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World desk9 min

How to Use the Wowza Streaming Cloud REST API: Examples and Use Cases

A practical guide to the current Wowza Video REST API: confirm v2.0 access, authenticate securely, create and control a stream, connect WebRTC or RTMP sources, and verify playback.

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The current product documentation calls the service Wowza Video, and marks API v2.0 as current while v1.x is legacy. Before writing code, confirm that your account has moved to Wowza’s new Video UI: customers who have not migrated cannot access v2.0. Once eligible, a typical integration authenticates with a JWT, creates a live stream, connects a WebRTC or RTMP source, starts it through the API, and verifies that video is actually playing.

Check API version and account access first

This guide uses the current Wowza Video REST API v2.0, not the legacy v1.x endpoints or request bodies. Wowza’s API overview identifies v2.0 as current and v1.x as legacy. The v2.0 reference also notes that customers who have not migrated to the new Wowza Video UI cannot access v2.0.

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  • Sign in to your Wowza Video account and verify that the new UI and v2.0 API are available to you.
  • Use the current v2.0 reference for endpoint paths and request fields. Do not reuse a v1.11 example body just because its field names look familiar.
  • Check the version lifecycle and release notes before deploying an integration, especially if maintaining an older v1.x implementation.

Wowza’s documentation offers cURL examples and supports using Postman or another REST client. The examples below show request structure and workflow; use the current endpoint reference to supply the exact required creation fields for your account and chosen source.

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Authenticate every API request with a JWT

The API uses HTTP requests and JSON. The documented base URL pattern is https://api.video.wowza.com/api/[version]/; for v2.0, the reference server is https://api.video.wowza.com/api/v2.0. Send the JWT as a bearer token on every request. POST and PATCH requests should include Content-Type: application/json.

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Choose a token for the integration’s lifetime

Wowza describes personal tokens for user-linked testing and system tokens, available to organization owners, for production integrations intended to persist if an individual leaves the organization. A token is displayed only once when created in the UI, so save it securely at creation. Keep it out of public repositories, browser code, screenshots, and logs.

Keep the token outside the command

Set the token in your shell environment rather than writing its value directly into a script:

export WV_JWT='paste-your-token-securely-here'
export WOWZA_API='https://api.video.wowza.com/api/v2.0'

curl --request GET 
  --url "$WOWZA_API/live_streams" 
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $WV_JWT" 
  --header "Accept: application/json"

Replace the illustrative token value locally; never publish a real JWT. Depending on your shell and logging setup, commands and environment values may be exposed to other users or captured in diagnostic output, so use your organization’s secret-management practices for deployed services.

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Understand the HTTP operations and resource flow

Wowza’s API overview uses familiar resource operations: POST creates records, GET retrieves them, PATCH updates selected attributes, PUT performs actions such as starting or stopping, and DELETE removes records. Some GET endpoints may return cached responses. If a fresh read matters to a workflow, consult Wowza’s response-caching guidance and verify the actual stream state rather than assuming every GET is immediate.

Method Typical use in this API
POST Create a resource, such as a live stream.
GET Retrieve resource details or state.
PATCH Update selected resource attributes.
PUT Run an action such as start or stop.
DELETE Remove a resource.

The base URL plus the endpoint path forms the full request URL. For example, the v2.0 start action is PUT /live_streams/{id}/start. Consult the current API reference for the precise response shape and any endpoint-specific requirements.

Create and control a WebRTC live stream

Wowza’s v2.0 quick start demonstrates a WebRTC workflow: create a live stream, connect a source, use a Wowza-hosted player page, and control start and stop through API calls. This is useful when an event tool or application needs to provision a stream as part of its own workflow.

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  1. Create the resource. Send a POST request to /live_streams with Authorization: Bearer $WV_JWT and Content-Type: application/json. Build the JSON body from the current v2.0 quick start and Live Streams endpoint reference. Required fields depend on the selected setup; do not substitute a legacy v1.x body.
  2. Save the returned identifier and connection details. Read the response for the live stream ID and the source and playback details provided for the configured workflow. Treat credentials and stream keys as secrets.
  3. Connect a WebRTC source. Follow the current quick start’s source connection instructions for the created stream. A camera or encoder is the physical source; the REST API is the control layer. A compatible webcam is one possible source, not a required or certified model.
  4. Start the stream. Call PUT /live_streams/{id}/start, replacing {id} with the returned resource ID. The operation may return a state such as starting; that means the request was accepted, not that viewers can already see video.
  5. Check state and playback. Retrieve the live stream’s current details or state, then open the Wowza-hosted player page and confirm that video is playing. Use the playback or thumbnail checks described in the source guide where relevant; an HTTP success response alone does not prove an end-to-end broadcast.
  6. Stop when finished. Use the documented stop operation for the live stream and confirm the resulting state. Use reset only when the current reference indicates it is appropriate for the condition you are handling.

For each POST or PATCH request, include the JSON content-type header. For example, the start call has this general shape:

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curl --request PUT 
  --url "$WOWZA_API/live_streams/$LIVE_STREAM_ID/start" 
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $WV_JWT" 
  --header "Accept: application/json"

Set LIVE_STREAM_ID from the create response. The exact stop and reset paths and response fields should be taken from the current v2.0 Live Streams reference.

Automate an RTMP encoder source

A second workflow uses a Wowza stream source with an RTMP encoder. The source guide describes a setup in which Wowza detects where the broadcast is coming from, can start when the source begins, and can stop after disconnection. The API returns the connection information to enter in the encoder. This is useful when an operator already produces a stream in OBS or another RTMP-capable encoder.

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  1. Create a live stream or transcoder with a Wowza stream source. Follow the current source guide and endpoint reference for the resource and its required fields.
  2. Read the returned connection settings. Identify the server or URL, port, application, stream name or key, and any relevant credentials returned for that source. Do not guess or construct these values from another stream.
  3. Enter the settings in the encoder. In OBS, configure the RTMP server URL from the returned server, port, and application, then enter the returned stream name or key in the key field. Other encoders may label these controls differently; use the encoder’s documentation and the exact values Wowza returned.
  4. Start the encoder and check the Wowza state. Confirm that the source connects and that the API reports the expected state. If the workflow provides a detected broadcast location or thumbnail URL, inspect it as an additional check.
  5. Verify playback and end cleanly. Open the relevant player or thumbnail in a browser to confirm actual video. When finished, stop the source at the encoder and use the documented API stop operation if needed; verify that the stream has stopped.

Source-authentication caveat: Wowza’s stream-source guide says Wowza stream sources do not allow source authentication. Verify that this remains true for the particular source configuration and current product documentation before relying on it. Do not expose returned stream details; restrict access to the encoder configuration and any place the key is stored.

Choose the level of configuration that fits

The /live_streams workflow is a higher-level route that can wrap setup for a transcoder, renditions, stream targets, and an associated player. A lower-level /transcoders workflow gives more explicit configuration. These are different workflow scopes, not a universal ranking: use the live-stream flow when its bundled setup matches the task, and inspect the transcoder endpoints when the integration needs more direct control of transcoder configuration.

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Choice What the documented workflow emphasizes When to consider it
/live_streams Higher-level live stream setup, potentially including transcoder, renditions, stream targets, and player. Provisioning and operating a stream through a single live-stream resource workflow.
/transcoders More explicit transcoder configuration. When the integration needs more direct configuration of transcoder resources.
WebRTC source The v2.0 quick-start flow connects a WebRTC source and provides a Wowza-hosted player page. An application or workflow built around that WebRTC setup.
RTMP encoder source Use returned server, port, application, and stream name or key in an encoder. An existing RTMP encoder workflow, such as OBS.

The hosted player and configured stream targets are also workflow choices. Use the hosted player page shown by the quick start to validate its WebRTC path; use stream-target configuration when the distribution destinations and player workflow call for it. Consult the current reference for supported fields rather than assuming every resource exposes the same options.

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Test the whole path, not only the API response

  • Authentication: confirm the JWT is present in the bearer header and belongs to an account eligible for v2.0.
  • Resource creation: inspect the response, save the stream ID, and retain connection details securely.
  • Source connection: confirm the camera, WebRTC client, or RTMP encoder is actually sending to the returned source settings.
  • Asynchronous start: check state after a start call; a response of starting is not confirmation of viewer playback.
  • Playback: open the player page or thumbnail URL and confirm moving video or the expected image is present.
  • Shutdown: stop the source and verify the API state reflects the completed workflow.

Troubleshoot common failures

Symptom Likely cause What to check
v2.0 requests are unavailable The account has not migrated to the new Wowza Video UI, or the integration is using the wrong API version. Verify UI migration and v2.0 eligibility; compare the base URL with the current reference.
Unauthorized request Missing, malformed, expired, or inappropriate JWT. Confirm the exact bearer header, token type and account permissions; create and securely store an appropriate token.
Creation request is rejected Missing or invalid JSON fields, or a body based on legacy v1.x documentation. Check the current v2.0 endpoint schema, required fields, JSON syntax, and Content-Type: application/json.
Start succeeds but no video appears The start action is asynchronous, or the source has not connected or is using incorrect connection values. Check the resource state, returned source settings, source connection, and actual player or thumbnail output.
RTMP encoder cannot connect Server, port, application, or stream name/key was entered incorrectly, or the encoder does not match the source protocol. Copy the returned connection details exactly and follow the encoder’s RTMP setup instructions.
A GET result appears stale The endpoint may return cached data. Consult Wowza’s response-caching documentation and validate through the playback/thumbnail check as well as state.
The stream does not stop as expected The source is still sending, or the wrong stop action or resource was used. Stop the source at the encoder and verify the exact stream ID and stop operation in the current reference.

Keep live-stream content and account rules in view

API automation does not change the obligations attached to the content or destination. Before broadcasting, confirm you have rights to the video, audio, and other material in the stream, and follow YouTube’s applicable live-stream and copyright rules when YouTube is a destination. For Wowza-specific account, encoding, and distribution requirements, use the current Wowza Video documentation; the API endpoint reference is not a substitute for platform policy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Wowza REST API from Postman instead of cURL?

Yes. The API uses HTTP and JSON, so Postman or another REST client can send the same authenticated requests.

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Does the REST API provide the camera or encoder?

No. The camera or encoder is the physical source device; the API provisions and controls Wowza resources.

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