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Source policy

Technical writing is only as good as the evidence behind it. This page sets out what counts as a source on obs-studio.net, how sources are ranked, how they are cited, and what we refuse to treat as evidence.

1. Order of preference

  1. Direct observation. Running the version of OBS Studio in question, performing the steps, and recording the result — including the log file where relevant. This is the strongest evidence we can offer and it is what most guides rest on.
  2. Primary project material. OBS Project documentation, release notes, issue tracker entries and source code. When we describe why OBS behaves a certain way, this is what we cite.
  3. Vendor and platform documentation. GPU encoder documentation, capture card specifications, and the ingest requirements published by streaming platforms.
  4. Plugin author material. Repositories, release notes and documentation published by the person or team maintaining a plugin.
  5. Reputable secondary reporting, used only for context and always attributed.

2. What we do not treat as evidence

  • Undated forum posts, comment threads or chat logs presented as fact.
  • Video walkthroughs with no reproducible steps or version information.
  • Marketing copy, benchmark claims supplied by a vendor without methodology, or “best settings” lists with no stated hardware.
  • Screenshots of settings with no indication of the OBS Studio version or operating system.
  • Text produced by a language model. Generated text is not a source; it is not cited, and it is not published as one.

3. Citation practice

When a claim rests on an external document, the page links to that document directly rather than to an aggregator. External links carry rel="nofollow noopener" and are clearly marked as leaving the site. Where a source is versioned, the version is named; where it is dated, the date is given.

Where a claim rests on our own testing, the page says so and states the conditions: OBS Studio version, operating system, and the hardware class that matters for the result.

4. Uncertainty

When something is genuinely unknown, contested, or hardware dependent, the page says that plainly. We would rather publish “this varies by encoder generation and here is how to test yours” than a confident number that is wrong on half of setups. Guesses are not published as findings.

5. Downloads and third-party software

This site does not host, mirror or repackage OBS Studio or any plugin. Every download route points at the official source: the OBS Project for the application itself, and the maintainer's own repository or release page for a plugin. If a plugin's only distribution channel is one we cannot verify, that is stated on the page.

6. Naming and attribution

OBS and OBS Studio are names used by the OBS Project. Game titles, platform names, hardware models and plugin names referenced on this site belong to their respective owners and are used for identification and compatibility reference only.

7. Reader-supplied evidence

Log files, screenshots and reproduction steps sent in through the contact form are welcome and are frequently how a problem gets properly understood. Nothing you send is published with identifying detail without your agreement, and log files are treated as confidential.

8. Challenging a source

If you believe a cited source is wrong, outdated or misapplied, tell us. Disputes about evidence are handled the same way as factual corrections, under the corrections policy.

This policy was last updated 6 August 2026.