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If your YouTube stream key seems to disappear after restarting OBS, first check that OBS reopened the Profile where you configured it. Then open Settings > Stream and verify the selected service and key. OBS stores Stream settings in Profiles; YouTube manages the key separately, so a changed or reset YouTube key is a different problem from OBS not retaining its local settings.
1. Check which OBS Profile is active
OBS Profiles hold Stream settings as well as Output settings. If OBS opens a different Profile after a restart, its Stream settings may differ from the ones you expect. The OBS Project describes a Profile as saving “most a solid chunk of OBS Studio settings, primarily related to outputs.” (OBS Project, “Profiles,” published January 14, 2022.)
- In OBS, check the selected Profile and identify the one you used when configuring YouTube.
- If a different Profile is active, select the intended Profile, then open Settings > Stream and inspect its settings.
- If you use several Profiles, note which one contains the YouTube configuration so you can select it again when needed.
Profiles do not store scenes; OBS uses Scene Collections for those. If scenes are missing too, check the Scene Collection separately. (OBS Project, “Profiles”.)
2. Inspect OBS’s Stream settings
In the intended Profile, open Settings > Stream. OBS identifies this as the place to select a service or server and enter a stream key. (OBS Project, “OBS Studio Overview Guide”.)
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- Confirm the service is YouTube, unless you deliberately use a custom server.
- Check whether the stream-key field contains the key you intend to use.
- If you changed Profiles, check the Stream settings in the Profile that is currently active; settings in another Profile do not establish what the active one contains.
If the expected settings are present in one Profile but absent in another, the issue is likely which Profile is active, rather than the YouTube key having vanished.
3. Confirm that OBS has YouTube’s current key
YouTube creates and manages stream keys in Live Control Room. YouTube says, “Stream keys are like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” (YouTube Help, “Manage live stream settings”.) Check that the key selected or copied from YouTube is the one entered in OBS.
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If someone reset the key in YouTube, update OBS with the new key. YouTube says only a channel owner or manager can reset a stream key. A reset can explain why an existing key no longer works, but by itself it does not explain why OBS would fail to retain local settings after a restart.
4. Back up a working Profile
Once the intended Profile has the correct Stream settings, export it as a JSON backup. OBS supports exporting and importing Profiles, including for backup or transfer to another installation. (OBS Project, “Profiles”.)
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- In OBS, select the Profile you want to back up.
- Use the Profile menu’s export option to save its settings as a JSON file.
- Keep the backup somewhere you can find it. To restore or transfer settings, use the Profile menu’s import option.
An export is a useful Profile backup, not a guarantee about how a stream key is stored on every operating system or OBS version. Keep the backup private because it may contain sensitive configuration.
5. Keep YouTube’s “Reuse settings” separate from OBS persistence
YouTube’s Reuse settings option is used when creating a new stream in YouTube. It copies metadata, settings and the key from an earlier stream. It does not establish that OBS saved its local configuration or determine which OBS Profile opens after restart. (YouTube Help, “Manage live stream settings”.)
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YouTube also describes auto-start and auto-stop as controls for whether the encoder starts or stops the stream. These settings can be copied when reusing a stream, but they are not OBS controls for retaining a key. (YouTube Help, “Manage live stream settings”.)
Which problem are you seeing?
| What you find | What to check next |
|---|---|
| The YouTube settings are present in another OBS Profile | Select the Profile with the intended configuration, then verify its Stream settings. |
| The intended Profile is active, but its Stream settings show a different or missing key | Check YouTube Live Control Room for the current key and enter it in OBS if needed. |
| The current YouTube key is in OBS, but OBS still loses the setting after restart | Export the working Profile. If the problem persists, an OS- and version-specific diagnosis may be needed. |
| The key works in OBS but a new YouTube stream has different details | Check whether you used YouTube’s Reuse settings when creating that stream; it is separate from OBS Profile persistence. |
When the key is still missing after these checks
If the correct Profile is active and Settings > Stream still lacks the expected setting after a restart, the official OBS and YouTube guidance cited here does not establish the cause. It does not explain operating-system credential storage, file permissions, Profile-directory corruption, portable installations or version-specific defects. Do not assume resetting the YouTube key will fix a local save problem. For a focused diagnosis, note your operating system, OBS version, whether the installation is portable, which Profile is active and what appears in Settings > Stream after restarting.
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