To change the category on a YouTube gaming VOD rerun, open the video in YouTube Studio, edit its Category on the details page, choose Gaming and the correct game if offered, then save. You can also select several videos in Content and apply a category change in bulk.
This is an edit to the video’s metadata after upload; it does not restart or alter a live broadcast. Studio’s labels and controls can change, and the game selector may not appear in the same way for every account. Treat the steps below as a route through the current layout, not a promise that every screen will match exactly.
Find the VOD in YouTube Studio
Sign in to YouTube Studio using the account that owns the channel, then open Content from the left-hand menu. Find the video you want to correct by its title or thumbnail. If the rerun is an archived livestream rather than a conventional uploaded file, check the Live tab within Content; archived broadcasts may be listed there instead of alongside uploads.
If you have many videos with similar names, use the visible details to identify the right one before editing. Compare its title, thumbnail, and upload or stream context. The objective is to edit the replay itself, not a separate scheduled stream, a duplicate upload, or another video from the same series. If you are working through a channel’s regular reruns, keeping a simple record of titles and dates can reduce the risk of changing the wrong item.
YouTube’s help on editing video settings describes the general Studio workflow for changing details after upload. For archived broadcasts, YouTube’s live stream archive guidance explains where completed streams may be found. Those pages are useful if the interface has moved or if the video does not appear where you first expect it.
An archive may not exist for every broadcast. YouTube says streams under 12 hours can be automatically archived, while streams longer than 12 hours may not be captured at all. That is an archive-capture limitation, not a restriction on changing a category. If the original stream did not produce an archive, there is no VOD in Studio to edit; check whether a separate video upload exists instead.
Open the video details
Select the relevant video’s title or thumbnail to open its details. Depending on Studio’s current design, you may land directly on the video details page or need to choose an edit control first. Look for the page that contains the video’s title, description, thumbnail and other settings. Category is one of the editable video settings, although its exact position and the wording around it can shift.
Before changing anything, confirm the video identity again. A long-running gaming channel may have several replays of the same game, and a channel that runs prerecorded material may also have an uploaded VOD and a separate live archive. Check the preview and title rather than relying on a familiar thumbnail alone. If the wrong video is open, return to Content without saving and select the intended entry.
This is a metadata edit, so you do not need to upload the file again merely to change its category. Keep the existing video rather than deleting and re-uploading it to make a setting change. Re-uploading creates a different video entry and can separate the new copy from the existing comments, URL and viewing history. A category correction is simpler when made on the original VOD.
For a channel that runs a file as a scheduled or continuous broadcast, category selection is still a property of the YouTube video entry. If you are deciding how to run the broadcast itself, that is a separate operational question; the guide to using a YouTube stream key for a prerecorded gaming channel covers that distinction. Here, focus on the already-published replay you intend to label correctly.
Edit the Category field
On the details page, find Category and open its selector. If the controls are grouped or collapsed, inspect the available video details or settings rather than changing unrelated fields. Select a category only after checking that the video is indeed the intended gaming VOD. You can change other details on the same page, but there is no need to do so for a category correction.
A category is not the same as a title, tag, playlist, or game name written in the description. Those fields can all provide context, but this task is about the Category setting. If you only add the game name to the title while leaving the category unchanged, you have not completed the category change described here.
YouTube’s standard video settings help treats category as an editable setting. The option is therefore available after upload; you do not have to set it only at the moment of publishing. If Category is not immediately visible, check the full details page and current Studio help rather than assuming the video cannot be edited.
Be deliberate if the video includes more than gameplay. A commentary recording, tournament recap, or mixed-format broadcast may still be gaming content, but the right choice depends on what the video actually contains and how you want it represented. This guide is not a rule that every video featuring a game must use the same category; use the Gaming category where it accurately describes the VOD.
Choose Gaming and the game if offered
For a gaming VOD, choose Gaming in the Category selector. Where Studio presents a game selector, choose the game that matches the video. YouTube Help’s gaming guidance says to select the Gaming category and choose the right game when a gaming video is on the wrong topic channel. The gaming content guidance is the relevant official reference if you want to check how YouTube describes these settings.
The game choice is a separate piece of information from the broad Gaming category. A VOD may be categorised as Gaming but still have an incorrect game associated with it, so check both controls when the game selector is available. Use the title, actual gameplay and recording context to distinguish editions or similarly named games. Do not select a game merely because it is popular on the channel.
The selector may not be shown for every video or account in the same way. If you see Gaming but no game field, save the category change and check the current Studio interface or official help. Do not infer that a missing selector means the category did not change. Conversely, a game name in the description does not establish that a separate game selector has been set.
YouTube describes gaming destinations and game pages as discovery and grouping surfaces, but that does not make the metadata a guarantee of placement or views. The category and game should describe the video accurately; they are not a promise that it will appear in a particular game page, recommendation or search result. If a replay is being grouped incorrectly, check its title, description, category and selected game together, then allow for YouTube’s systems to determine presentation.
Save and verify the change
Select Save on the details page after choosing the category and, if offered, the game. Wait for Studio to finish saving before leaving the page. If you navigate away before the save completes, you may not know whether the edit was applied. Studio’s save controls and confirmation cues can change, so use the visible completion indicator rather than expecting a particular pop-up or exact phrase.
After saving, reopen the video details or refresh the page and confirm that the Category field shows Gaming. If you selected a game, confirm that the same game remains selected. This quick check helps distinguish a completed edit from a changed value that was never saved. It also catches accidental edits to a neighbouring video when several entries look alike.
You can also open the public video page and check the visible information, but the Studio details page is the more direct place to verify the setting itself. Public presentation is not necessarily a reliable way to infer every metadata field. If a page does not visibly display a category, that alone does not mean the edit failed; verify in Studio.
If the category still looks wrong, reopen the selector, set the intended value again, and save. Confirm that you are editing the right channel and video, especially if you manage more than one channel. Avoid making repeated unrelated changes while troubleshooting, since that makes it harder to identify whether the category edit took effect.
Correct metadata is worth maintaining as part of a tidy channel, but it cannot ensure discovery. YouTube’s own gaming guidance describes game pages as automatically generated and gaming content as gathered algorithmically. Use accurate fields as clear context for viewers and the platform, not as a guarantee of recommendations, views, or game-page placement.
Update multiple videos when needed
If several VODs need the same category, use Content’s bulk-edit controls rather than opening each item individually. Select the checkboxes for the relevant videos, choose Edit, select Category, set the intended category and choose Update videos. The exact menu wording or placement may differ as Studio changes, but the bulk workflow avoids repeating the same detail-page edit for every video.
Bulk editing is useful when a batch of replays shares the same correct category, such as a set of recordings from one game. It is less suitable when the videos cover different games or formats. The broad category may be Gaming for the whole batch, while the game selection could need to vary from one VOD to another; inspect available bulk fields and do not assume that one game value is correct for every selected item.
| Workflow | Best fit | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Edit one video’s details | One VOD, or videos that need different game choices | Correct video, Category, game if offered, then Save |
| Bulk edit from Content | A group that needs the same category | Selected videos, intended Category, then Update videos |
Before applying a bulk change, review the selected rows. Include only the VODs that should receive the same setting; a mistaken selection can change videos beyond the batch you meant to update. If you have a mixed collection, divide it into sensible groups or edit individual videos so you can choose the right game for each one.
YouTube’s bulk editing guidance covers editing details for selected videos. Because the controls available in a bulk action can depend on Studio’s current interface and the selected items, confirm that Category is among the options before proceeding. If it is not available in the current view, edit the videos individually rather than assuming a batch change occurred.
After selecting Update videos, wait for the operation to finish and inspect a few entries from the batch in Studio. For a small set, verifying each row is straightforward; for a larger set, at minimum check representative videos and any item whose category or game differs from the rest. If the bulk action offers a confirmation step, read the summary before accepting it. These checks are especially useful when you manage a replay library assembled across multiple games or recurring events.
If you are also planning how to keep a gaming replay running as a live rerun, treat that as a separate workflow from metadata editing. The article on gaming VOD rerun services and OBS on a VPS compares operational approaches, while streaming multiple gaming VOD files in order addresses playback sequencing. Neither changes the Studio category steps: update the video record in Studio, then verify the result there.
A practical sequence for a channel with recurring uploads is to identify which videos share a category first, apply bulk changes only to those groups, and handle game-specific differences one at a time. This keeps the number of edits manageable without trading accuracy for speed. If you also maintain titles or descriptions, make those updates separately and verify them rather than assuming a category edit will correct every signal about the VOD.
When managing a continuous channel, correcting an existing VOD is a small task compared with keeping a rerun available overnight. StreamNeo removes the need to leave your own computer running for a file-based YouTube broadcast, so the same machine does not have to stay on simply to keep the rerun going; the category change itself remains a Studio edit.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Can I change a YouTube video category after upload?
Yes. Open the video in YouTube Studio, change its Category on the details page and save. Re-uploading is not required just to change the category.
How do I change the game on a YouTube stream replay?
Find the archived replay in Studio’s Content area, using the Live tab if it is listed there. Edit its details, choose Gaming and select the correct game if Studio offers that field, then save and verify the result.
Can I change the category on several VODs at once?
Yes. Select the relevant videos in Content, choose Edit, set Category and use Update videos. Review the selection first, and use individual editing when the videos need different game choices.
Will choosing Gaming guarantee that my VOD appears on a game page?
No. Accurate category and game information help describe the VOD, but they do not guarantee discovery, views, recommendations or placement on a particular page. YouTube’s systems determine how gaming content is grouped and presented.