correct HTML file, and the source is not hidden. Reopen its properties and check the file path.
- Text is cut off: Increase the Browser Source viewport width or height, then reposition or resize it in the preview. Check the file’s padding and background settings if you edited its CSS.
- The clock is hard to read: Adjust the file’s font size, color, alignment, or background. Check it at the stream’s actual viewing size, not only while zoomed in on the OBS canvas.
- The time is not advancing after switching scenes: Check whether Shutdown source when not visible is enabled. Leave the source active in the live scene or test refresh-on-activation behavior.
- The displayed time zone or format is wrong: Check the clock page’s time-zone behavior and its date/time format string. The cited resource’s default is day/month/year with 24-hour time and seconds; its alternative example and formatting-token reference can guide edits.
- A hosted overlay fails to load: Confirm the URL is current and the Browser source dimensions are set. Do not publish or send the private overlay URL to others.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is a YouTube channel that keeps playing uploaded videos around the clock, StreamNeo is a separate option from an OBS clock overlay: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. StreamNeo loops the uploaded videos from the cloud, so no computer or home connection has to stay on. It streams to YouTube, not from a live camera.
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