// Overlays
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Guide

Connect your overlay to Streamer.bot

Winners get paid automatically, with no manual bookkeeping.

Without a bot the overlay only shows which command would have to be sent, and you type it yourself. With Streamer.bot that runs automatically: winners get their points credited straight away. That means your chat bot's own points, not Twitch channel points. Here is the route that works reliably on current versions.

10 minutes Advanced OBS Browser Source

Step by step

// How it works

  1. 01

    Start the WebSocket server in Streamer.bot

    Streamer.bot ships a small server that lets other programs talk to it. That is exactly what the overlay uses. In Streamer.bot go to Servers/Clients, then WebSocket Server, set Auto-Start on, address 127.0.0.1 and port 8080. You do not need a password for this route.

  2. 02

    Create an action that passes messages along

    In Streamer.bot an action is a named sequence of steps you can trigger later. We build one that does nothing but send a supplied message to chat. In the Actions tab, right-click to add a new action and name it OverlayChat. In the panel on the right, right-click to add a sub-action: Twitch, then Send Message. As the message enter exactly %text%, percent signs included. That is the placeholder the overlay fills with its text. Save.

  3. 03

    Point the overlay at Streamer.bot

    Open your overlay's config.js and set three values: outputSource to streamerbot, streamerbotUrl to ws://127.0.0.1:8080/ and streamerbotChatAction to OverlayChat, exactly the name from step 2. Save.

  4. 04

    Check the connection

    Refresh the overlay in OBS. If debug is set to true in config.js, the overlay shows a small status pill at the top. If it reads streamerbot: armed, the connection is live. A test round now pays out automatically, and you can switch debug back off afterwards.

Frequently asked

// In short

Why go through an action instead of just using a password?

Because the direct route is gated in Streamer.bot 1.0.x. That version no longer asks for a password when you connect, but still blocks sending chat messages directly. Entering a password does not help, because it is never requested. The action route needs no authentication and works.

It does not say armed, it says something else

Then the overlay cannot reach the server. Is Streamer.bot actually running, is the WebSocket server set to Auto-Start, and do address and port match what streamerbotUrl says in config.js? The most common case is a different port.

Does this work with StreamElements or Firebot too?

Yes, and there it is even more direct: StreamElements and Firebot book the points through their own interface, with no visible chat message at all. In config.js set outputSource to streamelements or firebot and fill in the matching credentials. Which service is good for what I compare in the article on the alternatives.

What happens with no bot at all?

The overlay shows a ready-made payout command, for example !addpoints name amount. Your existing loyalty bot can run it, or you type it yourself. Nothing is lost, it is just manual.

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