An OBS source is missing from the scene: check visibility, order, and position

Check the scene before replacing the source

Do these checks while off air and outside an important recording. Moving a covering source can expose a desktop window or other material underneath it. Record the current arrangement and transform values before changing them.

Make sure you are judging the output scene

In Studio Mode, OBS normally shows the edit scene on the left and the current live scene on the right. A prepared scene is not automatically the output scene; the Transition control makes that change. OBS explains this in its overview guide.

Before transitioning, inspect the entire proposed scene for private material. Do not use a live audience as your first visibility test. Identify which pane contains the problem and which scene name you intend to send to the output.

Check three layout controls

The official Sources Guide describes the following controls:

1. In the intended scene's Sources list, inspect the eye control for the missing item. A hidden source will not become visible just because it is selected.
2. Inspect the items above it. Higher items in the list are drawn over lower ones. In your off-air check, move the affected item above a likely covering source and observe whether it appears.
3. Select the affected source and open Edit > Transform > Edit Transform. Inspect its position, size, and crop. Compare those values with where you expect it to sit.

Change one condition at a time. If reordering makes the source appear, settle its intended position in the stack before investigating device drivers. If the picture appears but is cropped incorrectly, preserve the working capture configuration and address its transform instead.

Use the result to choose the next investigation

These are proposed diagnostic comparisons, not findings from a recording test. A red selection boundary alone does not prove that the underlying device or media is producing a usable picture.

For a Windows game that remains black even with the layout correct, use our Game Capture checks. Do not generalize that workflow to a webcam, image, or browser source.

Confirm the result before returning live

Make a short local recording with the scene you intend to use. Play it back and check that the source is visible, correctly framed, and not covering essential content. Restore any temporary visibility changes that exposed other material.

If it still fails, follow the support links in OBS's overview guide with your OS, OBS version, source type, scene names, and the checks completed. Review screenshots and logs for private details before sharing them. No OBS scene or recording was tested for this article.