VRChat Text Box

Created 16 Jan 2026·Updated 31 Jul 2026

Send messages to your VRChat text box display when alerts trigger. Messages appear on your avatar's text box for you and others to see in-game.

What You Need

• VRChat running with OSC enabled
• An avatar with a text box parameter (most avatars support this)
• VRChat OSC enabled in settings

Quick Start

1. Enable OSC in VRChat (Options → OSC → Enable)
2. Create or edit an alert in TipLink
3. Add the VRChat Text Box Message action
4. Enter your message text
5. Save and test

Configuration Options

Message

Text Box Message

• The text to send to your VRChat text box
• Supports dynamic placeholders (e.g., {{ username }}, {{ value }})
• Max length depends on your avatar (typically 144 characters)
• Required field

Dynamic Messages

Make messages dynamic with placeholders:

• {{ username }} - Viewer's name
• {{ value }} - Tip/sub amount
• {{ message }} - Viewer's message
• Example: Thanks {{ username }} for the ${{ value }} tip!

Setup Guide

VRChat Setup

1. Enable OSC in VRChat

   • Launch VRChat
   • Open Quick Menu
   • Options → OSC → Enable OSC
   • Note: May need to restart VRChat

2. Verify Text Box Works

   • Ensure your avatar has text box support
   • Try typing in VRChat's text box
   • Confirm text appears above your head

3. Check OSC Port (default: 9000)

   • VRChat listens on port 9000 by default
   • TipLink sends to this port automatically
   • No additional configuration needed

TipLink Setup

1. Create Alert

   • Navigate to Alerts section
   • Create new or edit existing alert
   • Set your trigger conditions

2. Add VRChat Text Box Action

   • In Actions section, click "Add Action"
   • Select "Send VRChat Text Box Message"

3. Configure Message

   • Enter your message text
   • Use placeholders for dynamic content
   • Keep under 144 characters

4. Test

   • Save the alert
   • Trigger it while in VRChat
   • Check your text box updates

Testing Without VRChat

To test without launching VRChat:

1. Use a OSC monitor tool (search "OSC monitor" online)
2. Set it to listen on port 9000
3. Trigger your alert
4. Verify OSC message is sent to /chatbox/input

Common Use Cases

Tip Notification

• Message: {{ username }} tipped ${{ value }}! Thanks!
• Shows who tipped and amount
• Appears for everyone to see

Subscriber Welcome

• Message: Welcome new sub: {{ username }}! 🎉
• Announces new subscribers
• Celebration emoji included

Follow Thanks

• Message: Thanks for the follow, {{ username }}!
• Acknowledges new followers
• Personal and engaging

Bits/Cheers

• Message: {{ username }} cheered {{ value }} bits!
• Shows bit donations
• Works with Twitch

Raid Announcement

• Message: {{ username }} is raiding with {{ value }} viewers!
• Announces raids
• Shows raider count

Custom Messages

• Message: {{ username }} says: {{ message }}
• Displays viewer's custom message
• Shows chat on your avatar

Troubleshooting

Messages not appearing

• Verify OSC is enabled in VRChat
• Check your avatar has text box support
• Restart VRChat after enabling OSC
• Ensure no firewall blocking port 9000

Messages appear delayed

• OSC has natural small delay (100-500ms)
• VRChat may queue messages
• Not an issue, expected behavior

Message cut off

• Your avatar may have character limits
• Reduce message length
• Typical limit: 144 characters
• Some avatars allow less

Special characters broken

• Some emojis may not display correctly
• Avoid complex unicode characters
• Test specific emojis with your avatar

Multiple messages overlap

• VRChat text box shows newest message
• Previous message is replaced
• This is VRChat behavior, not TipLink

Port 9000 in use

• Another application may be using the port
• Check for other OSC applications
• Restart computer if needed

Best Practices

Message Length:

• Keep under 100 characters for safety
• Some avatars have shorter limits
• Test with your specific avatar
• Trim unnecessary words

Message Timing:

• Messages replace each other instantly
• Space out alerts if possible
• Use longer text box durations on avatar
• Consider cooldowns for spam prevention

Content:

• Keep messages stream-friendly
• Avoid profanity (unless filtered)
• Test with different usernames/amounts
• Consider length of longest expected username

Performance:

• Text box messages are lightweight
• No performance impact
• Safe to use frequently
• No rate limiting needed (VRChat handles this)

Privacy:

• Text box visible to everyone near you
• Don't display sensitive information
• Consider if you want amounts shown
• Use privacy mode if needed

Technical Reference

OSC Details:

• Address: /chatbox/input
• Type: String
• Port: 9000 (default)
• Protocol: UDP
• IP: 127.0.0.1 (localhost)

Message Format:

• Single string parameter
• UTF-8 encoding
• No special formatting required
• VRChat handles rendering

Character Limits:

• VRChat API limit: 144 characters
• Avatar-specific limits may be lower
• Exceeding limit truncates message
• Test with your avatar

Timing:

• No artificial delay
• Immediate send on trigger
• Network latency: ~10-50ms
• VRChat processing: ~50-200ms

Placeholders:

• Processed before sending
• Replaced with actual values
• If value not available, placeholder remains
• Case-sensitive

Compatibility:

• Works with all VRChat versions supporting OSC
• Requires VRChat OSC API (introduced 2022)
• No SDK version requirement
• Works on Quest and PC

Limitations:

• One message per trigger
• Messages replace previous messages
• No message queue in VRChat
• Cannot retrieve current text box content
• Cannot detect if message was received

Error Handling:

• Fails silently if VRChat not running
• No confirmation of delivery
• Logs errors to TipLink console
• No retry logic