obsws-cli

A command line interface for OBS Websocket v5

For an outline of past/future changes refer to: CHANGELOG

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Table of Contents

• Installation
• Configuration
• Commands
• License

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or greater
• OBS Studio 28+

Installation

with uv

uv tool install obsws-cli

with pipx

pipx install obsws-cli

The CLI should now be discoverable as obsws-cli

Configuration

Flags

• --host/-H: Websocket host
• --port/-P Websocket port
• --password/-p: Websocket password
• --timeout/-T: Websocket timeout
• --version/-v: Print the obsws-cli version

Pass --host, --port and --password as flags on the root command, for example:

obsws-cli --host=localhost --port=4455 --password=<websocket password> --help

Environment Variables

Store and load environment variables from:

• A .env file in the cwd
• user home directory / .config / obsws-cli / obsws.env

OBS_HOST=localhost
OBS_PORT=4455
OBS_PASSWORD=<websocket password>

Flags can be used to override environment variables.

Root Typer

• obs-version: Get the OBS Client and WebSocket versions.

obsws-cli obs-version

Sub Typers

Scene

• list: List all scenes.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --uuid: Show UUIDs of scenes

obsws-cli scene list

• current: Get the current program scene.

obsws-cli scene current

• switch: Switch to a scene.
  • args: <scene_name>

obsws-cli scene switch LIVE

Scene Item

• list: List all items in a scene.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --uuid: Show UUIDs of scene items

  optional

  • args: <scene_name>
    • defaults to current scene

obsws-cli sceneitem list

obsws-cli sceneitem list LIVE

• show: Show an item in a scene.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --group: Parent group name

  • args: <scene_name> <item_name>

obsws-cli sceneitem show START "Colour Source"

• hide: Hide an item in a scene.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --group: Parent group name

  • args: <scene_name> <item_name>

obsws-cli sceneitem hide START "Colour Source"

• toggle: Toggle an item in a scene.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --group: Parent group name

  • args: <scene_name> <item_name>

obsws-cli sceneitem toggle --group=test_group START "Colour Source 3"

• visible: Check if an item in a scene is visible.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --group: Parent group name

  • args: <scene_name> <item_name>

obsws-cli sceneitem visible --group=test_group START "Colour Source 4"

• transform: Set the transform of an item in a scene.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --group: Parent group name.

    • --alignment: Alignment of the item in the scene

    • --bounds-alignment: Bounds alignment of the item in the scene

    • --bounds-height: Height of the item in the scene

    • --bounds-type: Type of bounds for the item in the scene

    • --bounds-width: Width of the item in the scene

    • --crop-to-bounds: Crop the item to the bounds

    • --crop-bottom: Bottom crop of the item in the scene

    • --crop-left: Left crop of the item in the scene

    • --crop-right: Right crop of the item in the scene

    • --crop-top: Top crop of the item in the scene

    • --position-x: X position of the item in the scene

    • --position-y: Y position of the item in the scene

    • --scale-x: X scale of the item in the scene

    • --scale-y: Y scale of the item in the scene

  • args: <scene_name> <item_name>

obsws-cli sceneitem transform \
    --rotation=5 \
    --position-x=250.8 \
    Scene "Colour Source 3"

Scene Collections

• list: List all scene collections.

obsws-cli scenecollection list

• current: Get the current scene collection.

obsws-cli scenecollection current

• switch: Switch to a scene collection.
  • args: <scene_collection_name>

obsws-cli scenecollection switch test-collection

• create: Create a new scene collection.
  • args: <scene_collection_name>

obsws-cli scenecollection create test-collection

Group

• list: List groups in a scene.

  optional

  • args: <scene_name>
    • defaults to current scene

obsws-cli group list

obsws-cli group list START

• show: Show a group in a scene.
  • args: <scene_name> <group_name>

obsws-cli group show START "test_group"

• hide: Hide a group in a scene.
  • args: <scene_name> <group_name>

obsws-cli group hide START "test_group"

• toggle: Toggle a group in a scene.
  • args: <scene_name> <group_name>

obsws-cli group toggle START "test_group"

• status: Get the status of a group in a scene.
  • args: <scene_name> <group_name>

obsws-cli group status START "test_group"

Input

• list: List all inputs.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --input: Filter by input type.
    • --output: Filter by output type.
    • --colour: Filter by colour source type.
    • --ffmpeg: Filter by ffmpeg source type.
    • --vlc: Filter by VLC source type.
    • --uuid: Show UUIDs of inputs.

obsws-cli input list

obsws-cli input list --input --colour

• mute: Mute an input.
  • args: <input_name>

obsws-cli input mute "Mic/Aux"

• unmute: Unmute an input.
  • args: <input_name>

obsws-cli input unmute "Mic/Aux"

• toggle: Toggle an input.

obsws-cli input toggle "Mic/Aux"

Record

• start: Start recording.

obsws-cli record start

• stop: Stop recording.

obsws-cli record stop

• status: Get recording status.

obsws-cli record status

• toggle: Toggle recording.

obsws-cli record toggle

• resume: Resume recording.

obsws-cli record resume

• pause: Pause recording.

obsws-cli record pause

• directory: Get or set the recording directory.

  optional

  • args: <record_directory>
    • if not passed the current record directory will be printed.

obsws-cli record directory

obsws-cli record directory "/home/me/obs-vids/"
obsws-cli record directory "C:/Users/me/Videos"

Stream

• start: Start streaming.

obsws-cli stream start

• stop: Stop streaming.

obsws-cli stream stop

• status: Get streaming status.

obsws-cli stream status

• toggle: Toggle streaming.

obsws-cli stream toggle

Profile

• list: List profiles.

obsws-cli profile list

• current: Get the current profile.

obsws-cli profile current

• switch: Switch to a profile.
  • args: <profile_name>

obsws-cli profile switch test-profile

• create: Create a new profile.
  • args: <profile_name>

obsws-cli profile create test-profile

• remove: Remove a profile.
  • args: <profile_name>

obsws-cli profile remove test-profile

Replay Buffer

• start: Start the replay buffer.

obsws-cli replaybuffer start

• stop: Stop the replay buffer.

obsws-cli replaybuffer stop

• status: Get the status of the replay buffer.

obsws-cli replaybuffer status

• save: Save the replay buffer.

obsws-cli replaybuffer save

Studio Mode

• enable: Enable studio mode.

obsws-cli studiomode enable

• disable: Disable studio mode.

obsws-cli studiomode disable

• toggle: Toggle studio mode.

obsws-cli studiomode toggle

• status: Get the status of studio mode.

obsws-cli studiomode status

Virtual Cam

• start: Start virtual camera.

obsws-cli virtualcam start

• stop: Stop virtual camera.

obsws-cli virtualcam stop

• toggle: Toggle virtual camera.

obsws-cli virtualcam toggle

• status: Get the status of the virtual camera.

obsws-cli virtualcam status

Hotkey

• list: List all hotkeys.

obsws-cli hotkey list

• trigger: Trigger a hotkey by name.

obsws-cli hotkey trigger OBSBasic.StartStreaming

obsws-cli hotkey trigger OBSBasic.StopStreaming

• trigger-sequence: Trigger a hotkey by sequence.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --shift: Press shift.
    • --ctrl: Press control.
    • --alt: Press alt.
    • --cmd: Press command (mac).

  • args: <key_id>

    • Check obs-hotkeys.h for a full list of OBS key ids.

obsws-cli hotkey trigger-sequence OBS_KEY_F1 --ctrl

obsws-cli hotkey trigger-sequence OBS_KEY_F1 --shift --ctrl

Filter

• list: List filters for a source.

  optional

  • args: <source_name>
    • defaults to current scene

obsws-cli filter list "Mic/Aux"

• enable: Enable a filter for a source.
  • args: <source_name> <filter_name>

obsws-cli filter enable "Mic/Aux" "Gain"

• disable: Disable a filter for a source.
  • args: <source_name> <filter_name>

obsws-cli filter disable "Mic/Aux" "Gain"

• toggle: Toggle a filter for a source.
  • args: <source_name> <filter_name>

obsws-cli filter toggle "Mic/Aux" "Gain"

• status: Get the status of a filter for a source.
  • args: <source_name> <filter_name>

obsws-cli filter status "Mic/Aux" "Gain"

Projector

• list-monitors: List available monitors.

obsws-cli projector list-monitors

• open: Open a fullscreen projector for a source on a specific monitor.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --monitor-index: Index of the monitor to open the projector on.
      • defaults to 0

  optional

  • args: <source_name>
    • defaults to current scene

obsws-cli projector open

obsws-cli projector open --monitor-index=1 "test_scene"

obsws-cli projector open --monitor-index=1 "test_group"

Screenshot

• save: Take a screenshot and save it to a file.

  • flags:

    optional

    • --width:
      • defaults to 1920
    • --height:
      • defaults to 1080
    • --quality:
      • defaults to -1

  • args: <source_name> <output_path>

obsws-cli screenshot save --width=2560 --height=1440 "Scene" "C:\Users\me\Videos\screenshot.png"

Style

By default styling is disabled but you may enable it with:

• --style/-s: Style used in output.
  • OBS_STYLE
• --no-border/-b: Disable table border styling in output.
  • OBS_STYLE_NO_BORDER

Available styles:

• red
• magenta
• purple
• blue
• cyan
• green
• yellow
• orange
• white
• grey
• navy
• black

obsws-cli --style=cyan --no-border scene list

License

obsws-cli is distributed under the terms of the MIT license.