To set up alert variations in Streamlabs, open the Alert Box settings, select the alert type you want to customize, choose + Add Variation, set its condition, customize its message or sound, and save. Then add the Alert Box to your streaming software and test it before going live. StreamElements offers a separate editor for configurable alerts and variations, but its controls are not the same as Streamlabs’.
What an alert variation does
An alert variation is an alternate version of an alert for a particular event type. A condition determines when that version appears, so you can tailor its message or sound instead of using the same presentation for every matching event. For example, you might set a different message for an event that meets a particular threshold, if that alert type provides the condition you need.
Available events and customization controls can depend on the platform and alert type. Check the options shown for your account rather than assuming every event has the same settings.
Set up a variation in Streamlabs
- Open the Alert Box settings. In Streamlabs, select the platform and the event type you want to configure, such as follows, subscriptions, or tips, where supported for your platform.
- Add the variation. Under the chosen alert, select + Add Variation. Give it a name that will help you identify its purpose later.
- Set its condition. Configure the Condition field to match when this version should trigger. The condition is attached to that specific alert type; it is not a universal setting for every alert.
- Customize the presentation. Set a message template and sound if those controls are available for this alert. Streamlabs supports dynamic message text such as
{name}in documented templates. Check the rendered message and selected sound for the particular alert type. - Save your changes. Save before leaving the settings menu so the variation and its condition are retained.
- Add the Alert Box to your streaming scene. Use the integration that matches your software, described below.
- Test before broadcasting. Use the service’s test or preview function and check the alert’s text, media, and sound in your actual scene.
Choose an integration for your streaming software
- Streamlabs Desktop: Add the Alert Box as a source in the scene where you want alerts to appear.
- OBS with the Streamlabs plugin: Use the plugin’s Widgets menu to add the Alert Box.
- Other streaming software: Copy the Alert Box widget URL and add it as a browser source, following the software’s browser-source workflow.
A dashboard preview or test confirms the configured presentation is available, but it may not reproduce every condition of a real event on the connected platform. Confirm that the source is visible and layered correctly in your scene, and that audio is routed as intended.
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Configure variations in StreamElements
StreamElements uses its own Elements Editor, so do not follow Streamlabs button names when working in StreamElements. Its official editor documentation describes alert text with dynamic values, sound, and multiple variations. Its alert-box templates also expose customization such as fonts, timing, sounds, effects, and variations, with examples for follows, subscriptions, tips, cheers, raids, and community gifts.
- Open the alert configuration in the StreamElements Elements Editor.
- Choose the alert and presentation controls you want to customize, such as dynamic text or sound.
- Configure and inspect each variation in that editor; available settings may differ by alert.
- Use the service’s preview or test controls, then verify how the alert fits into your streaming scene.
Template examples do not establish that every event is available for every platform or account. Check the event options presented in your own configuration.
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Test and troubleshoot your alert variations
| What you see | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No alert appears in the scene | Whether the Alert Box source was added to the active scene and whether its widget URL or plugin integration is correct. | Add or correct the source using the integration for your streaming software, then run the service’s test or preview. |
| The default alert appears instead of the variation | Whether the variation belongs to the selected alert type and whether its condition matches the test event. | Review the condition and event configuration. Test with an event or preview that matches the variation’s condition. |
| Text or sound is not as expected | The message template, dynamic text such as {name}, and sound selection for that alert. |
Correct the relevant presentation settings, save, and test again. |
| Changes disappear after leaving settings | Whether the settings were saved before navigating away. | Reapply the changes, save them, and verify the result with another test. |
| One event type works but another does not | Whether the platform and selected alert type support that event and the controls you configured. | Check the available event options for the connected platform and configure that alert type separately. |
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