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How to Add a Thumbnail and Title to a Castr YouTube Live Stream

Castr’s API flow supports YouTube event titles and descriptions; manual-key metadata edits and thumbnail changes belong in YouTube Studio.
Length4 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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Set the YouTube-facing title in Castr when you connect a YouTube destination through the YouTube API, or edit it in YouTube Studio if you connect with a manual stream key. Add or change the thumbnail in YouTube’s scheduled-stream workflow or stream settings—not in Castr’s destination form, which the available Castr instructions do not document as having a thumbnail control.

Choose how Castr connects to YouTube

Castr documents two ways to connect a YouTube destination: authorize through YouTube Events (the API route) or enter YouTube’s streaming server and stream key manually. The route matters because Castr documents title and description fields for API-connected events, while its manual-key instructions direct metadata edits to YouTube’s dashboard. Castr’s YouTube connection guide describes both options.

YouTube API connection

  1. In Castr, create or open a live-stream project and add YouTube as a destination.
  2. Choose the YouTube Events/API connection and authorize the YouTube account if prompted.
  3. Select the relevant channel or event, enter the YouTube-facing title and description, then create the platform.

The title you enter for the YouTube event is distinct from the name of the Castr project. Renaming the project is not documented as changing the title viewers see on YouTube. Castr’s live-stream setup guide covers project setup, while its YouTube connection guide describes event metadata.

Manual stream-key connection

  1. In YouTube Studio, create or schedule the live stream and locate its stream server and key in the stream settings.
  2. In Castr, add YouTube as a destination and enter the server and key from YouTube.
  3. Change the stream title or description in YouTube Studio; Castr’s guide directs manual-key users to YouTube’s dashboard for description edits.

YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Keep the key private: anyone with access may be able to send a feed to the associated stream. See YouTube’s live stream settings guidance for the relevant stream controls. Interface labels can vary over time or by account.

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Add or change the YouTube title

YouTube lets creators set stream metadata during creation or scheduling, and edit it later through the stream’s settings. In YouTube Studio, open the relevant scheduled or live stream in Live Control Room and use the stream settings or edit controls to update its title and description, then save. The exact visible labels may change with YouTube Studio updates. YouTube documents these metadata locations in Manage live stream settings.

For an API-connected destination, Castr also documents a social metadata endpoint that can update title and description for destinations connected through the Castr dashboard using YouTube’s API. The documented fields do not include a thumbnail. Review Castr’s Manage Social Media Meta API reference before relying on the endpoint; it is separate from editing metadata in the Studio interface.

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Set the thumbnail in YouTube

Use YouTube’s scheduling and stream-management workflow to upload or change the custom thumbnail. Google’s live-production guide places custom thumbnail setup in the scheduled-stream workflow; the Castr destination setup material does not show a thumbnail upload control. Start in YouTube Studio, schedule or open the stream, and use its thumbnail or stream settings controls to upload the image and save. Consult Google’s Full Live Production guide for the scheduled-stream production workflow.

If the stream is already scheduled or live, open that specific stream in Live Control Room and check its editable settings for the thumbnail control. YouTube’s controls and availability may vary by interface version or account; the cited guidance establishes the YouTube workflow, not a thumbnail feature inside Castr.

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Check the result before going live

  • Confirm the YouTube event title is the one you intend viewers to see; do not assume the Castr project name controls it.
  • Open the stream’s YouTube watch page or Studio preview and verify the correct event is selected.
  • Check that the saved thumbnail appears for that event. Changing a different scheduled stream will not update the intended one.
  • For manual connections, confirm the stream server and key match the intended YouTube event. Do not publish or share the key.
  • If editing through Castr’s API, confirm that the destination was connected through the Castr dashboard using YouTube’s API; the documented endpoint covers title and description, not thumbnail updates.

Troubleshoot title and thumbnail changes

The YouTube title did not change after renaming the Castr project

The project name and YouTube destination metadata are separate. Edit the event title through the API-connected event flow or in YouTube Studio for the selected stream.

The manual-key destination has no title or thumbnail controls in Castr

That is consistent with Castr’s documented manual setup. Edit the title, description, and thumbnail in YouTube Studio instead.

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The thumbnail is missing from the Castr API update

Castr’s documented metadata endpoint lists title and description, not thumbnail. Use YouTube Studio’s scheduling or stream-management workflow for the thumbnail.

The edit appears to affect the wrong stream

Return to YouTube Studio and verify the selected scheduled event or live stream before saving. A channel can have multiple events, so confirm the event identity rather than relying on the Castr project name.

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