Streamlabs alerts are on-screen messages and sounds for events such as follows or subscriptions. To set them up, configure Alert Box in the Streamlabs dashboard, add it to your streaming software by the matching integration route, then test the result in that software before going live.
The dashboard settings and the software source are separate parts of the job: changing an alert does not by itself put the widget on your stream. The steps below help you choose the right route and check that the event, appearance and sound work together.
What Streamlabs Alerts Do
An Alert Box displays an alert when a supported event occurs. Depending on the selected platform and event, you can adjust its image, sound, message and variations. The alert appears as part of the stream composition, rather than as a separate notification that viewers need to open.
Start by deciding which events you actually want viewers to see. A channel that plays a quiet devotional loop may want restrained subscription alerts, while a live local news presentation may prefer to keep overlays minimal so they do not cover captions or headlines. Think about placement and sound as well as the alert itself. A loud sound can interrupt music or speech; a large animation can obscure important content.
Streamlabs’ product FAQ says Alert Box is free for all users. Streamlabs also describes an optional Ultra upgrade for access to its full library; that upgrade is not a requirement for the basic setup. Check Streamlabs’ Alert Box product page for current product details. If your stream is a continuous music or ambience programme, the choices around overlays and audio are part of the wider presentation, as discussed in this guide to improving live stream production quality.
Do not assume every event is available in the same way on every platform, or that each integration behaves identically. Streamlabs presents platform and event choices in the dashboard; what you can enable depends on the accounts and route you use. Treat the setup as incomplete until you have tested the specific combination you intend to broadcast.
Link Accounts If Needed
Sign in to Streamlabs and open the profile menu, then Account Settings and Platforms. Use the merge or linking option for the platform you plan to use if it is not already connected. Streamlabs recommends linking accounts when you stream on multiple platforms; if you are setting up alerts for only one platform and the relevant account is already connected, there may be nothing to merge.
Link only the account or accounts relevant to your plan. Do not connect extra platforms simply because they appear in the list. After linking, check that the expected platform appears in the account settings and that its events are available in Alert Box. If an event you expect is missing, verify the selected platform and account first rather than assuming the alert has been configured incorrectly.
An alert overlay is only one element in a 24/7 channel. If your priority is keeping a long-running audio programme consistent, see the separate advice on keeping audio playing on a 24/7 YouTube stream. That is a different operating problem from configuring notifications, so avoid using an alert test as evidence that your continuous playback is sound.
Open Alert Box in the Dashboard
In the Streamlabs web dashboard, use the left navigation and open Streaming essentials > Alert Box. This is where you set up the widget and its event behaviour. The exact labels may change if Streamlabs updates its dashboard, so follow the current navigation in the account rather than relying on an old screenshot.
Before changing settings, identify the platform shown in the Alert Box controls and inspect the event list. For example, select the intended platform and then the follows event if you want to configure follow alerts. An event-specific panel is where you choose that event’s presentation; settings for another platform or event may have separate controls.
You can also choose general behaviour. Streamlabs’ quick guide recommends a delay of 2–5 seconds. A delay can give a moderator a moment to review an incoming event before it appears, but it also means the alert is not immediate. Alert Moderation can require approval before display; Streamlabs describes Unlimited moderation as allowing more time for approval than regular moderation. Decide whether this review is useful for your channel and who will be able to act on it. Check the current Streamlabs quick guide for the current setting names and instructions.
For a small channel that is run by one person, a moderation delay may be less useful if nobody is watching the dashboard during a broadcast. For a channel with active moderators, review can be a practical way to prevent an unsuitable message or alert from appearing immediately. Neither setting substitutes for testing the event and approval flow you plan to use.
Customize Event Alerts
Select a platform and event, then adjust its available visual and audio elements. You may be able to change the image, sound and message, or upload your own assets. Keep the alert legible at the size viewers will see on a phone as well as on a larger screen. For a study stream, a short, quiet cue may be less disruptive than a long sound; for a community event, a clearer visual can help viewers notice a new subscription without relying on audio.
If you want different treatment for particular milestones or event conditions, add a variation and set the condition that triggers it. A variation is not simply another design to rotate through at random unless its condition is configured that way. Name or otherwise organise your choices so that you can tell which event they belong to, then use the variation’s own test control later.
Review the event’s Enabled toggle as well as its appearance. Turning an event off is different from filtering events for one browser-source widget. Streamlabs documents the Filter Events menu for Widget URLs added as browser sources; this filter does not change an Alert Box source in Streamlabs Desktop or the OBS plugin. If you want an event disabled across the available use cases, use that event’s Enabled toggle. This distinction matters when the same channel has multiple scenes or software integrations.
A restrained design is often easier to live with through a long broadcast than a collection of large, competing animations. Check contrast against the footage or background behind the alert, and listen at the level your audience is likely to hear. If you are building an atmospheric channel, the ambient music channel guide offers useful context on keeping a continuous presentation coherent; alert design should support that presentation, not overwhelm it.
Save Your Changes
Save settings before moving to another menu item or event. Streamlabs’ setup instructions call out saving changes, and it is an easy step to miss while moving between platform, event and variation controls. After saving, return to the relevant event and confirm the values are still present.
Save in manageable stages: configure an event, save it, then move to the next event or variation. This makes it easier to find which change needs attention if something looks wrong later. Do not assume an unsaved preview reflects the version your streaming software will display. A dashboard preview and a live source can be different checks, which is why the source must also be tested after it is added.
If you change a sound or image later, save again and retest the updated version. Keep a note of which platform, event and variation you changed if the channel is operated by more than one person. That small record can prevent a moderator or co-host from testing the wrong alert after a handover.
Add the Alert Box to Streaming Software
Choose the integration path that matches the software you use. Streamlabs Desktop has an Alert Box source; OBS with the Streamlabs plugin has a widget route; OBS without that plugin and other software can use the dashboard’s Widget URL as a browser source. These are alternatives, not interchangeable labels for the same button. Streamlabs’ detailed setup instructions describe the current paths.
| Software setup | Where to add the alert | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Streamlabs Desktop | In Sources, click the plus button and choose Alert Box. | Confirm the source is visible in the scene where you want alerts. |
| OBS with Streamlabs Plugin | Open Streamlabs in OBS, select Widgets, then add Alert Box. | Add or confirm the widget in each scene that needs it. |
| OBS without the plugin, or another streaming tool | Copy the Widget URL from the Streamlabs dashboard and add it as a browser source. | Confirm the source loads and has suitable size and placement. |
With Streamlabs Desktop, check the source in the scene you intend to use. In OBS with the plugin, Streamlabs says to repeat the addition for each scene that needs the widget. A source in one scene may not appear in a different scene unless that scene also includes it. If the source exists but alerts are missing from the final programme, check that the live scene actually contains the configured source.
For a browser source, treat the Widget URL as sensitive access to the widget and avoid sharing it publicly. Add it using your software’s browser-source controls, then position and resize it in the canvas. Filtering events from the dashboard applies to the browser-source URL route described above, not to the native Streamlabs Desktop source or OBS plugin. That distinction can explain why filtering in one place does not alter alerts on another route.
If you run a continuous channel with changing visual segments, ensure the source is present in every scene where it should appear and absent where it would distract. A guide to scheduling different podcast shows in one continuous YouTube live stream covers the separate challenge of moving between segments; alerts need to be checked against those scene changes too.
Test Before Going Live
Use the dashboard’s test menu for a basic alert, or Test Variation on an individual variation. Streamlabs also documents test controls in Streamlabs Desktop and the OBS plugin. Run a test through the route you actually added, because a dashboard test alone does not establish that the software source is visible, audible and correctly placed in your scene.
Check the whole result: does the alert appear in the intended place, is the text readable, does the sound play at an appropriate level, and does the alert clear as expected? Make sure the source is not hidden behind another scene element. If you have a variation, test that variation specifically rather than assuming the default event test covers it.
A sensible order is to test a basic alert, check each configured variation, and then test the scene or scenes that will be used. If your selected integration provides its own test controls, use them as well as the dashboard’s. Test with the audio routing you will use on air: some software can send desktop or browser audio differently from the programme mix, and a visual test does not prove the sound reaches the broadcast.
If an alert is missing, check the simple causes first: the intended platform is selected, the event is enabled, settings were saved, the source is in the active scene, and the chosen integration route matches your software. For browser-source setups, check that the URL source loads. For plugin or native-source setups, confirm that the source or widget was added to the relevant scene. Then repeat the test after any change.
Alerts are for event visibility, not for keeping a stream connected or for confirming that a video loop will continue overnight. If a 24/7 channel has trouble with dropped broadcasts, treat that as a separate operational issue; alerts should not be used as a substitute for checking stream continuity.
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FAQ
Do I need to link my streaming account first?
Only if the platform account you need is not already connected to Streamlabs. If you use multiple platforms, Streamlabs recommends linking accounts; otherwise, check the selected platform in Alert Box and confirm the relevant events are available.
Where do I add Alert Box: Streamlabs or my streaming software?
You configure the alerts in the Streamlabs dashboard, then add the widget to the software that produces your stream. Use the native source in Streamlabs Desktop, the widget in OBS with the Streamlabs plugin, or a browser source using the Widget URL for OBS without the plugin or another tool.
Why does a dashboard test work but not appear on my stream?
The dashboard test does not confirm that the source is present in the active scene or visible in the final broadcast. Check the integration route, source placement, scene membership and audio routing, then test again through the software setup you will use.
Does event filtering apply to every Alert Box integration?
No. Streamlabs documents Filter Events for Widget URLs used as browser sources; it does not change the Alert Box source in Streamlabs Desktop or the OBS plugin. To turn an event off across use cases, check its Enabled toggle in the event settings.