Overlay Alerts
Eranio Published on: 13. October 2026
Overlay Alerts
Overlay Alerts is the original, simpler alert system: a single overlay link with a fixed list of modules (follower, subscriber, raid, cheer, gift subs, hype train, ad break, free text) that you can each individually turn on/off and style. This page is no longer linked in the menu, but stays fully functional at its address if you already use it.
The Overlay Designer is now a much more flexible successor system with its own canvas, freely placeable widgets and a live preview (see the Overlay Designer guide). Overlay Alerts stays around in parallel and won't be shut down, but settings you make here are not automatically carried over to the Overlay Designer. Only the media library is shared between both systems (see the Media Library guide).
Your overlay link
At the top of the page there's a collapsible section with your overlay link. All modules enabled below run bundled through it, so you only need a single browser source in OBS for Overlay Alerts (see the OBS Setup guide).
The link works like a password: anyone who has it can push alerts into your overlay. Don't share it publicly. By default it's masked with dots, the eye icon reveals it, and Copy copies it to your clipboard.
Other buttons in this section:
| Button | Effect |
|---|---|
| Live preview | Opens a fullscreen preview of your real overlay right in the dashboard, for testing without OBS. |
| Media Library | Jumps to the media library. |
| Regenerate link | Generates a new, random link. The old link stops working afterwards, you'll need to update the browser source in OBS. |
The module table
Below that, the table lists all eight modules. Each module always exists exactly once, you cannot add or remove modules, only configure them.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Module | The module's name (Follow Alert, Sub Alert, Raid Alert, Cheer Alert, Gift Sub Alert, Hype Train, Ad Break, Text Layer). |
| Enabled | Turns the module on or off. Only enabled modules show up in the overlay. |
| Position | Shows which corner of the screen the module appears in. |
Each row offers these actions:
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Edit | Opens this module's settings (see below). |
| Test | Fires a sample alert for this module on your overlay link. |
| Reset | Resets all of this module's settings (text, colors, media, timeline, position) to the defaults. Cannot be undone. |
A module's settings
When editing, the available fields depend on the module.
For every module
- Position: one of five screen corners (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right, center).
For Follow/Sub/Raid/Cheer/Gift Sub Alert, Hype Train and Ad Break
These modules show a card with a background image/video, optional text, and optional sound.
| Field | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Animation | Type of entry animation (slide from four directions, fade, bounce, shake, pulse, rotate). | Slide (left) |
| Text position | Top, center, or bottom, only visible while an image/video is running as the background. | Bottom |
| Phase 1: media only | Duration in milliseconds the image/video plays alone before the text appears. | 1500 ms |
| Phase 2: media + text | How long the text stays visible. | 2500 ms |
| Phase 3: media only | Duration the image/video keeps playing alone after the text disappears. | 1500 ms |
| Icon / emoji | Optional icon or emoji, overrides the alert type's default icon. | empty |
| Image / video / sound | Files from the media library for this card. Once an image or video is selected, it runs as the background, the fallback colors no longer apply. | none |
| Volume | Volume of the sound, 0 to 1. | 0.6 |
| Background / border / text color | Fallback appearance, only used while no image/video is selected. | Dark gray / Purple / Light gray |
This timeline follows the familiar pattern: the image/video plays as the background the whole time, text only appears during the middle phase.
Additionally for Follow/Sub/Raid/Cheer/Gift Sub Alert
- Text template: the displayed text. Placeholders:
{username},{amount}. Default text examples:{username} just followed!,{username} just subscribed!,{username} is raiding with {amount} viewers!,{username} cheered {amount} bits!,{username} is gifting {amount} subs!
Additionally for Hype Train
- Text on start / Text on end: your own texts for the start and end of the hype train (default: "Hype train started!" / "Hype train ended!").
- Progress bar: start and end color of the bar that stays shown the whole time the hype train is running (independent from the start/end announcement).
Additionally for Ad Break
- Text on start / Text on end: your own texts for the start and end of the ad break (default: "Ad break starting, back in a moment!" / "We're back!").
For Text Layer
- Text content: a freely displayed text with no event of its own, for example a permanent notice.
Testing
The Test button in the table fires a sample alert for that module on your real overlay link, using sample values like "TestViewer123". Open the live preview or your OBS scene at the same time to see the result.
FAQ
I can't find the page in the menu anymore. The page is no longer linked, but stays reachable at its existing address and fully functional if you're already using it.
Should I switch to the Overlay Designer? You don't have to. Overlay Alerts won't be shut down. The Overlay Designer offers more creative freedom (freely placeable widgets, multiple canvases, more widget types) if you want it.
Why don't I see an image/video even though I selected one? Check whether the file still exists in the media library (it could have been deleted) and whether the module as a whole is enabled.
Can I style multiple follow alerts differently? No, there is exactly one module per alert type with exactly one configuration for it. The Overlay Designer is better suited for different, freely combinable variants.
What happens on "Reset"? All settings of that one module (text, colors, media, timeline, position) are reset to the factory defaults. This only affects the selected module, not the others.