How to Capture a Specific Window in OBS
Window capture lets you show a selected application instead of the entire desktop. It is useful for demonstrations or recordings where a webcam scene needs to include one app.
Use it only for content you intend and are permitted to share. A selected window can still show private messages, tabs, filenames, or account details inside that app.
Choose the source for your operating system
On Windows, add Window Capture from the Sources panel.
On supported modern macOS versions, use macOS Screen Capture and select its window-capture mode. Older Mac Window Capture instructions are not the preferred route for macOS 13 and later.
Linux source choices depend on the desktop and capture system, such as Xcomposite or PipeWire. Use the source available for that environment and any system-provided window picker.
Select the intended window
- 1.Open the application and the content you want to capture.
- 2.Select the OBS scene.
- 3.Click + in Sources and choose the appropriate source.
- 4.Select the intended window in its properties or system picker.
- 5.Confirm and resize the result in the scene.
Check the actual content in the OBS preview, not just a similar-looking application name.
Review matching and capture options
On Windows, Window Match Priority determines what OBS does if it cannot find the original window. A strict title match may leave the source blank after a title changes; a broader match can select another matching window.
Choose the behavior that best protects the intended content. Test after opening a new document or switching tabs.
Capture Cursor determines whether the cursor is included where supported. If the source has audio-capture controls, review those separately rather than assuming every window source includes sound.
If the window is blank
Confirm that it is open and selected. Review permissions on Mac, the chosen capture method on Windows, or the system picker on Linux.
On multi-GPU Windows laptops, graphics selection can also matter. Change one factor at a time and test instead of applying several unrelated fixes.
Check a recording
Open the menus and dialogs you expect to use, then make a sample recording. Some content may be a separate window rather than part of the selected one.
Do not switch to full-desktop capture just to solve a missing dialog without first checking what else that would reveal.