Using failover and reconnect placeholders

Failover helps keep a public channel available when the primary source drops. A reconnect placeholder can show a branded slate while the source is reconnecting, instead of leaving viewers with a confusing error.

A sensible setup

1. Create and test the primary channel first.
2. Enable failover only when you have a genuine backup source or a planned fallback.
3. Add a short, readable placeholder that tells viewers the stream is reconnecting.
4. Test by stopping the encoder briefly while watching the public page.

Failover does not repair a bad stream key or a dead destination, and a placeholder is not a recording. Keep the message neutral — avoid displaying private contact details, ingest URLs or stream keys.