Settings File Logs and Command Line

Settings file, logs and command line

ShadePlay guide › Advanced settings

Where ShadePlay keeps its settings and logs, every key in the settings file, and the command-line options.

Where things are

Everything lives in %APPDATA%\ShadePlay (paste that into the File Explorer address bar):

File or folder	What it is
config.json	Your settings. The advanced tray menu's Open settings file opens it in your text editor.
config.json.bak	The previous good version, kept at every save.
config.json.corrupt	A copy of a settings file that couldn't be read (see below).
logs\shadeplay.log	The tray app's log.
logs\engine.log	The recorder's log.
logs\youtube.log, logs\encoder-test.log	The YouTube copy helper's and the encoder test's logs, when they have run.
logs\update.log	Update events, one line each with the time: failed checks, failed or postponed updates, automatic updates, and updates the installer didn't finish. Only the last 50 lines are kept.
dumps\	Crash reports (engine-<date>-<time>.dmp and similar), only after a crash. The newest 5 of each kind are kept.
youtube_copies.json	The list of YouTube copies the helper made, so it can delete them later.

A ShadePlay.exe run without Setup also unpacks its FFmpeg into %LOCALAPPDATA%\ShadePlay\ffmpeg (Running ShadePlay.exe on its own).

• Each log except update.log is rotated at 2 MB: the old part becomes shadeplay.1.log and so on, and 5 old parts are kept.
• Read a log before you share it: file paths in it contain your Windows user name, and it names clips and games. Don't attach crash dumps to a public issue: they can hold pieces of what was in the program's memory.
• Power users can move the whole folder with the environment variable SHADEPLAY_HOME, or per start with --data-dir.

How the settings file is saved and read

• ShadePlay writes config.json in one step (a temporary file, then a rename), so a crash or power cut never leaves half a file. The old version is kept as config.json.bak.
• You can edit it while ShadePlay runs. ShadePlay notices the change and applies it within a few seconds, and an open settings window shows the new values.
• A value that is out of range or misspelled falls back to its default, with a line in shadeplay.log. Unknown keys are ignored, with a line in the log.
• A file that isn't valid JSON is not used: ShadePlay keeps a copy as config.json.corrupt, uses the previous settings from config.json.bak (or the defaults), and shows ⚠ The settings file has an error – the previous settings are used. Fix the file (the log names the line) or delete it; the fix is picked up by itself. ShadePlay doesn't overwrite your broken file until you change a setting.
• The file can be UTF-8 (with or without a byte-order mark) or UTF-16, so Notepad and PowerShell both work.
• Keys you leave out get their default.

Every key

Values are JSON: numbers, true / false, and strings in quotes. Nested keys are written as video.fps here and as "video": {"fps": 240} in the file.

General

Key	Default	Values	In the window
version	2	written by ShadePlay	(file only)
advanced_ui	false	true / false	Show advanced settings
hotkey	"F10"	a key or combination, such as "Alt+F10" (The save hotkey)	Save hotkey
replay_seconds	60	5 to 600	Buffer length
clips_dir	""	a folder; empty = Videos\ShadePlay	Clips folder
autostart	true		Start with Windows
sounds	true		Play sounds
notifications	true		Show notifications
faststart	true		Fast start
post_save_hook	""	a command line	Run this command
clip_info_files	false	true writes a .json file next to each clip (always written while post_save_hook is set)	Write a clip info file (.json) next to each clip
game_names	{}	program file name → clip name, such as {"overwatch.exe": "Overwatch 2"}	Clip names

Video (video.…)

Key	Default	Values	In the window
video.codec	"av1"	"av1", "hevc", "h264"	Codec
video.fps	240	10 to 500	Frame rate
video.quality	"default"	"lite", "default", "high", "insane", "bitrate"	Quality
video.bitrate_mbps	150	5 to 2000; used only with "bitrate"	Fixed bitrate
video.hdr_mode	"auto"	"auto" (HDR when Windows HDR is on), "sdr"	HDR
video.ten_bit_sdr	true		10-bit SDR clips
video.draw_cursor	true		Record the mouse cursor
video.monitor	"primary"	"primary" or a Windows display name such as "\\\\.\\DISPLAY2"	Monitor
video.gpu_priority	"high"	"high", "normal"	GPU priority
video.preset	0	0 (auto) or 1 (fastest) to 7 (best quality)	Encoder preset
video.gop_seconds	1	0.25 to 10	Keyframe interval
video.spatial_aq	false		Spatial AQ

Audio (audio.…)

Key	Default	Values	In the window
audio.mix.enabled, audio.discord.enabled, audio.mic.enabled	true		the track switches; Record my mic
audio.<track>.gain_db	0	−60 to +24	Gain (dB)
audio.<track>.offset_ms	0	−1000 to +1000	Offset (ms)
audio.<track>.bitrate_kbps	Mix 320, Desktop, Game and Discord 256, Mic 160	32 to 512	Bitrate (kb/s)
audio.desktop_device	""	a device ID; empty = the Windows default output	What you listen on / Desktop device
audio.mic_device	""	a device ID; empty = the Windows default microphone	Microphone
audio.codec	"aac"	"aac", "opus", "flac"	Audio codec
audio.discord_latency_ms	-20	−1000 to +1000	Latency correction
audio.endpoint_denylist	[]	parts of device names	Never record
audio.discord_exes	["Discord.exe", "DiscordPTB.exe", "DiscordCanary.exe"]	program file names	Discord programs

<track> is mix, desktop, game, discord or mic.

Games (games.…, file only)

Key	Default	Values	What it does
games.always	[]	program file names	Programs that always count as a game.
games.never	a list of shells, browsers, Discord, launchers, players and tools	program file names	Programs that never count as a game. A list with entries replaces the default list, so copy the default entries you want to keep.

YouTube helper (youtube.…)

Key	Default	Values	In the window
youtube.enabled	false		Offer "Upload to YouTube" after each save
youtube.upload_file	"original"	"original", "copy"	What to upload
youtube.title_template	"{game} {date} {time}"	up to 200 characters	Title
youtube.copy_fps	0	0 (keep the clip's) or 24 to 60	Frame rate
youtube.copy_codec	"auto"	"auto", "av1", "hevc"	Codec
youtube.prepare_automatically	false		Prepare the copy right after each save
youtube.keep_days	7	0 (keep) to 365	Delete copies after
youtube.copies_dir	""	a full path; empty = YouTube uploads in the clips folder	Copies folder

Updates (updates.…)

Key	Default	Values	In the window
updates.check	true		Check for updates (asks GitHub once a day)
updates.auto	false	only the value true switches it on	Install updates automatically
updates.skip	""	a version such as "0.2.0"; a newer version is offered again	Skip this version

ShadePlay also keeps three notes of its own there: updates.auto_asked (the bar's question about automatic updates was answered), updates.auto_done (an automatic update it has just started) and updates.auto_failed (a version whose automatic update failed, so it isn't tried automatically again). Leave them as they are.

Keys that are ignored

ShadePlay always records, so these keys from older files are read and ignored: paused, audio.desktop.enabled, audio.game.enabled and games.enabled.

Resetting everything

Choose Exit in the tray menu, delete config.json, then start ShadePlay again. It starts with the defaults and asks for the F10 check again, as on its first start.

Command line

ShadePlay.exe is in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\ShadePlay (or wherever you put a copy that runs on its own). It is a Windows program, so in a Command Prompt use start /wait ShadePlay.exe ... when you need the command to wait for it.

For everyone:

Option	What it does
(none)	Starts ShadePlay in the tray; if it is running already, shows the ShadePlay is running notification.
--settings	Opens the settings window of the running ShadePlay; starts ShadePlay first if it isn't running.
--save	Asks the running ShadePlay to save a clip. Does nothing if ShadePlay isn't running (exit code 1).
--quit	Asks the running ShadePlay to exit and waits until it has (clips being written are finished first).
--encoder-test	Tests the graphics card's encoders: Testing AMD and Intel graphics.
--log-level debug|info|warn|error	How much goes into the logs (default info).

For testing a second copy next to the installed one:

Option	What it does
--instance-name NAME	Its own name (letters, digits, _ and -, up to 32), so it doesn't talk to the installed copy. --quit, --save and --settings need the same name to reach it.
--data-dir DIR	Keeps its settings and logs in DIR.

A copy started with either of them never touches Start with Windows and never installs updates automatically; one with --instance-name doesn't check for updates at all. Developer options such as --selftest are in Building ShadePlay. ShadePlay uses --engine, --youtube-copy, --autostart and --uninstall-cleanup internally, and Setup starts it with --update-failed or --update-incomplete after an update that didn't finish; don't use those yourself.

Environment variables

Variable	What it does
SHADEPLAY_HOME	Moves the settings and logs folder.
SHADEPLAY_OFFLINE=1	Blocks every network request: the update check and update downloads.
SHADEPLAY_RUNTIME_DIR	Where a ShadePlay.exe without FFmpeg DLLs next to it unpacks its built-in FFmpeg, instead of %LOCALAPPDATA%\ShadePlay\ffmpeg (for test copies; the uninstaller then cleans this folder instead).
SHADEPLAY_NO_SHELL=1	ShadePlay opens no browser and no File Explorer window, doesn't use the clipboard and doesn't install updates automatically (for automated tests).
SHADEPLAY_UPDATE_TEST=1 with SHADEPLAY_UPDATE_API=http://127.0.0.1:<port>/…	For developers: rehearses an update against a fake release on this PC. Both are needed, and only 127.0.0.1 is accepted; the update bar then ends with [update test mode]. Set them in one console only, never with setx (Building ShadePlay).

---

Next: Graphics cards and encoders

See also: Advanced settings overview · Privacy · Feedback and bug reports