Workflow Page
The workflow page is where you'll spend the majority of your time when logged into your Switchboard account.
The Workflow Page is split into two (2) components:
Encoder Workflow Pane (left) and the Destinations Pane (right).
Workflow Pane
The Encoder Workflow Pane allows the selection and configuration of the encoder (RTMP information), viewing the Confidence monitor, and checking the stream's status.
Workflow (Source) Name: Populated with the name of the live streaming software (encoder). It's an internal label and can be changed to whatever you like.
Workflow Drop-down Menu:
From the drop-down menu, you can quickly switch between the various encoder workflows in your account, add a new workflow, or view all encoder workflows to monitor all inbound streams.
Above the preview window, click the arrow to open the drop-down menu.
- Click on one of the listed workflows to open it.
- Create a new encoder workflow (ingestion point) in your Switchboard account.
- You can view all of the encoder workflows in your Switchboard account.
Confidence Monitor ( preview window)
A live preview display that verifies the current video Switchboard receives from a connected live streaming software (encoder).
By default, the confidence monitor will display the Switchboard RTMP URL and Stream Key; the information needed to connect to a third-party live streaming platform to the specific workflow.
The video content will display on the confidence monitor when the live streaming software is sending content a workflow with matching streaming information.
- If nothing is showing on the Switchboard Confidence monitor, and the status doesn't display "Receiving Video" with a green dot, then that means that we are not receiving anything from your encoder, and therefore we do not have any video to send to your destinations.
RTMP URL: The (RTMP) address to the Switchboard Live server.
Press the "Copy" button and paste the RTMP URL into the stream settings of the live streaming software.
Note: Each encoder (live streaming software) is a little different; they may call the RTMP URL any of the following, “Stream URL,” “RTMP Address,” or “SERVER URL.”
Stream Key: A unique code used to identify the specific workflow.
Press the "Copy" button and paste the Stream Key into the stream settings of the live streaming software.
Reveal or Hide Stream Key
By default, the Stream Key is hidden. Click on the field to reveal the stream key.
Reset Stream Key
If you need to reset the stream key, click the reset stream key button (double arrow ), and confirm.
Very important - If you reset the stream key, copy and paste the new value into the live streaming software you are using.
Preview Audio by holding down on the button.
Source Tab
Below the source tab, you'll see the status between the live streaming software and the specific workflow.
Stream status: Not receiving Video
Your live streaming software is not sending video to this specific workflow.
Stream Status: Receiving Video
There’s a successful connection between your live streaming software and this specific workflow. You're ready to go live to the destinations added to the workflow.
Config Tab
The config tab allows you to rename the encoder workflow, change the source color, or permanently remove this specific workflow from the Switchboard account.
Rename the workflow
Click the config tab, then type in the field to rename the workflow.
Change the source color
Click the config tab, then click on the color box to change the source color.
Remove workflow
Click the config tab, then click the "remove workflow button" to delete a workflow from the Switchboard Cloud Account permanently.
Destination Pane
The Destination Pane allows you to select and configure your destination's metadata by selecting a Template, adding and managing Destinations tied to this workflow, and monitoring your Destination's Status.
Destination Header Bar displays your streaming status, error messaging, and Add Group Buttons (Viral StreamShare™ or Switchboard Cloud Group).
Encoder status
No Video Present: You’ll need to start streaming from the live streaming encoder to this specific Encoder Workflow to go live.
Video Present: this means you are ready to go live because video content comes through from the live-streaming software.
Live Streaming: Messaging displays that you are active and live streaming.
Error messages: If there is an issue going live to a destination or a connection has been lost between the live streaming encoder and this workflow.
Add Groups Button
Destination groups give the ability to group destinations based on preferences. For example, going live to certain channels on specific days of the week can be created into a destination group just for that purpose. The user can create multiple destination groups on a workflow page.
Add Viral StreamShare™ Group
- Click the Add Vss Group button to create a Viral StreamShare™ Group.
- Note: There can only be one Viral StreamShare™ Group per workflow, which is displayed at the top of the workflow.
Add Switchboard Group
- Click the Add Group button.
- A workflow can have multiple destination groups with their own destinations and template.
Use the help button to access the help center, submit a ticket, or start a live chat.
Live Streaming status visual indicator
Active Destinations: Total number of active live destinations on the workflow.
Total Number of Viewers: Total number of viewers currently watching the live stream.
Timer: Length of time for the current live-stream broadcast.
Destination Groups:
Groups allow you to connect and store your social destinations ( YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.), add and edit titles & descriptions via Templates, and turn on/off the autostart feature.
You can add one Viral StreamShare™ group and multiple Switchboard Cloud groups to a workflow.Destination Group Header
Group Name: Name the group to identify within a given workflow quickly. The group name is an internal label, only visible to the Switchboard Cloud account user.
Number of Destinations saved to the specific group.
Autostart Status:
Automatically starts the stream for destinations in the group that have this turned on. Turn this feature on or off before sending video from the encoder into your Switchboard account.
Stream Titles and Templates
Adding stream titles and descriptions can further help keep branding consistent. Stream titles are applied per destination group and are created with the Switchboard template feature.
Template Name:
Name of the active template applied to this specific group.
Stream title:
The stream title will publish along with the live video to natively added destinations, like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch, and LinkedIn.
Check box: Used to select all the destinations in the desired group.
You can Select All destinations to Start/Stop streams or Remove Destinations from a workflow simultaneously.
Select All -> Go Live
This will start the stream for all selected destinations at the same time.
Select All-> Remove All
This will remove all of the selected destinations at one time.
Edit Group Button:
Click the Pencil icon to open the edit the group window, allowing you to change the group name, enable autostart, and update the metadata ( stream title and description).
Check authorization button: used to check the authorization of the destinations in the specific group. Use this button to verify that the destinations are still authorized and connected with the Switchboard workflow.
Collapse or Expand the group
Click the button to open or close the group. This button is helpful if your workflow has a lot of groups and destinations and you want to focus on a specific destination group.
Add Destinations
The green bar at the bottom of the destination group adds destinations to the specific Switchboard Cloud Destination group.
Note: The Viral StreamShare™ group is a unique group type with its own process for adding destinations.
Direct Click: Add destinations (social channels) to a group by clicking on the social channel icon in the green bar. This is the quickest and easiest way to add common social channels like Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Add Custom RTMP Destinations:
Click the RTMP button to add custom RTMP destinations to the desired group.
Plus Icon: gives access to the full destination menu.
New Destinations: This gives access to the other destination types that can be added to the group.
Existing destinations: This gives access to destinations already saved to the Switchboard cloud account.
Destinations
Icon: Each destination has a unique icon doubling as a link to that platform's page.
Clicking on the social icon works for natively added destinations like Facebook, Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Name: The default name of the destination is pulled from the destination type during the initial authorization process. This is an internal label, only visible within the Switchboard Cloud application.
Destinations can be renamed so that it makes sense to you or other team members.
Status Indicator: Displays the status of the destinations tied to your current workflow.
When you start the live stream, the destination will enter a start streaming state, indicated by the yellow pulse.
Visibility Toggle:
You can change the stream's visibility for destinations like YouTube and Facebook profiles. Click on the visibility toggle to change the status.
- YouTube destinations have three states, Public, Unlisted and Private.
- Facebook personal profiles have two states, Public and Private.
Viewers: Number of viewers for the specific destination type while live streaming.
Watch Icon: Click the watch icon to open and view the live broadcast video on the social platform.
Info Button: Clicking on the info button opens the destination info menu, giving you access to more information about each specific destination, changing the destination name, starting and stopping streaming, and direct links to the live video if you are live streaming.
Go Live: Everyone's favorite button!
The Go Live button will remain gray and change to green when the workflow detects incoming live video from the live streaming encoder.
Start streaming to a destination by clicking the Go Live button.
End Stream: Pat yourself on the back after completing a successful live broadcast.
To stop streaming to a destination, click the Stop Streaming button.
Remove Destination: Click the remove destination to remove the destination from the group.