Getting Started with StreamElements

Introduction

StreamElements is a featured-packed tool for streamers; it provides cloud-based overlays, a chat bot, stream stats, as well as merch and tipping solutions. It’s a one-stop-shop that can handle most streamers’ needs. With so many things to manage, StreamElements is a wise choice and keeps all your tools in one place. This guide covers how to get quickly set up so you can stream your heart out. We will step through adding the bot, a tip page, and an overlay.

Login

Visit StreamElements’ website to begin. You will navigate here anytime you need to make an adjustment to a StreamElement-related feature.

You may login using your Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook account. For this guide we’ll use Twitch. Clicking the Twitch login asks for your credentials and then asks for permission to use your Twitch account.

The Dashboard

When logging into StreamElements, you see the Dashboard. If you’re brand new to StreamElements, there’s a list of things to get you started: Activating the Chat Bot, setting up tips, add overlays, and importing from other tools.

The Dashboard contains stream stats, allowing streamers to see metrics on tips (if set up), followers, subscribers, bits, hosts, raids, and merch (if set up). You can also mute the bot or update your stream and game titles from the dashboard.

Pictured below is the StreamElements dashboard. This is a fresh Twitch account so there aren’t any metrics to really see.

The Bot

The StreamElements Bot may handle alerts, mini-games, chat commands, spam filters, and timers.

You turn the bot on by clicking the Join Channel button (under Bot Settings) on your Dashboard. If the bot is in your channel already, it will show Part Channel, allowing you to remove the bot from chat.

Note: Clicking the Mute button here leaves the bot in your channel but silences alerts or notifications until unmuted.

Now that the bot is active, there are several ways to customize it. To do so, find the Bot section of the left navigation menu. It has multiple options:

• Modules – Add chat alerts and mini-games.
• User management – Give permissions to other users to manage the chat bot.
• Chat commands – Turn default chat commands on and off as well as set custom chat commands.
• Spam Filters – Determine how the bot deals with chat spam.
• Timers – Set up automatic chat messages from the bot.

We could spend a whole article talking about how the bot works, but consider looking at Spam Filters first. At the very least set up Link Protection so your channel’s chat is protected from spam links.

Locate the Link Protection toggle under the list of Spam filters.

• You can set exclusions (user groups immune to timeouts for posting links) by user group. This includes Regulars, Subscribers, or VIPs.
• Under Whitelist you can create a set of trusted links that are not affected by the filter.
• Under Blacklist you can create a list of links that are treated as harmful, preventing their appearance in chat.

The bot has many more filters and settings available, more on that in a future article.

Tip Settings

StreamElements allows you to receive tips from your viewers. Note, this requires a PayPal account. To set up Tips, view the Revenue section of the left navigation bar and click Tipping settings to get started.

After clicking Tipping settings, you’ll see this:

Enter the email address used for your Paypal account and click Connect. Copy the URL supplied that links to your tip page. Be sure to include this link in your channel panels, tip command, and timers. Viewers will use this link to send you a tip. The tips received through this link are also shown in your metrics on your dashboard.

Overlays

Since we’re just getting started with StreamElements, it would be wise to try out their Super Themes. A Super Theme is a full package of scenes and alerts that work immediately.

Navigate to the Alerts & Overlays section of the left navigation bar. Click Themes Gallery.

You will see a gallery of available Super Themes, Themes, Alerts, and Widgets. Let’s add a Super Theme.

Pictured above are some Super Themes that are available. Browse this list and select a theme that looks good to you. Clicking the Preview button allows you to take a closer look at a Super Theme. Once you find a theme you like, click its Create button.

Name this overlay and click Create My Overlay. You see this screen:

• This is a list of each scene that was in the Super Theme.
• Each scene is ready to add as a browser source in your broadcast software.
• Click the link icon to the left of a scene to copy its URL to your clipboard.
• Add a browser source (in OBS, StreamLabs OBS, etc.) and paste the scene’s URL.
• This new scene is now in your broadcast software.
• Repeat this for each scene (create a new scene in your software, add a browser source, paste the scene’s StreamElements link).

There are a ton of ways to customize your overlays within StreamElements. The best part about building scenes in StreamElements means that they are saved online. You can create overlays and then access them from anywhere.

You Did It!

So you activated your bot, turned on tips, and set new overlays. Not bad, streamer. Not bad, at all. Congratulations, you now know the basics of StreamElements!