Configuration via Runtime Flags

Configuration is generally done through the Owncast administration site located on your server under /admin, however, there are a number of runtime flags you can set when starting Owncast to modify its behavior.

Most admins never need these. Use the admin UI for normal configuration. The flags here are mainly for recovery, such as resetting a lost admin password, or for scripted and automated startups.

You can run Owncast with --help to see a full list of available runtime flags.

Flag reference

Flag	Value	Purpose	Persistence
--adminpassword	password	Set a new admin password. The usual way to recover access if you lost yours.	Saved to the database
--backupdir	directory path	Directory where database backups are written.	This run only
--database	file path	Use a database file other than the default data/owncast.db.	This run only
--enableDebugFeatures	none	Enable additional debugging options.	This run only
--enableVerboseLogging	none	Enable additional logging.	This run only
--followervalidationinterval	seconds	How often Fediverse followers are re-validated.	This run only
--logdir	directory path	Directory where logs are written.	This run only
--restoreDatabase	backup file path	Restore a database backup, then exit. Restart Owncast afterwards.	One-time action
--rtmpport	port number	Set the listen port for the RTMP server. Default is 1935.	Saved to the database
--streamkey	key	Set a temporary stream key. While it's in effect the Stream Keys admin tab is hidden.	This session only
--webserverip	IP address	Force the web server to listen on a specific IP address.	Saved to the database
--webserverport	port number	Force the web server to listen on a specific port. Default is 8080.	Saved to the database

Flags marked "saved to the database" change your stored server configuration. The new value keeps applying on later starts even after you drop the flag. The others only affect the run they're passed to.

Examples

Reset a lost admin password:

owncast --adminpassword mynewpassword

Set a temporary stream key for this session:

owncast --streamkey mystreamkey

Run on custom ports. You can also change ports in the admin, which requires a restart to take effect:

owncast --webserverport 9090 --rtmpport 2945

Restore a database backup:

owncast --restoreDatabase /path/to/owncastdb.bak