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Having alerts is a crucial element of any live broadcast on YouTube. Think of them as an extension of your brand. They can be completely customized to match your personality or aesthetic. Having unique alerts will help you stand out from the crowd, keep viewers coming back, and encourage others to interact with your live stream.
On-screen alerts are often your viewer’s first impression. We recommend spending time to make them unique and memorable. Today, we will show you how to create custom alerts using Streamlabs’ Alert Box widget.
How to Add an Alert Box Widget
Widgets are features you can add to your live stream to help you interact and engage with your community. Learn more about the top widgets we recommend adding to your live stream by watching our video here.
To add an Alert Box, press the plus sign in the Sources section of Streamlabs Desktop and select “Alert Box.”
Now viewers will see alerts on the screen when you get a new Subscriber, Member, Super Chat, or donation. Use this opportunity to acknowledge your viewers for contributing to the stream. Recognition makes your viewers feel good and also encourages others to support you. *Please note, the Alert Box widget will use Streamlabs’ default alert animation until you customize it on your own.
Pre-Made Alerts
Streamlabs offers pre-made alerts created by top designers in the industry like Nerd or Die, Visuals by Impulse, and OWN3D. Visit our themes library and click on “Widget Themes” to view our collection. You can also access this library by logging into Streamlabs.com and clicking on “Themes.”
Create Custom Alerts
If you don’t want to use a pre-made alert, you can manually customize your own by navigating to the Streamlabs dashboard and clicking on “Alert Box” on the left-hand side.
This page is your command center when it comes to editing your alerts. From here, you can choose to edit your “General Settings”, which will affect every single alert type and/or further customize specific alert types.
Depending on the platform you choose, your alert types will differ. For example, in the picture below I’m logged into Twitch, and therefore have options to customize my alerts for Follows, Subscriptions, Hosts, Bits, etc.
General Settings
General Settings apply to every alert type. You can edit the alert delay, mod approvals, profanity filters, add custom bad words, etc.
How to Customize Specific Alert Types
To customize an alert click on the specific event type you wish to edit. In the example pictured below, we are editing alerts for new Twitch followers.
On this page, you can customize the layout of the alert, the image or gif that’s played, sound, font, animation, duration, etc. Now when I receive a new Twitch follower my viewers will see a sweet gif of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
How to Add Alert Variations
Alert Variations allow you to play exclusive alerts if a viewer meets certain conditions. For example, you can play a different alert for a $10 tip vs. a $5 or $1.
Let’s say you would like a special alert to play when someone sends $10 or more.
- Click on “Open Alert Variation” and add a variation with default alert settings or your custom alert settings
2. Name your new variation. In this case, we’ll call it “Donations greater than $10.”
3. Set the correct condition so that tips over $10 trigger a different alert. Remember, each alert type will have specific conditions. We recommend getting familiar with each alert type and the conditions available for each one.
Now when someone tips $10 or more, my viewers will see a sweet picture of my dog.
Now you alerts should be set up and ready for your first live stream. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Download Streamlabs Desktop.