Camera setup guide
Connect UniFi Protect to Ceptory
UniFi Protect can share any adopted camera as an RTSP stream from the console. Turn the stream on in Protect, copy its token, and Ceptory Edge does the rest.
Also covers: Ubiquiti G3, G4 and G5 cameras.
Stream URL
UniFi Protect RTSP URL format
Share a UniFi Protect camera over RTSP and connect it to Ceptory with its stream token.
rtsp://<host>:<port>/<token>
rtsp://<host>:<port>/<token>
On the camera
Prepare the stream
- 1
Turn on the RTSP stream in Protect
In UniFi Protect, open the camera's settings, go to Advanced, and turn on RTSP for the Low or Medium quality stream.
- 2
Copy the token
Protect shows a URL like rtsps://192.168.1.1:7441/AbCdEf123?enableSrtp. The token is the part after the last slash and before the question mark.
- 3
Use plain RTSP on port 7447
Ceptory Edge connects with rtsp://<console IP>:7447/<token>, the unencrypted variant of the same stream, which stays on your local network.
In Ceptory Edge
Add the camera to edge.toml
Or let the Connect a camera page in your dashboard build this file, including the stream URL, and check each step live.
[ceptory]
url = "https://www.ceptory.com"
api_key = "${CEPTORY_API_KEY}" # a WRITE key from Dashboard → API keys
[defaults]
index_id = "your-index-id" # from /dashboard/indexes/<index_id>
upload_mode = "motion"
[[cameras]]
id = "front-entrance"
name = "Front entrance"
url = "rtsp://192.168.1.64:7447/AbCdEf123"ceptory-edge check ceptory-edge run
check opens every stream and reports the codec, resolution and frame rate, so a wrong URL or password shows up before anything is uploaded.
Good to know
UniFi Protect notes
- The host is the UniFi console (Cloud Key, Dream Machine or NVR), not the camera.
- Low quality is plenty for activity detection and search, and uses the least bandwidth.
FAQ
Troubleshooting
Still stuck? Email us your UniFi Protect model and the error you see, and we'll help you get it streaming.
ceptory-edge check says it could not open the stream
Open the same URL in VLC (Media → Open Network Stream) from the edge box. If VLC fails too, the URL, username, password or port is wrong, or RTSP is turned off on the camera. If VLC works, check that nothing on the box blocks outbound connections to port 554.
The camera shows online but no clips arrive
Clips are only sent when something moves. Walk in front of the camera, or lower motion_sensitivity (for example to 0.01) in edge.toml. If the camera's on-screen clock is counted as motion, add it to ignore_regions.
Do I need to open ports on my router?
No. Ceptory Edge runs inside your network, reads the cameras locally, and only makes outbound HTTPS connections to Ceptory. Nothing on the internet can reach your cameras through it.
Does all my footage go to the cloud?
No. Ceptory Edge watches every frame locally and uploads only short clips with activity, with a few seconds of context either side. Still footage stays on your cameras or recorder. You can also set upload_mode to off to send health and snapshots only.
Are camera passwords sent to Ceptory?
No. Stream URLs and passwords stay in edge.toml on your edge box. Ceptory only receives the camera's name, health, an occasional snapshot and the activity clips.
Other cameras
More setup guides
Get started
Search your UniFi Protect footage in plain language
Connect a camera in a few minutes. Only activity clips are uploaded and indexed.