Guides · OBS Studio · Automation

How to Set Up OBS WebSocket on Windows (2026)

By Yaseen Khatib · September 9, 2026

OBS WebSocket is how anything outside OBS controls your scenes: a Stream Deck, a chat bot, an automation tool, a script you wrote. Since OBS 28 it ships built in, so there is no plugin to install — but it is disabled until you turn it on.

Here is the whole setup, and the three things that go wrong.

Turning it on

  1. Open OBS, and go to Tools → WebSocket Server Settings.
  2. Tick Enable WebSocket server.
  3. Note the Server Port. The default is 4455.
  4. If Enable Authentication is ticked, click Show Connect Info and copy the Server Password.
  5. Apply, and leave OBS running.

That is it. Any tool speaking the WebSocket v5 protocol can now connect on ws://localhost:4455 with that password.

What v5 changed

If you are following an older guide and things do not line up, this is why. OBS WebSocket v4 was a separate plugin with a different protocol and, commonly, port 4444. v5 is built in, uses 4455, and the two are not compatible.

A tool written for v4 will not talk to a v5 server. Check what your tool supports before debugging anything else — most modern ones are v5, and anything that still says "install the obs-websocket plugin" is out of date.

The three reasons it will not connect

Authentication mismatch. The most common by far. Either the tool has no password while the server requires one, or the password was copied with a trailing space. Copy it again with Show Connect Info, and paste rather than retype.

The firewall prompt was dismissed. The first time OBS opens the port, Windows asks whether to allow it. If that dialog was closed by reflex, the rule was created as a block. Check Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app and confirm OBS is permitted on your current network profile.

Wrong host. localhost means this machine. Connecting from a second PC or a phone needs the streaming PC's LAN address — something like 192.168.1.40 — and the port open to the local network. If your tool runs on the same machine as OBS, localhost is correct and simpler.

Do not expose it to the internet

Worth saying plainly: OBS WebSocket has no transport encryption and one shared password. It is designed for a trusted local network.

Do not port-forward 4455 to the public internet. Anyone who finds it can switch your scenes, start and stop your stream, and read your source list. If you need remote control, put it behind a VPN or use a tool that brokers the connection properly.

Confirming it works

The quickest check is any tool that lists your scenes — if it can enumerate them, the connection and the auth are both good. A tool that connects but shows an empty scene list is usually pointed at a different OBS profile than the one you are looking at.

Once connected, the automation possibilities are the interesting part: scene switches driven by what is happening on your stream rather than by you reaching for a hotkey. streamerOS uses this exact connection — it discovers OBS on the machine, connects over v5, and drives scene changes from chat velocity and game telemetry, all locally, with no cloud in the path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I still need the obs-websocket plugin? No. It has been built into OBS since version 28. Any guide telling you to install a plugin is for v4.

What port does OBS WebSocket use? 4455 by default in v5. The old v4 plugin used 4444.

Where do I find the OBS WebSocket password? Tools → WebSocket Server Settings → Show Connect Info.

Can I use it from another computer? Yes, over your local network, using the streaming PC's LAN IP rather than localhost. Do not expose it to the internet.

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