For a 24/7 broadcast, a practical OBS status log combines notifications from obs-websocket with periodic requests for the current output state. The notifications capture changes promptly when the logger is connected; the requests help it re-establish what OBS reports after a connection gap.
Treat the file as an operational record, not proof that YouTube is receiving or presenting the stream correctly. The OBS documentation describes the interfaces, but the research behind this article did not test a logger, event payload or client library. Check names and behaviour against the OBS version you run before writing code.
What an OBS stream-status log can capture
A logger can record what OBS reports about its streaming output at particular moments. It can also note when the logger connects or disconnects, when it receives an output-state event, and when it makes a periodic status request. Together, these entries give you a timeline to consult after an overnight interruption.
Keep the meaning narrow. An OBS report that its output is active does not establish that the destination platform is ingesting the feed, that viewers can watch it, or that the video and audio are correct. For those questions, check YouTube Studio and the actual viewing experience as well as the OBS record. A log can help answer “when did OBS report a change?” It cannot, by itself, answer “what did every viewer see?”
A useful record has a timestamp, the observed state, the source of the observation (event or request), and any reason or detail the installed protocol makes available. Add a logger connection marker so that a blank period is not mistaken for a confirmed, uninterrupted broadcast. Write a startup snapshot and a fresh snapshot after reconnecting; these make the boundaries of what the logger knows easier to read.
This is useful alongside, rather than instead of, a recovery plan. If you need OBS or a streaming process to come back after it exits, see how to restart a YouTube 24/7 stream automatically after it disconnects. The logger records observations; a restart mechanism takes action.
Check OBS version and WebSocket availability
Start by checking which OBS Studio version is installed and whether WebSocket control is enabled. OBS states that obs-websocket has been built in since OBS Studio 28; older versions may need the earlier separate plugin. The OBS Remote Control Guide explains the WebSocket settings and security options. Use the instructions for your installed version rather than assuming every menu or setting is in the same place.
The WebSocket interface is a control surface, not merely a read-only status feed. OBS strongly recommends password protection. Keep access limited to the machine or trusted network that needs it, and do not expose the endpoint to the public internet for a file logger. If you use an external client, it needs the correct connection details and authentication; do not put a password in a shared script, screenshot or log file.
Check that the feature is enabled and that your logger can reach it before building the rest of the workflow. A test should confirm that a client can connect and authenticate, then close cleanly. Do not infer that a successful connection means the event names, request names or payload fields in a sample you found online match your installation.
If you are deciding whether to keep the stream in OBS or use a different workflow, distinguish the purpose of the logging task from the broadcast task. For example, using FFmpeg to stream a folder of videos continuously to YouTube describes a different way to run a file-based channel; it does not turn an OBS log into an end-to-end YouTube health check.
Choose an external client or an in-OBS script
There are two broad designs. An external client connects over obs-websocket, subscribes to the relevant output events, requests status on a schedule, and writes records to a file. Alternatively, a Python or Lua script loaded through OBS can use scripting callbacks and a timer to do related work. OBS documents both external WebSocket users and scripting in its Developer Guide.
The decision is mostly about failure boundaries and maintenance. An external process can potentially remain alive long enough to record that OBS disconnected, because it is not running inside OBS. But it has its own connection, authentication, runtime and client-library dependencies to maintain. An in-OBS script is managed with OBS and can be convenient if you already work with its scripting tools, but its runtime depends on OBS being present and responsive. Neither design is automatically more reliable; plan how it starts, reconnects and reports its own failure.
| Design | What it can suit | Main operational consideration |
|---|---|---|
| External WebSocket client | A separate process that writes to a chosen log location and can observe OBS connection loss | Maintain the client runtime, connection and authentication; arrange for the process to restart if it exits |
| OBS Python or Lua script | A logger kept with an OBS configuration and managed from OBS | The script depends on OBS; use scheduled work rather than repeated per-frame checks and logging |
These are design considerations, not results from a tested comparison. Consider where the log must live, who will maintain the client or script, and what should happen if OBS or the logger restarts. If you already run a channel from a rented machine, the guide to a continuous YouTube stream on an Indian VPS may help frame the wider machine-management questions, but it does not prescribe a logger implementation.
Subscribe to output-state events
An event subscription is the change-driven part of the design. Instead of asking for status continuously, the client registers interest in relevant output-state events and records an observation when one arrives. The obs-websocket protocol is based on event subscriptions as well as request-and-response messages; consult the generated protocol reference for the version and event categories you intend to use.
Do not copy a guessed event name or payload into production. The protocol reference may change, and libraries can expose protocol details differently. First inspect the documentation that corresponds to the OBS version installed, then confirm that your chosen client library supports that version. The research did not test an event subscription, any payload structure, or client-library behaviour, so no example code here should be treated as verified.
When an event arrives, record the time your logger observed it, the state information actually present, and enough context to identify the source. Do not label a field “YouTube connected” unless the field and its documented meaning really establish that. An output-state event from OBS is an observation by OBS, not a separate confirmation from YouTube.
Subscriptions also do not remove the need to handle a dropped client connection. If the connection goes away, the logger cannot assume it saw every event during that interval. Mark the gap, reconnect and request a fresh state snapshot before treating subsequent events as a continuous record.
Append timestamped changes to a local log
A plain, append-only text file is often easy to inspect and process later. One record per line, such as newline-delimited JSON, can keep timestamps and fields together without overwriting earlier entries. This is a format choice, not an OBS requirement. A simpler delimited format may suit a small, manually inspected log, provided values are escaped and the columns are clearly defined.
Choose one time convention and use it consistently. UTC timestamps avoid ambiguity when the machine’s local time changes or when someone reviews the log from another time zone. If you prefer local time for day-to-day reading, include the UTC offset and ensure the system clock is maintained. Record the timestamp at the point the logger observes or writes the information; do not imply it is the exact time a remote platform changed state.
A practical record may include the observation time, reported output state, observation type (event, startup snapshot or periodic request), logger connection state, and a short error field where appropriate. Keep credentials out of the file. Avoid logging every internal detail just because a library exposes it: a status file should be readable enough to answer an operational question without becoming a second debugging dump.
Plan for disk use before leaving the process running for weeks. The sources reviewed do not prescribe a rotation policy or a recommended polling frequency. Choose a bounded file size or rotation schedule based on how often you write records and how long you need to retain them; verify that the process can create a new file and that old records are handled deliberately. A daily file can be easier to inspect than one indefinitely growing file, but the right choice depends on your retention and backup practice.
If your broadcast is built around a continuous playlist, keep the logger’s job separate from media continuity. The article on keeping a YouTube lofi stream playing when a track ends concerns what happens in the programme; this log concerns what OBS reports about its output.
Use periodic requests to resync state
Events give you a record of changes the connected logger receives. Periodic status requests provide a second observation: at the time of each request, what does OBS report? If the client missed an event during a temporary disconnection, a request after reconnecting can establish a new known state. The design recommendation follows from the protocol’s event and request/response capabilities; OBS does not guarantee that it will reconstruct missed events for you.
A poll is only a sample. If the output changes and changes back between two requests, the snapshots may not show that transition. A short interval reduces the time before the next check but creates more requests and records. A longer interval reduces that work but leaves a longer period in which a change might not appear in the log. There is no research-backed interval to prescribe here. Choose one according to the detection delay you can tolerate and the write volume you can manage, then review whether it suits your use.
A straightforward recovery sequence is: note that the WebSocket connection was lost, attempt reconnection, authenticate, restore the event subscription, request a current state, and log the returned observation before resuming normal event processing. Make sure a failed request is recorded as a logger problem rather than as an OBS state. If you cannot obtain a response, the honest entry is that the state is unknown at that time.
For an in-OBS script, use a timer for periodic checks rather than doing recurring work in a render-frame callback. OBS’s Scripting Guide warns that repeated or per-frame logging can make OBS unresponsive. A callback that runs very frequently can add work to the application that is already encoding and rendering a live programme. Keep file writes and error handling proportionate, and test changes away from a critical broadcast before relying on them.
A periodic snapshot is also a useful sign that the logger remains active, but it is not a guarantee that the broadcast is healthy between snapshots. If the logger itself stops, the absence of new lines should prompt a separate check of the logger process, OBS and the destination stream.
Verify names and behaviour before coding
Before implementation, make a short compatibility checklist. Record the OBS version, whether WebSocket control is built in or separately installed, the protocol version shown by your setup, the client library and version, and the exact event and request names from the matching documentation. Confirm that the event category is subscribed, that the request returns the fields you intend to record, and that authentication is configured.
Then test the design in a controlled session. Observe startup, an output start and stop, a client disconnect, a reconnect, and a failed request. Compare the file with the state shown in OBS at those moments. This is a test plan, not a claim that a sample logger or payload has been validated here. Do not treat a single successful test as evidence that the logger cannot miss events during a long-running broadcast.
Check how the client handles malformed or unexpected data, file-write failures and a full disk. Decide what happens if the machine restarts: the logger may need to start automatically, and it should record a fresh snapshot rather than pretending that its process was continuous. Keep the log location writable by the account running the logger, and consider how you will inspect it remotely if the broadcast machine is unattended.
Finally, decide what you will do with the record. A timestamped event can help correlate an OBS interruption with a YouTube Studio alert or a viewer report, but correlation is not proof of cause. Keep the official dashboard available for destination-side checks, and use the log to narrow the time and OBS-side state for investigation.
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FAQ
Does OBS’s streaming state prove YouTube is live?
No. It records what OBS reports about its output, not a verified end-to-end check of YouTube ingestion or viewer playback. Check YouTube Studio and the stream itself when you need to confirm the destination side.
Should I use an external client or an OBS script?
Use the option that fits your maintenance and failure-boundary needs. An external client has separate runtime and reconnect work; an in-OBS script depends on OBS and should avoid per-frame logging. Test whichever you choose with your installed version.
How often should the logger request status?
There is no interval established by the research or prescribed by OBS in the sources reviewed. Choose a cadence that balances the detection delay you can accept against request and file-write volume, and document it as your operational choice.
Can the log guarantee that no change was missed?
No. A client can disconnect, a process can fail, or changes can occur between periodic samples. Record gaps and reconnects explicitly, take a fresh snapshot after reconnection, and use the file as one diagnostic record rather than a guarantee.