Alerts and chatbots

How to set up stream alerts and a chatbot (free options first).

Alerts and a chatbot are the two “Wow, this stream is organized” layer that new streamers reach for first. They help — a lot more in month three than in week one. Start with the free tiers, wire them into OBS cleanly, and skip anything you can’t explain why you have.

First stream checklistOBS scenes setupOBS audio setup

When alerts and bots are worth it

  • Week one: skip both. Every new layer is a failure mode. Get scenes, audio, and a stable stream working per the first-stream checklist.
  • Weeks two to four: add alerts, because follower counts start moving and a muted-or-broken follow alert is embarrassing.
  • Month two onward: add chatbot channel commands, a chat-moderation layer, and loyalty points if your community is actually chatting.

Alert tools: pick one, don’t hoard

The maintained, popular options work the same way — a dashboard you configure and a browser source you add to OBS:

  • StreamElements: fully free alerts, overlays, loyalty bots, and chat commands. The single best free starting stack.
  • Streamlabs: alerts and overlays with free and paid tiers; pairs with its OBS fork but works with plain OBS too.
  • Own3d / other marketplaces: paid overlay designs if you want polish later — value is mostly aesthetic.

Pick one. Two alert systems both firing means double animations and double audio, and the mute-mystery debugging that follows.

Wiring alerts into OBS in five steps

  1. Sign in to the alert tool with your platform (Twitch/Kick/YouTube) account.
  2. Configure a follow alert and a sub/tip alert: short duration (5-7 seconds), modest animation, audible sound at a sane level.
  3. In the tool, copy your overlay/alert URL.
  4. In OBS, add a Browser source, paste the URL, set width/height to the tool’s recommended canvas (commonly 1920×1080), and tick Shutdown source when not visible and Refresh browser when scene becomes active.
  5. Put the alert source in its own layer on top, in the scene where it should fire (usually Gameplay and Just Chatting).

Test with the tool’s “launch test alert” button. Then check audio: the alert sound rides the browser source’s audio into your mix — set it at or below game loudness so it never stomps your voice.

Alert settings that new streamers get wrong

  • Too long: a 15-second celebration mid-gameplay loses followers, not gains them. Keep them snappy.
  • Too loud: alert audio louder than the mic is the #1 complaint from new-stream viewers.
  • Follower alerts on every single follow: at low follower counts this means the same 5 names repeat. Cap the animation duration and vary the sound.
  • Alerts in the wrong scene: the alert browser source only fires in scenes where it exists. Add it to every scene where interaction happens, or use it once inside a shared base layout.

Chatbots: what they’re actually for

A chatbot is a connected account in your chat that automates commands, greets, filters, and small chores. What earns its keep for new streamers:

  • Channel commands: !socials, !schedule, !pc (spec sheet), !discord. Set up once, never retype again.
  • First-time greeters: a short welcome for new chatters (keep it subtle or it feels robotic).
  • Link filtering: auto-timeout obvious spam links; the moderation layer most new streamers want before a real mod exists.
  • Clip/VOD links: chat commands that drop your latest VOD or highlight.

StreamElements’ own bot (same login as your alerts) is the simplest single-stack choice. Nightbot and Moobot are the other long-standing free options; both cover commands and moderation fine.

Connecting the bot in three steps

  1. Authorize the bot in the tool’s dashboard with your streaming account. It joins your chat as a mod (mod the bot account if needed).
  2. Create 3-5 commands with short responses. More than that is noise until viewers ask.
  3. Set moderation levels conservatively (timeout, not ban, for first offenses) and whitelist clips so your own highlight links don’t get filtered.

Test by typing your commands and confirming the bot answers. If it doesn’t, recheck which account authored the command — tool interfaces commonly let you create a command under the wrong profile.

What to skip in week one

  • Loyalty points and leaderboards: they need an active chat to matter.
  • Paid overlays: free base overlays look fine; buy design once a consistent look has settled.
  • Channel point reward spam: a couple of fun rewards beat twenty.
  • Multi-platform bot setups: connect the bot to the platform you actually stream on first.

Useful next guides