Where to Find Your Stream Key and Server URL on Each Platform
Every platform that accepts live video from your own software needs two values: a server URL (where to send the video) and a stream key (which channel the video belongs to). This guide explains what they are, where to look for them on the main platforms, and how to handle them safely. Menus change often, so treat the paths below as a starting point and check each platform's own help pages if a label has moved.
What the two values do
The server URL is an address that usually begins with rtmp:// or rtmps://. The stream key is a long random string. Together they tell the platform "accept this video and publish it on that channel". The key works like a password: anyone who has it can broadcast to your channel, so it must never appear on screen, in screenshots, or in public chats.
Where to look
| Platform | Typical place to find them | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube | YouTube Studio → Create → Go live → Stream | Live access must be enabled on the channel first, which can involve a verification step and a waiting period. Stream settings show the stream URL and key. |
| Twitch | Creator Dashboard → Settings → Stream | Twitch also lists recommended ingest servers; picking one geographically close to you can reduce dropped frames. |
| Kick | Creator dashboard → Stream settings | The server address shown next to your key can be specific to your account, so copy it rather than guessing a generic one. |
| Live Producer → Streaming software | Keys created for a single event can expire or be single-use. If a persistent key is offered for your Page, prefer it. | |
| Rumble | Your channel's live or studio section | Copy both the server and the key shown there. Check the page again if you reset them. |
Keep keys safe
- Never show them on stream. Hide settings windows before sharing your screen. Many streamers keep OBS's Stream settings page closed during every show.
- Reset a key if it leaks. Every platform has a reset or regenerate button. After resetting, the old key stops working everywhere, so update it in every tool you use.
- Use a service that encrypts keys. When you save keys in a multistreaming tool, check that it stores them encrypted and does not show them back to you in plain text. LiveForge stores saved keys encrypted and does not return them to the browser.
- Do not paste keys into chats or documents that others can read, including support tickets, unless the recipient is the platform's own official support and they ask for it.
When a key stops working
A destination that suddenly shows an error is very often just a stale key. Common reasons:
- You or a teammate reset the key on the platform.
- The key was created for one event and has expired (common with per-event keys on some platforms).
- The account lost live-streaming access, for example after a rule violation or an unfinished verification.
- The server URL was copied for a different region or a different account.
The fix is the same each time: open the platform's dashboard, copy the current server URL and key, and save them again in your tools. Then run a short private test before your next public show.
Checklist before every show
- Each platform you plan to use shows live access as enabled.
- The keys saved in your tools match the ones currently shown in the dashboards.
- No settings window with a visible key is open on a screen you are sharing.
Next: set up your encoder in the OBS multistream guide, or read troubleshooting live stream problems if a destination refuses to go live.