> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/window-capture-input.md).

# Window as a live source

Window capture brings a single application window into the project as a live video source — a slide deck, a browser window, a scoring app, or any visible (non-fullscreen) application — without including the rest of the desktop. This is the targeted alternative to full-display capture. If you need the whole monitor, see [Screen as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/screen-capture-input.md).

## Before you start

* On Windows, window capture uses the Windows Graphics Capture API and requires **Windows 10 version 1803 or newer**. On older Windows the **Window** submenu is empty.
* On Mac, the equivalent is application capture via ScreenCaptureKit — a scope set to a specific application rather than a specific window. Grant Screen Recording permission to Captivate the first time.
* Open the target application **before** you try to add it as a source. Windows are discovered from the OS’s list of visible top-level windows.

## Add a window as a source

1. Open the application you want to capture so its window is visible (not minimized).
2. In Captivate, choose **File** > **New** > **Live Audio/Video** > **Screen**. The **Screen** item is itself a submenu that contains two sibling submenus — **Screen** (the displays attached to your machine) and **Window** (the visible application windows).
3. Open the **Window** submenu and pick the window. Each entry is labeled `<Window Title> (<process.exe>)` so you can pick the right one even when two apps have similar titles.
4. The captured window appears as a layer on the current channel.

If your window is not in the list, give the discovery scan a few seconds. Captivate refreshes the window list automatically. If the window still doesn’t appear, the OS may not consider it capturable — try a regular application window rather than a tool window or system overlay.

On Mac, window capture is reached differently: choose **Add Application Capture** from the source picker. The picker has a **Method** combo with **Display Capture** and **Application Capture** options; pick **Application Capture** and choose the running app.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Screen** and **Window** are two views of the same capture feature; the menu separation reflects the choice between a full display and one window. On Mac, the equivalent is application-scoped capture: ScreenCaptureKit follows the captured app across virtual desktops, so a window that moves to a different Space stays visible.
{% endhint %}

## What gets captured

The window’s contents fill the captured frame. The OS taskbar, the wallpaper, and other windows are not included. If the user resizes the window mid-show, subsequent frames carry the new size and the layer is scaled to fit.

## If the source window is hidden

* **Minimized**: behaviour depends on the OS. Test with your target application before going live — some apps still deliver frames when minimized, others stop.
* **Behind other windows**: the captured frame usually continues to update — the Graphics Capture API can render windows that aren’t on top.
* **Closed**: capture stops. The last frame freezes on the layer; Captivate does not draw an automatic "disconnected" overlay for window or screen capture (these sources are marked as allowing infrequent updates so they’re never flagged as disconnected). To clear the frozen frame, reopen the application and re-add the source.

## Static windows stay live

A captured window that doesn’t change (a static slide, a paused dashboard) does not generate new frames — the API only delivers frames on content change. Captivate keeps the source marked live during these idle periods, so a static window is not flagged as disconnected.

## Cursor capture

In the source’s Live Audio/Video properties panel, a **Capture mouse cursor** checkbox controls cursor inclusion. The checkbox is on by default and shows only when the device type is **Screen** (which covers both window and display capture).

<div align="left"><figure><img src="https://352477438-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FFCWMxradHcVjURnrXSYX%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e6e6762ce9dc4c3f5546258d0bc68a79ee62c7e7%2Fwindow-capture-properties.jpg?alt=media" alt="Live Audio/Video tab for a captured application window, with Input Source, Include in Switcher / Instant Replay, Capture mouse cursor, and Lock on for downstream keying"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

The same panel carries **Include in Switcher / Instant Replay** and, when your license includes downstream keying, **Lock on for downstream keying** — see [Use live video sources](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/play-live-video-source-layers.md).

## Audio

* **Windows**: window capture does **not** carry audio. If you need the application’s sound, add a separate **System Audio** source.
* **Mac**: application-scoped ScreenCaptureKit capture can include audio, scoped to the captured app (not system-wide). Enable audio on the source’s settings.

## Edge cases

* **Windows are bound by handle.** The OS identifies a window by a handle that is created at launch and goes away when the app closes. If you close and reopen the target application, you may need to re-add the source — the new instance has a different handle. Restart the target application **before** opening the Captivate project where possible.
* **Best-effort window list.** The capture API filters out some windows (system tray, certain UWP overlays, the Windows shell). Apps that don’t appear in the menu generally can’t be captured this way; switch to full-display capture and crop with the layer’s transform.
* **No "Add Window" entry.** Unlike Browser, windows are discovered automatically. Open the window in the OS, then refresh.

## Related

* [Screen as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/screen-capture-input.md) — full-display capture, the companion to this article.
* [How live video inputs work](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/live-video-input-pipeline.md) — the input pipeline overview.
* [The Audio Mixer](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-5/the-audio-mixer.md) — pairing a System Audio source on Windows.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/window-capture-input.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.