Use OBS Studio’s built-in obs-websocket interface to record stream-output state changes in a local file. An external client can subscribe to events and write timestamped records; alternatively, an OBS Python or Lua script can write them from inside OBS. For a dependable 24/7 log, record a startup snapshot, handle disconnects, and query status periodically so the logger can resynchronize after missed events. OBS’s reported output state is not proof that YouTube or another destination is receiving and presenting the broadcast correctly.
Choose a logging approach
There are two practical designs: a separate WebSocket client, or a script loaded inside OBS. OBS documents both external applications using WebSocket and scripts running within OBS. The right choice depends on whether you want the logger to be independent of OBS and whether you are prepared to manage an external client and its dependencies.
| Approach | What it does | Design considerations |
|---|---|---|
| External WebSocket client | Connects to OBS, authenticates, subscribes to output events, requests current status, and appends records to a file. | Can remain running if OBS exits, so it can record a lost connection and later reconnect. It requires a client runtime or application, credentials, and restart handling of its own. |
| OBS script | Runs inside OBS, using its scripting interface and callbacks to write records or check status on a timer. | Depends on OBS and its script runtime. Use a timer for recurring work rather than checking on every rendered frame; script errors or excessive logging can affect OBS. |
The official OBS developer documentation describes these integration options: OBS Developer Guide. The exact request names, event names, and payload fields depend on the protocol version in use; verify them against the installed version’s protocol reference rather than copying an untested example.
Check your OBS version and secure WebSocket access
Confirm WebSocket availability
WebSocket integration is included by default with OBS Studio 28 and later. Older versions may require the separate legacy plugin. Check the version under Help > About in OBS Studio, then consult the OBS Remote Control Guide for connection and configuration details.
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Protect the control interface
OBS recommends enabling password protection for WebSocket because a connected client can control OBS, not merely read its status. Keep the interface available only to the logger on the same machine or to a trusted network. Do not expose it to the public internet for a file-logging task, and do not put the password in a file or script that other users can read.
Build an external event logger
An external logger is a good fit if it should record OBS becoming unavailable as well as stream-output transitions. Its basic workflow is to connect, authenticate, subscribe to the relevant output events, and append a record whenever an event arrives. It should also query current status at startup and after reconnecting.
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- Enable and configure WebSocket in OBS. Use OBS’s remote-control settings to confirm the WebSocket server is enabled, note the connection details, and set a password. Keep those details private.
- Choose a compatible client. Use a WebSocket client implementation that supports the protocol version provided by your OBS installation. Consult the obs-websocket protocol reference for the current request, event, authentication, and subscription definitions.
- Connect and authenticate. The client should treat authentication failure and connection loss as explicit logger states. Do not record a successful connection as proof that streaming is active.
- Subscribe to output-state events. Subscribe to the events relevant to the stream output, using the event names and fields defined by the protocol version you are running. The protocol uses event delivery alongside request-and-response messages.
- Request a startup snapshot. After connecting, request the current output status and write it to the log. This gives the file an initial observation even if no state-change event arrives immediately.
- Append each event as a timestamped record. Include the time, observed state, event or reason when available, and whether the logger is connected. Use a consistent timezone, preferably UTC, and a format your monitoring or text tools can parse.
- Poll periodically and resynchronize. Make a status request at an interval chosen for your acceptable detection delay and write volume. After any disconnect, reconnect, reauthenticate, restore the event subscription, and request a fresh snapshot before relying on subsequent events.
- Bound the log and restart the logger automatically. Rotate or cap the file so a long-running broadcast cannot fill the disk. Configure the logger to restart after a process or machine restart, and make it report its own startup and connection failures.
OBS’s protocol documentation establishes the event and request/response model, but does not prescribe a polling interval, log format, rotation policy, or service supervisor. Those are operational choices: shorter polling can reduce the time before a missed transition is noticed, while increasing request and log volume.
Use an OBS script instead
If you prefer not to run a separate client, load a Python or Lua script through Tools > Scripts. The OBS scripting interface provides lifecycle and callback hooks, allowing the script to initialize logging, react to relevant changes, and clean up when unloaded. Refer to the OBS Scripting Guide for available scripting behavior and supported languages in your installation.
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- Open the script manager. In OBS Studio, select Tools > Scripts and add your script using the manager’s interface.
- Initialize the log on script load. Write a startup record and obtain a current output-state snapshot using a supported OBS interface. Verify available callbacks and status methods for your OBS version.
- Record transitions and connection or error conditions. Include timestamps and enough context to distinguish an observed output change from a script error or shutdown.
- Use a timer for recurring checks. Avoid checking or writing to disk on every rendered frame. OBS warns that errors or text logged every frame can rapidly make it unresponsive; its scripting guidance recommends care around recurring frame callbacks.
- Test unload and restart behavior. Confirm the script closes its file cleanly when unloaded and that it can reopen the log after OBS restarts. Keep the log bounded or rotated.
The OBS scripting guide states: “Be very careful with the code in script_tick, OBS may rapidly become unresponsive if some error or text is logged every frame.” That is why periodic work should not be implemented as per-frame file logging.
Interpret the log correctly
A status file is an observation record, not an end-to-end broadcast monitor. An OBS output-active state says what OBS reports about its output; it does not establish that the destination platform is ingesting, processing, or displaying the stream correctly. Likewise, a gap in records during logger disconnection means the logger did not observe that period—not that the stream stopped or stayed healthy.
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- Record startup snapshots, state transitions, periodic snapshots, client disconnects, and reconnections.
- Write timestamps in a consistent timezone and make clear whether a record is an event or a sampled status.
- On reconnection, take a fresh snapshot: events may have occurred while the client was offline.
- Use destination-platform monitoring separately if you need to confirm ingest or viewer-facing playback; this OBS status logger alone cannot establish that.
Troubleshoot common logging failures
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| WebSocket connection is refused or times out | The server is disabled, the host or port is wrong, or a network rule blocks the connection. | Confirm OBS WebSocket is enabled and use the connection settings shown in the Remote Control Guide. If the logger runs remotely, confirm it is on a trusted network with a permitted route. |
| Authentication fails | The client password or authentication implementation does not match the server configuration. | Recheck the configured password and the protocol’s authentication requirements. Avoid logging credentials. |
| No state-change records appear | The client is not subscribed to the relevant event, is using an incompatible event name, or no transition has occurred since it connected. | Check the protocol reference for the installed version, verify the subscription, and request a status snapshot to test the request path. |
| The file stops updating after a network or OBS interruption | The logger did not reconnect, authenticate, restore subscriptions, or resynchronize. | Log connection errors, implement reconnect handling, and request a fresh status snapshot after reconnecting. |
| Records are missing around a disconnect | An event-driven client cannot receive events while disconnected. | Mark the gap explicitly, then record a fresh snapshot after reconnection. Periodic polling can detect the current state at the next successful request, but cannot reconstruct every missed transition. |
| OBS becomes slow or unresponsive | A script is doing expensive work or writing repeatedly in a render-frame callback. | Move recurring checks to a timer, reduce unnecessary disk writes, and review OBS’s scripting guidance on script_tick. |
| The log grows until disk space is low | There is no retention limit or rotation. | Set a file-size or age limit and verify rotated files are removed or archived according to your retention needs. |
Or let it run in the cloud
This article’s method logs OBS’s reported output state; it does not replace OBS with a logger or verify destination playback. If your goal is instead to keep a prerecorded YouTube channel live continuously, StreamNeo runs uploaded videos and playlists from the cloud: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home. Any quality up to 4K 60fps streams as uploaded at one price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly is $9.99 per month. Start your free StreamNeo day.
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