How to Set Up StreamElements Alerts in OBS
One of the coolest things about watching a stream that feels fully realized is seeing the alerts go off.
Alerts do a surprising amount of heavy lifting. They make your stream look more polished and intentional, they help keep you from missing important activity, and they give viewers a little moment of recognition when they interact with your stream.
If somebody follows and nothing happens, you might eventually notice and say thanks. But when somebody follows and a sound plays, an animation pops up, or some kind of fanfare appears on screen, that action feels different. The same goes for subscriptions, raids, tips, cheers, and other events.
People press buttons expecting something to happen. In streaming, alerts are that response.
They celebrate the viewer who took the action, get your attention as the streamer, and make your broadcast feel more professional without requiring a complicated setup.
The nice part is that you can do all of this for free with StreamElements. And once you understand how StreamElements alerts connect to OBS through a Browser Source, you'll also have a better understanding of how browser overlays work in general.
So let's set them up.
1. Create an Overlay in StreamElements
Log into your StreamElements Dashboard using the account connected to your streaming platform.
Go to:
Streaming Tools → Overlays
Click New Overlay.
Choose a resolution that matches your stream. If you stream at 1080p, choose:
1920 × 1080
Then open the new overlay.
2. Add an Alert Box
Inside the StreamElements Overlay Editor, click the + button to add a widget.
Choose:
Alerts → AlertBox
The AlertBox is what displays events such as new followers, subscribers, raids, tips, and cheers.
You should now see the AlertBox appear on your overlay canvas.
3. Choose and Customize Your Alerts
Select the AlertBox and open its settings.
StreamElements gives you separate settings for different alert types, including things like:
Followers
Subscribers
Tips
Cheers
Raids
Depending on your streaming platform, the available alert types may differ.
Click the settings for an alert type to change its image or video, sound, text, layout, duration, and other appearance settings.
You don't have to heavily customize anything to get started. The important part is making sure the alerts you want to use are enabled.
If you want to create your own graphics, sounds, and fully customized alerts, I have a separate guide on how to create custom StreamElements alerts and install them in OBS.
4. Save Your StreamElements Overlay
Once your alerts are set up, click Save.
Give the overlay a name you'll recognize later, such as:
Stream Alerts
Now you need to get that overlay into OBS.
5. Copy Your StreamElements Overlay URL
From StreamElements, copy the URL for the overlay you just created.
You can do this from your overlays page using the overlay menu and Copy URL, or from inside the Overlay Editor using the link icon.
This URL is what allows OBS to display the StreamElements overlay.
Keep the URL private. Anyone with access to it may be able to load your overlay.
6. Add StreamElements Alerts to OBS
Open OBS Studio and select the scene where you want your alerts to appear.
In the Sources dock:
Click the + button.
Choose Browser.
Select Create New.
Give it a name such as StreamElements Alerts.
Click OK.
Paste your StreamElements overlay URL into the URL field.
Set the Browser Source width and height to match the resolution of your StreamElements overlay.
For a standard 1080p overlay, use:
Width: 1920Height: 1080
Click OK.
Your StreamElements alerts are now connected to OBS.
7. Test Your StreamElements Alerts
Before you go live, test the setup.
Return to your StreamElements overlay and use the Emulate feature to trigger a test event, such as a follower or subscriber alert.
Watch your OBS preview.
You should see the alert appear inside OBS and hear its audio.
If you can hear the alert but can't see it, check the order of your OBS sources. Your StreamElements Browser Source may be underneath another source that is covering it.
Once the alert appears and sounds the way you want, you're ready to use it during your stream.
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