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To set up different alert looks, create alert variations in your alert provider and assign them to supported event conditions; then show the provider’s alert URL in OBS as a Browser Source. A variation changes the alert for a particular event or condition. A widget theme, by contrast, changes a broader set of widget settings. Which conditions you can use depends on your connected platform and event type.

What an alert variation changes

A variation is an alternate version of an alert that plays when a supported condition is met, or when the provider randomly selects it. For example, you could give larger tips a longer animation than smaller tips. Streamlabs’ guide uses a tip of at least $10 as an example; that is an illustration, not a universal threshold or requirement. The available rules vary by platform and alert type. Streamlabs explains alert variations and their conditions.

Use a variation when you want an alert to respond to an event detail. Use a theme when you want to switch the overall appearance or configuration of widgets for a stream or scene collection. Streamlabs also documents combining widgets from different themes by adding their widget links in streaming software. See Streamlabs’ overview of widget themes.

Choose conditions that fit your platform

Open the variation options for the specific event and platform connected to your alert provider. Do not assume a condition available for one platform or alert type will appear for another. Streamlabs’ documented examples include:

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  • Tips or donations: minimum or exact amounts, largest tip of the stream, and recurring tips.
  • Random selection: alternate alerts can be selected randomly rather than assigned to a particular condition.

These are examples in Streamlabs’ documentation, not a promise that every option is available for every connected account or event. Confirm the choices shown in your own provider dashboard.

Create and customize a variation in Streamlabs

  1. Sign in to the Streamlabs dashboard and open Alert Box.
  2. Select the event type you want to customize, such as tips, memberships, or another supported alert.
  3. Add a variation for that event and give it a descriptive name. A useful name identifies both the condition and the treatment, such as “Large tip — extended animation.”
  4. Choose a supported condition, or random selection if that is the behavior you want. For a conditional example, set a tip variation to apply to donations of at least $10 if that threshold is appropriate for your setup and the option is available.
  5. Customize the variation using the settings offered for that event. Depending on the options available, this may include the image or animation, sound, layout, text, and other alert settings.
  6. Preview the alert, save the variation, and use the event’s variation controls to review it later, edit it, enable or disable it, or delete it.

Keep the logic easy to understand. Give each variation a clear event-and-condition name, use distinct thresholds, and decide in advance what visual or audio change each condition should trigger. Avoid overlapping conditions when possible; that is practical guidance for keeping your setup predictable, not a claim about a provider rule.

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Display the alert in OBS Studio

OBS Studio does not supply alert events itself; the alert provider supplies the alert and its URL. OBS displays that alert in a scene through a Browser Source. The OBS Project alert and chat layout tutorial describes this provider-and-Browser-Source workflow, and its FAQ states: “OBS Studio does not directly provide stream alerts.”

  1. In your alert provider, open the alert or widget settings and copy the alert URL. Treat the URL as private if it grants access to your widget.
  2. In OBS Studio, select the scene where alerts should appear, then add a Browser source.
  3. Paste the provider’s alert URL into the source’s URL field.
  4. Set the Browser Source width and height to fit the alert design and your scene layout. The right dimensions depend on the assets and placement you chose.
  5. Preview the scene and trigger or preview an alert from the provider to check that the correct variation appears and fits on screen. If you change the provider’s alert settings, preview the setup again.

Streamlabs’ general alert setup guide is another provider-side reference. Labels and available controls can change, so follow the options shown in your current dashboard.

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Troubleshoot variations that do not appear

  • The original alert plays instead: confirm the variation is enabled, saved, and attached to the event you are triggering. Check that the test event satisfies the condition you selected.
  • You cannot find a condition: conditions differ by platform and event type. Check the options for the connected platform and selected event rather than looking for a setting documented for another combination.
  • The alert is missing in OBS: verify that the Browser Source contains the provider’s current alert URL and is present in the scene you are previewing. Confirm the source dimensions and preview the provider widget.
  • The design is clipped or poorly placed: adjust the Browser Source width and height to suit the alert artwork and reposition it in the scene.
  • A theme change did not change one alert as expected: themes affect a broader set of widget settings; a conditional variation is the control for choosing an alternate alert based on an event condition.

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