A supporter leaderboard is usually an overlay from a streaming or fundraising provider, not a feature that OBS uses to collect donations. Choose the support event you want to show, confirm your provider can track and display it, then add the matching label or widget to the scene where viewers will see it.
A ranked list, a recent-supporter label and a goal bar communicate different things. The steps below help you select the right display and connect it without assuming that every provider, platform or event works the same way.
Choose which supporter activity to display
Start with the question: what should count as support on this channel? A creator might want to show tips, YouTube memberships or Super Chats. A charity stream may need to recognise campaign donations instead. A devotional or music channel might choose a simple recent-supporter label rather than rank viewers by how much they gave. The right answer depends on your audience and the provider handling the event.
Decide whether you want a ranked leaderboard, a recent event or progress towards a target. A top-donor list ranks supporters according to a rule the provider offers. A recent-supporter label identifies an individual event, often the latest one. A goal bar reports a current total against a target; it does not automatically rank contributors. These displays can look similar when placed in a scene, but they answer different questions.
Write down the event, platform and display you want before opening an overlay dashboard. For example: “Show the highest tip received through this provider during its available ranking period” is more actionable than “show supporters”. If you want to include YouTube Super Chats, specify that rather than assuming a tip page will capture them. Check the provider’s current documentation for the event coverage and ranking period it actually supports.
There are practical reasons to keep the definition narrow. If a display includes only one provider’s tips, viewers may mistake it for a ranking of every kind of support on the channel. If you show several event types, the provider may group them, rank them separately or offer no combined display. Explain the scope in a small on-screen label or in the channel description if a distinction could confuse your audience.
A platform feature such as Super Chat and an external donation page are not interchangeable. If your question is specifically about setting limits on YouTube’s own feature, see the guide to setting Super Chat minimum and maximum amounts. That is a separate decision from choosing a third-party overlay.
Check what your provider supports
The provider that receives or records an event supplies the data for its related alert or overlay. OBS displays that overlay; it does not receive donations itself. The OBS Project’s donations FAQ explains that OBS Studio does not directly provide facilities to receive donations. A provider or platform integration must handle the event and make display data available.
Check three things in the provider’s current documentation: whether it supports your platform, whether it recognises the event type you chose, and whether it offers the display format you need. Do not infer one from another. A provider might support a donation alert without offering a ranked donor list, or offer a goal widget for an event without including that event in a leaderboard.
Streamlabs, for example, lists separate goal widgets for categories such as tips, Twitch or Kick subscriptions, YouTube memberships, Twitch Bits, YouTube Super Chats and charity donations on its goals page. That list is evidence about goal widgets, not a promise that every category can be combined into a single ranked leaderboard. Confirm the specific label or widget in the current product documentation before building a scene around it.
Compare options by the task they perform, rather than by the word “supporter” in a menu:
| Display or source | What it communicates | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Top supporter or top donor label | A ranked or highest-supporter result, if the provider offers it | Event type, ranking period and whether it is truly ranked |
| Recent supporter label | A name or event associated with a recent contribution | Which events update it and whether the provider exposes that label |
| Goal widget | Progress towards a target total | Which event contributes to the total and how the provider defines progress |
| Browser widget | A provider-hosted overlay shown in a browser source | Platform and event compatibility, size controls and scene placement |
| Text-file label | Text read from a file that another application updates | Correct file path and whether the updating app must remain open |
This is a comparison of display methods, not a comprehensive feature matrix. Providers change menus and platform integrations, so a label shown in one guide may not be available for your account, region or chosen platform. If your channel centres on recorded programming, planning the display alongside the content can help: the advice on playing recorded sermons on a 24/7 YouTube stream is useful context for keeping a continuous channel coherent.
Add a Streamlabs label or StreamLabels source
If you use Streamlabs Desktop, its Stream Labels documentation describes adding a Stream Label source, naming it, choosing a label type and customising its appearance. Choose a label that matches your goal, such as a top-tip or highest-donor label where available, rather than assuming the default is a ranked list. Streamlabs documents the workflow in Setting up Stream Labels; check the current interface because menus can change.
Keep the label readable at the size it will appear in the live scene. A long name may wrap or take more space than a short test name, and a label can become hard to read if it competes with captions or the main video. Place it in a relatively quiet part of the composition, with enough contrast against the background. Review it at the size viewers will actually see, not only while it fills your editing screen.
For another broadcasting application, Streamlabs documents a text-file route through its StreamLabels app. Sign in, choose an output folder, and use a text source in your broadcasting software that reads the relevant file. The app needs to remain running for those files to update in real time, according to Streamlabs’ instructions. If it closes or the source points to a different folder, the on-screen text may remain stale even though the underlying event was recorded.
Treat the app and file as parts of the display chain. After selecting the label, note the exact output file and folder; then check that the text source reads that location. If you move the folder or switch computers, revisit the source path. Do not assume that a text file is updated just because a supporter event appeared in a provider’s dashboard.
Add a provider widget in OBS
If your provider offers a browser-based widget, copy its widget URL from the provider’s dashboard and add it to OBS as a Browser source. In the Sources panel, select the plus button, choose Browser, paste the URL and set an appropriate size. The provider’s Tip Goal widget instructions illustrate this kind of workflow for a particular goal widget. Follow your own provider’s instructions for its own widget and settings.
The widget URL is a configuration link, not part of the visible design. Keep it out of the stream, screenshots and public chat. Anyone who can access a private widget link may be able to view or use its display, depending on the provider’s design. If it is exposed, check the provider’s guidance on replacing or resetting it rather than leaving it in a public scene or note.
After the Browser source is added, position it in the scene and set its width and height to suit the overlay. Check the source order: an opaque graphic above it can cover the widget, while a widget placed too close to the edge may be clipped. If you use multiple scenes, confirm the source is present in the scenes where you intend viewers to see it. A source appearing in one preview does not mean every scene has it.
OBS’s role here is display and scene composition. It can render a provider’s browser widget, but it does not decide which events count, process contributions or create a provider’s ranking rules. This distinction matters when an alert works but a leaderboard does not: the alert and the ranking may be separate features supplied by the provider.
Test the overlay and event data
Test before going live. First check the visual layer: switch to the intended scene, confirm the label is visible, read the text at stream size, and make sure it does not cover essential content. Look at the scene from the viewer’s perspective. A name that looks clear in an OBS preview can be too small against a moving background or a bright video frame.
Then test the data path. Use the provider’s test-event feature if one is available, or follow its recommended test method. Confirm that the intended event updates the intended label or widget. Do not treat a successful alert as proof that a leaderboard is working: an alert may be available even when that event does not feed a ranked display. Likewise, a test goal changing does not prove the goal is a leaderboard.
For a text-file source, confirm that the StreamLabels app is open and that the relevant file changes when the test event is processed. Verify the path in the source if the text does not update. For a Browser source, check the provider’s dashboard status and the source URL without revealing it on stream. If you cannot test with a real event safely, check what test tools and event simulations the provider currently documents; do not assume that a live contribution is the only way to verify it.
Finally, check audio and video as part of a private rehearsal, not just the graphic. A fundraiser guide from the American Red Cross also advises checking the stream’s audio and video. That is a useful reminder for a broader rehearsal, though its charity setup is a specific example rather than a universal leaderboard procedure.
If you are maintaining a continuous channel, make a brief scene check part of your routine after changing sources or content. An always-on stream has different failure points from a one-off broadcast: an overlay can remain on the wrong scene, a text source can go stale, or a layout change can obscure the label. The troubleshooting approach in fixing repeated buffering in an always-on YouTube podcast stream is about playback rather than overlays, but it reinforces the value of checking the full viewer experience rather than one setting in isolation.
Set expectations for supporter labels
Tell viewers what a label represents. If it shows recent tips from a named provider, say so plainly. If it is a top-supporter display, clarify the event type and, where the provider makes it clear, the period covered. Avoid calling a goal bar a leaderboard or suggesting it includes memberships, Super Chats or charity donations unless you have verified that it does.
A name on screen is also a privacy and moderation choice. Check the provider’s controls for how supporter names appear and whether users can choose a display name. Consider how you will handle offensive or misleading names before they appear during a live broadcast. The provider may offer controls, but availability varies; check its current documentation and use the platform’s moderation tools where relevant.
Keep the display proportional to the channel. A large ranked list may suit a one-off fundraiser, while a small recent-supporter label may fit a quiet lofi station or devotional stream better. For a small business showroom, a discreet thank-you can sit alongside the product without turning the whole scene into a donation panel. The design should support the channel’s purpose, not compete with it.
There is no need to add an overlay simply because the software makes one available. If your audience is not being asked to contribute, an unexplained leaderboard can create the wrong expectation. If you do invite support, explain where it goes and which route you use. For a charity campaign, a campaign-specific fundraising tool and its own instructions may be more appropriate than a creator tip widget; the Red Cross guide is an example of a particular Streamlabs Charity workflow, not a general recommendation for every fundraiser.
If the channel broadcasts prerecorded material, make sure the overlay remains sensible across the full programme. A label that looks fine over one scene may obscure captions or important text in another. This is especially relevant when your playlist rotates: the guide to rotating a YouTube Live playlist from Google Drive folders can help with the content side, while the overlay still needs a separate scene and readability check.
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FAQ
Does OBS receive donations?
No. OBS Studio displays sources in a scene, but donation handling comes from a third-party provider or a platform feature. The OBS Project’s donations FAQ explains this distinction; choose a provider that supports the event you want to display.
Can I show YouTube Super Chats in a top-supporter list?
Only if the provider and display you choose support YouTube Super Chats in that way. A provider offering a Super Chat goal or alert does not necessarily offer a ranked list that includes those events, so verify the current documentation for the exact widget.
Is a goal bar the same as a leaderboard?
No. A goal bar shows progress towards a target, while a leaderboard ranks supporters according to a provider’s rules. A recent-supporter label is different again: it identifies a recent event rather than showing a ranking.
Why is my StreamLabels text not updating?
Check that the StreamLabels app is running, that the selected label writes to the file you expect, and that your text source points to the correct folder and file. Streamlabs says the app must stay open for its text files to update in real time; also verify that your chosen event is supported by that label.