Set up donation alerts in OBS
Add alerts as a browser source and check the picture, sound and queue before going live.
DonoLink editorial team.
This guide is for streamers in the United Kingdom. DonoLink is coming soon to donolink.co.uk; most steps work with any donation tool, and the waitlist tells you when you can start.
Create a donation variant
Create a donation variant in the overlay studio and choose its text, image, sound and duration. Keep text readable on viewers’ screens. Donations need their own variant; a default stream event alert is not a donation alert. Start with one simple variant before assigning different effects to different donation amounts.
Use the overlay URL as a browser source
Copy the alerts URL from your dashboard into an OBS browser source. Use the recommended source dimensions and place it in the scene you actually broadcast. The public donation page is not an overlay source. Treat the complete overlay URL as private: do not show it on stream or share it in chat.
Test picture and sound
Send a test alert from the studio with the correct OBS scene active. Check that the text is unobstructed and that the audio meter moves. Make a short recording to check whether viewers can hear the sound; a visible browser source alone does not establish that. Balance the alert volume against your voice and game audio.
Check the queue
Test several alerts in sequence and check pause, resume and skip. Use the available moderation controls to manage unwanted messages. The test button checks presentation. To verify the payment journey, an actually completed donation also needs to reach both your dashboard and OBS.
Browser source settings that match your overlay
In DonoLink, open Dashboard → Overlays and copy the complete Alerts URL. In your OBS scene, choose Sources → + → Browser, name the source clearly and paste the URL. Use 1920 × 1080 pixels for the alerts source, matching the current installation button. This is the source viewport, not the size of the alert card. Place it above your game source and check that its eye icon is enabled. Start with the default transparent CSS before testing custom CSS.
Missing picture or sound?
For a missing picture, check the active scene, source visibility, complete overlay URL and a saved donation variant, in that order. Refresh just that browser source and send another test. If the picture works but sound does not, select a variant with a sound file, enable OBS control of browser audio and check mute, fader and recording track in the mixer. Monitoring determines what you hear; use a recording to check what viewers hear too.
Queue checks and duplicate alerts
Send two different test alerts in succession. Pause the queue, resume it and check their order, then try skipping one alert. Replay only an alert you intend to show again. If every alert appears twice, look for two loaded alert sources or another OBS instance. Where possible, reuse the same existing browser source across scenes rather than creating a new one each time. Do not remove a source before identifying which one is correct.