For an endless HTTP input, put FFmpeg’s reconnect options before the input’s -i: start with -reconnect 1, -reconnect_streamed 1, and -reconnect_at_eof 1. These flags can help recover an interrupted HTTP input, but they do not loop a finished local playlist, restart a crashed FFmpeg process, or guarantee that YouTube keeps a live event running.
Use reconnect flags for an endless HTTP input
This is an illustrative starting pattern for an HTTP live or endless source, not a tested or universal command. Replace INPUT_URL and the output options with values appropriate to your source and YouTube ingest configuration.
ffmpeg
-reconnect 1
-reconnect_streamed 1
-reconnect_at_eof 1
-reconnect_on_network_error 1
-reconnect_on_http_error 5xx
-reconnect_delay_max 30
-i "INPUT_URL"
...OUTPUT_OPTIONS...FFmpeg protocol options apply to the input they precede. If a command has more than one input, place the relevant options before the corresponding -i, not merely somewhere earlier in the command. The example retries selected server-error responses, network errors, disconnects, and EOF; it caps one reconnect delay at 30 seconds. Choose retry behavior and a delay cap based on the source and operational needs. The example leaves retry-count and total-delay limits at the installed build’s defaults.
Check whether your build supports the options with ffmpeg -h protocol=http. Available options and defaults can vary by release and build. The current FFmpeg protocol documentation describes the HTTP options; the FFmpeg 8.1 HTTP implementation provides version-specific implementation defaults.
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Choose the options for the failure you need to handle
-reconnect 1reconnects when the connection is interrupted before EOF.-reconnect_streamed 1permits reconnecting for streamed or non-seekable inputs.-reconnect_at_eof 1treats EOF as an error and reconnects. It is intended for live or endless streams, not as a general way to repeat a completed file or finite playlist.-reconnect_on_network_error 1retries TCP or TLS errors during connection.-reconnect_on_http_error 5xxretries selected HTTP response codes. FFmpeg accepts specific codes and classes such as4xxor5xx; select only those appropriate for the source.-reconnect_delay_max Nsets the maximum delay, in seconds, for an individual reconnect attempt.-reconnect_max_retries Nlimits retry count. The option documentation describes its default as unset; the FFmpeg 8.1 implementation represents it as-1.-reconnect_delay_total_max Ncaps total reconnect delay in versions that provide the option.-respect_retry_after 1honors a server’sRetry-Afterrequest when retrying. Current FFmpeg documentation says it is enabled by default.
Keep version-specific defaults in context
In the FFmpeg 8.1 HTTP implementation, the default maximum delay for one reconnect attempt is 120 seconds, the retry-count default is -1, and the total reconnect delay cap is 256 seconds; that implementation also enables honoring Retry-After. These are FFmpeg 8.1 implementation defaults, not guarantees for every installed release. Check your build rather than relying on them as timeless values.
Do not confuse reconnecting with looping or process recovery
A nonstop setup has several independent failure layers. HTTP reconnect flags address only the HTTP input behavior they support.
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- Input interruption: HTTP reconnect options can retry supported disconnects, selected HTTP errors, connection errors, or EOF when configured.
- Playlist completion: A reconnecting HTTP request does not necessarily replay a local file or make a finite concat list endless. Configure looping at the playlist or demuxer layer that matches the actual input format.
- FFmpeg exit or host reboot: Protocol options do not restart an exited FFmpeg process or bring a host back after a reboot. Process supervision and host recovery must be handled separately.
- YouTube ingest and event state: FFmpeg’s input retry is separate from YouTube’s encoder feed and live-event controls. For encoder setup, YouTube directs creators to enter the server URL and stream key; treat the key like a password.
- HLS output: YouTube’s HLS ingestion requirements govern output packaging, not HTTP input reconnect behavior. For HLS, YouTube specifies a rolling playlist with no more than five outstanding segments, TS segment format, segment durations from one to four seconds, and HTTPS POST/PUT. Do not apply these HLS output constraints to an RTMP/RTMPS setup.
Configure and monitor the YouTube side
In YouTube’s live encoder setup, use the server URL and stream key provided for the event. YouTube recommends setting up ahead of time, checking the preview, testing encoder failover, monitoring stream health, and confirming that any local archive continues to grow. Its backup-encoder test guidance suggests stopping the primary encoder or disconnecting its Ethernet cable. Treat this as a planned test, not a substitute for monitoring the real stream.
YouTube Help says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. That archive behavior is not a promise that reconnect flags will preserve one continuous event beyond the threshold or across every interruption.
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Troubleshoot common reconnect problems
- FFmpeg reports an unrecognized option: Run
ffmpeg -h protocol=httpand check the installed build. Remove or replace options it does not support. - The input reconnects but the playlist does not repeat: Reconnect handles eligible HTTP input failures; it is not a finite-playlist loop switch. Configure repetition at the layer that reads your playlist or files.
- Retries stop sooner or later than expected: Inspect the configured per-attempt delay, retry count, total-delay cap, and your build’s defaults. In FFmpeg 8.1, the implementation defaults include a 120-second per-attempt maximum and a 256-second total-delay cap; other builds may differ.
- A particular HTTP response is not retried: Review the selected
-reconnect_on_http_errorcodes or classes and the source’s response. A5xxselection does not mean every HTTP error is retried. - The YouTube stream still ends after FFmpeg disconnects: Check the encoder feed and YouTube event state as separate parts of the path. Confirm the correct server URL and key, preview and stream health, and test the configured recovery process.
- FFmpeg exits entirely: Reconnect options cannot relaunch a process that has stopped. Add process supervision and test what happens after an exit or host restart.
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