How to Clear OBS Studio Log Files to Free Space

OBS Studio automatically generates a detailed text log every time you launch the application, which can eventually accumulate and consume unnecessary hard drive space. While individual log files are small, active streamers and content creators can amass hundreds of them over time. This guide will show you how to locate, manually delete, and manage your OBS Studio log files to reclaim your storage space safely.

Step 1: Locate Your OBS Studio Log Files

The easiest way to find your OBS Studio log files is directly through the software itself.

1. Open OBS Studio.
2. Click on Help in the top menu bar.
3. Hover over Log Files and select Show Log Files.

This will automatically open the folder containing all your saved logs in your operating system’s file explorer.

Manual Folder Paths

If you cannot open OBS Studio, you can navigate to the log folders manually using the following directory paths:

• Windows: Press Windows Key + R, type %APPDATA%\obs-studio\logs, and press Enter.
• macOS: Open Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, paste ~/Library/Application Support/obs-studio/logs, and press Enter.
• Linux: Navigate to ~/.config/obs-studio/logs

Step 2: Delete Old Log Files

Once you have the logs folder open, you can safely delete the files to free up space.

1. Close OBS Studio to ensure no log files are currently locked or in use.
2. Select the files you want to delete. You can safely delete all files ending in .txt.
3. Right-click and select Delete (or move them to the Trash/Recycle Bin).
4. Empty your Recycle Bin or Trash to permanently free up the hard drive space.

Note: OBS Studio will automatically generate a brand-new log file the next time you open the program, so you do not need to worry about breaking the software by deleting these files.

Step 3: Prevent Future Log Accumulation

OBS Studio does not have a built-in feature to automatically cap the size of the log folder or auto-delete old files. However, you can manage them with these practices:

• Routine Manual Cleanups: Make it a habit to clear the log folder once every few months.

• Create a Windows Batch Script (Optional): If you want to automate this on Windows, you can create a simple .bat file to delete files older than a certain number of days. For example, pasting the following code into Notepad and saving it as clean_obs.bat will delete logs older than 30 days:

  ForFiles /p "%LocalAppData%\..\Roaming\obs-studio\logs" /s /d -30 /c "cmd /c del @file"

  You can then use the Windows Task Scheduler to run this script automatically once a week.