Which browser should I use for cookie authentication?

Firefox is the recommended browser. It stores cookies as a plain SQLite file that StreamStash can read in milliseconds while Firefox is open. Chrome, Edge, and Brave encrypt their cookie database with Windows DPAPI and hold an exclusive lock on it whenever the browser is running, so they require the browser to be fully closed before StreamStash launches. The cleanest workflow is to use Firefox solely for the accounts you archive from.

How do I configure NVENC hardware compression?

If you have an NVIDIA GPU with NVENC support, enable hardware compression in the Compression Settings panel. StreamStash will use the GPU encoder to compress recordings and downloads, reducing both CPU usage and file size. The Configuration guide lists the supported encoders and quality presets.

How does Telegram authentication work in StreamStash?

Telegram needs an API ID and API hash obtained from https://my.telegram.org, plus a one-time interactive login from inside StreamStash to authorise the session. Once authorised, StreamStash uses your session to pull from any channel you can see, including restricted and private channels. The login happens once and the session persists across restarts.

Can I tune Instagram and Twitter rate limits?

Yes. The Configuration guide explains how to adjust per-platform throttling and how StreamStash automatically pauses a feed when an endpoint starts returning 429s. The defaults are deliberately conservative, especially for Instagram where moderation is strictest. If you are tracking many creators or pulling at high volume, a dedicated archival account is recommended for Instagram and Twitter/X.

Where does StreamStash store its application data?

Application data — the SQLite library, settings, and operational state — lives in a configurable folder with a sensible Windows default. The recordings folder (the actual media files) is separate and set independently. Both can be moved to any local or attached drive.

Configuration

Set up cookies, Discord webhooks, Telegram authentication, compression settings, and more.

All configuration is managed from the Settings page in the sidebar. Settings are stored in the local SQLite database — no config files to edit.

Cookie Authentication

StreamStash reads cookies directly from your web browser to authenticate with platforms. No credentials are stored in the app.

Log into the platform (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) in your browser — Firefox, Chrome, Edge, or Brave are all supported.
In StreamStash Settings, click Check next to the platform name to verify which account is detected.
That's it — StreamStash reads your live browser session automatically.

Note: Firefox is the preferred browser for cookie extraction. If you have issues, try logging in via Firefox.

Recommended for Instagram & Twitter/X: We've tested rate limits thoroughly across all platforms — but for Instagram and Twitter/X, we still recommend using dedicated accounts separate from your personal ones, as a safety net. In our testing, these have been the strictest platforms when it comes to automated activity. Using dedicated accounts keeps your main profiles out of any potential rate-limit or restriction issues, especially if you plan to track many creators or download at high volume.

Compression Settings

StreamStash can compress recordings and downloads to save disk space.

Setting	Options	Description
Codec	H.264, H.265, H.264 NVENC, H.265 NVENC, Off	NVENC uses your NVIDIA GPU for faster encoding
Quality (CRF/CQ)	16–35	Lower = better quality, larger files. 20–24 recommended
Preset	ultrafast, fast, medium, slow	Slower = better compression ratio
Source quality	On / Off	Download in original source quality rather than the default re-encoded version (Power tier)

Recommended: For older NVIDIA GPUs (GTX 10xx series), use CQ 18–22. For newer GPUs or software encoding, CQ 22–26 works well.

Discord Webhooks

Get real-time notifications in Discord when events happen. Each platform has its own webhook URL — leave blank to disable.

Webhook	Triggers
Recordings	Live detections, recording completions and failures
Feeds	TikTok feed downloads, username changes
Instagram	Instagram download completions
Twitter	Twitter download completions
Telegram	Telegram download completions
Forum	Forum thread archive completions
Albums	Album archive completions
Reddit	Reddit scrape completions
Snapchat	Snapchat scrape completions
System	Session issues, disk alerts, app restarts

Use the Test Webhook button to send a test message and verify your setup.

Telegram Authentication

Telegram requires API credentials for downloading from channels (including restricted/private ones).

Go to my.telegram.org and log in with your phone number.
Navigate to API development tools and create a new application.
Copy the API ID (numeric) and API Hash (32-character hex string).
In StreamStash Settings, enter the API ID, API Hash, and your phone number (with country code, e.g. +44...).
Click Send Auth Code — a verification code will be sent to your Telegram app.
Enter the code in StreamStash. If you have 2FA enabled, you'll also need your password.

Session persistence: Your Telegram session is saved locally in the telegram_sessions/ folder. You only need to authenticate once.

Instagram & Twitter Rate Limits

StreamStash includes built-in protections against rate limiting:

Quiet hours — Instagram downloads pause between 2 AM and 8 AM by default. Twitter pauses between 10 PM and 10 AM.
Rest days — Instagram skips 3 random days per week, Twitter skips 2, to avoid detection.
Auto-pause — if a rate limit is detected, downloads automatically pause with a cooldown.

These settings can be adjusted in Settings under each platform's section.

Archives Configuration (Forum & Albums)

Setting	Default	Description
Max file size	0 (unlimited)	Skip downloads above this size in MB

StreamStash supports archiving from a curated list of forums and image/video hosts. The full supported-sites list is shown in the app under Settings → Archives.

Desktop App Settings

Toast notifications — Windows toast notifications for recording start/stop and download events
System tray — colour-coded icon (red = recording, blue = downloading, purple = both)
Minimize to tray — closing the window minimises to the system tray instead of quitting

Environment Variables

These can be set in a .env file in the app directory:

Variable	Default	Description
`FLASK_PORT`	5000	Web UI port
`RECORDINGS_DIR`	./recordings	Media storage path (overrides UI setting)