OBS browser source not showing — how to fix it
A blank browser source is the single most common OBS complaint, and it is almost never a broken overlay. Work down this list in order — the first three fix the large majority of cases.
Step by step
Refresh the source
Right-click the source and choose Refresh (or open its properties and click Refresh cache of current page). A browser source that was added before the file finished downloading, or that loaded while your connection was flapping, will just sit there blank until it is told to reload.
Check the source is actually visible and on top
Look for the eye icon next to the source in the Sources list — if it is closed, the source is hidden. Then check the order: sources are drawn top-first, so anything listed above your widget covers it. Drag the widget above your game capture.
Check the size, not the position
A browser source with width or height set to 0, or set to something tiny like 1 × 1, renders nothing visible. Open properties and set 1920 × 1080.
Make sure the local file path still exists
If you ticked Local file and later moved, renamed or deleted the folder — or emptied your Downloads — OBS has nothing to load. Re-point it at the file's current location. Keep widget files somewhere permanent, not in Downloads.
Turn off hardware acceleration if the source is black
A source that shows a solid black rectangle rather than nothing at all usually means the browser is failing to composite. In OBS go to Settings › Advanced and set Browser Source Hardware Acceleration off, then restart OBS. Older or laptop-switchable GPUs are the usual suspects.
Untick 'Shutdown source when not visible'
In the source properties, Shutdown source when not visible unloads the page every time you switch scenes, and Refresh browser when scene becomes active reloads it from scratch. Together they cause widgets to reappear blank for a second or to lose their state. Turn both off unless you need the memory back.
Check the URL really is reachable
Paste the same link into a normal browser tab. If it does not load there, it will not load in OBS either — and if it needs a login to view, a browser source cannot log in for you.
Restart OBS as a last resort
The embedded browser can wedge itself, usually after a long session or a crashed source. A full restart of OBS clears it. If the source works after a restart but breaks again within the same session, that is worth reporting.
The widget shows, but the chat is empty
That is a different problem — the source is loading fine, it just is not receiving messages. Nine times in ten the channel name is not exactly right. Open your settings page and type the channel exactly as it appears in the Twitch URL: no @, no spaces, and nothing from a display name that differs from the login name. Rebuild the link, then refresh the source.
My webcam is hidden behind the overlay
Full desktop overlays have a solid wallpaper, so a camera placed behind them cannot show through. Move your camera source above the overlay in the Sources list and line it up with the webcam window in the design — or use the Camera only version of the pack, which is fully transparent.
Widgets that work with this guide
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Try it live★ Best sellerCommon questions
Why is my OBS browser source blank?
Most often it needs a refresh, is hidden behind another source, or points at a local file that has been moved. Refresh the source, check the eye icon and source order, then verify the file path.
Why is my OBS browser source black instead of transparent?
Turn off Browser Source Hardware Acceleration in Settings › Advanced and restart OBS. This is the usual cause on laptops with switchable graphics.
Does 'Shutdown source when not visible' cause problems?
It can. It unloads the page on every scene change, so widgets reappear blank or reset. Turn it off unless you specifically need to free memory.