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Getting Started

Created 4 Mar 2026·Updated 31 Jul 2026

Open TipLink Now

By the end of this guide your stream will react to real events on its own, with no coding involved.

Most people are up and running in about ten minutes.

This guide covers TipLink V2 (the current version)

Looking for TipLink Desktop? That product was discontinued on July 30th 2025 and support ended on July 30th 2026. Its pages are kept for reference under (Unsupported) TipLink Desktop.

Before You Begin​

You need:

  • A Windows PC with TipLink installed. Download it here.
  • A licence, or an active free trial. See Licensing Options.
  • At least one platform account, such as Twitch, Kick, Fansly or Ko-fi.

Step 1: Activate Your Licence​

The first time you open TipLink it asks you to activate.

  1. Choose where you bought TipLink from the Purchase Platform dropdown:

    OptionWhat to do next
    PatreonNo key needed. You will sign in through Patreon instead.
    PayhipEnter the licence key from your receipt.
    GumroadEnter the licence key from your receipt.
    JinxxyEnter the licence key from your receipt.
    I was given an Activation Code, not a LicenseChoose this if you were sent a code directly rather than buying through a store.

  2. If you picked anything other than Patreon, type your License Key. It looks like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX and is in your email receipt.

  3. Tick the box to accept the EULA, Privacy Policy and Refund Policy. The activate button stays greyed out until you do.

  4. Click Activate License, or Login with Patreon if you chose Patreon.

Not sure which store you used?

Your email receipt tells you. If you subscribed monthly rather than paying once, you are on Patreon.

Licences are tied to one device

A full licence covers one PC. If you are moving to a new computer, see Support & Contact.

Step 2: Let the Setup Wizard Do the Work​

Once activated, a setup wizard opens automatically. This is the fastest route, and it builds a working alert for you.

It has six steps:

StepWhat happens
WelcomeA quick overview of what you are about to do.
Connect Your DevicesOptional. Set up PiShock or OpenShock now if you have one. Skip it if you do not.
Connect Your Streaming PlatformPick your platform and sign in.
Choose a Quick Start TemplatePick a ready-made alert and fill in a couple of values.
Test Your AlertFire it once so you can see it work.
You're Ready to Go LiveDone.

About the templates​

Templates are complete alerts built for you. You only fill in the parts that are personal to you, such as a minimum tip amount or a shock intensity.

There are templates for things like:

  • Shock or vibrate a device on every tip
  • Play a sound when someone gifts subscriptions
  • Trigger a VRChat avatar reaction on a new subscriber or a raid
  • Switch an OBS scene when a channel point reward is redeemed

If a template needs something you have not connected yet, the wizard tells you so and shows a Manual Setup Required notice instead of failing quietly.

If you finished the wizard, you already have a working alert. Skip ahead to finding your way around.

You can run the wizard again whenever you like

Go to Settings, find Help & Onboarding, and click Restart Onboarding Tour. Useful if you skipped it, or if you want to add another template later.

Doing It Yourself​

If you skipped the wizard, or you want to understand how the pieces fit together, here is the same job by hand.

Add a platform account​

  1. Click Platforms in the left sidebar.

  2. Click Add an Account and pick your platform.

    They are grouped to make them easier to find: Streaming Platforms, Tips & Donations, Chat Bots, Streaming Tools, Devices, Music, Games & VR, and Advanced.

  3. Follow the steps in the window that opens. Some platforms only ask for your username. Others send you to their website to approve access.

Your account then appears in the list.

Each platform has its own guide

Every platform is listed under Connect Your Platforms in the sidebar, with the exact steps for that service. Start with Twitch, Kick, Fansly or Ko-fi.

Connect it​

Adding an account saves your details. You still need to connect it before TipLink listens.

  1. On the Home or Platforms page, find your account.
  2. Click Connect.
  3. The button turns red and reads Disconnect once it works.
Do this automatically next time

Open the account's settings and turn on Auto Connect so it connects itself whenever TipLink starts.

Create an alert​

An alert is a rule: "when this happens, do these things."

  1. Click Alerts in the sidebar, then Create New Alert.
  2. Give it a Title, for example $5 Donation Alert.
  3. Under Platforms, choose which platform it watches.
  4. Choose the account it applies to.
  5. Under Valid Events, choose what sets it off, for example Tip/ Donation.
  6. Fill in any conditions that appear, such as a minimum amount.

See Triggers for everything you can filter on.

Add an action​

Actions are what actually happens. Let's put an alert on screen.

  1. Scroll to the Actions section and click Select an action type.

  2. Search for Stream Overlay, or browse the categories. Its settings open on their own once added.

  3. Choose the overlay canvas to use, or create one first. See Stream Overlays.

  4. Write your message, for example:

    {{ username }} donated {{ value }}!

    Click the {{ }} button beside any text box to pick from a searchable list of everything the event carries, so you never have to guess a field name.

  5. Pick an animation and a duration.

  6. Click Save.

One alert, many actions

You can add as many actions as you like. Show an overlay, post to Discord and trigger a device, all from the same event. Browse every action.

What is Advanced Mode?

New alerts open in Advanced Mode, which gives each action extra settings such as a chance percentage and its own cooldown. They are collapsed by default and safe to ignore while you are starting out.

Test it​

Do not wait for a real viewer.

  1. On the Alerts page, click the ⋮ menu beside your alert.
  2. Choose Test Event.
  3. Fill in some pretend values, such as a name and an amount, then fire it.

Your overlay should appear with the values you typed.

Two other ways to test:

  • Test Actions from the same ⋮ menu runs the actions straight away with generic values, with nothing to fill in.
  • Replay on the Activity page re-runs a real event you already received.

Finding Your Way Around​

The Home page is your dashboard. It shows three things:

PanelWhat it tells you
PlatformsEvery account you have added, and whether it is connected. Connect and disconnect from here.
Recent ActivityEvents as they arrive. If this stays empty, TipLink is not receiving anything yet.
System MessagesWarnings and notices from TipLink itself.

The left sidebar holds everything else: Alerts, Platforms, Overlays, Variables, Goals, Users and Settings.

When Nothing Happens​

The most common first-time problem is an alert that will not fire. Work down this list in order.

1. Is the account connected?

Check the Home page. The button should read Disconnect in red. Green Connect means it is not listening.

2. Did the event arrive at all?

Open the Activity page. If your event is not listed, the problem is the connection, not the alert.

3. Is the event type being recorded?

Every account excludes Chat Message events by default. If you are building a chat command, open that account's settings and remove Chat Message from Excluded Events.

4. Did the event arrive but nothing ran?

If Activity shows your event as No Matching Alert Found, the event arrived fine but no alert matched it. Use the Event Testing Tool and click Check Conditions. It tells you exactly which condition failed.

5. Is the alert switched on?

Check the toggle on the Alerts page. Also check whether it sits in a disabled Alert Set, which stops it firing even when the alert itself is enabled.

6. Is another alert winning?

Only the first matching alert fires. If a more general alert sits above yours, it takes the event. Drag yours higher, or turn on Always Trigger. See Alerts.

Still stuck? Support & Contact.

You're Set Up​

Here is where to go next.

I want to...Go here
Connect more platformsConnect Your Platforms
Build more precise alertsTriggers
See everything TipLink can doActions Overview
Control OBS from my alertsOBS Studio Actions
Reply in chat automaticallyTwitch: Send Chat Message
Show a goal progress barGoals
Add a death counter or timerVariables
Give viewers points to spendPoints & Viewers
Stop alerts firing too oftenCooldowns & Rate Limiting
Trigger a PiShock devicePiShock Setup
Build my own overlay widgetCustom Widgets
Back up everythingExport & Import
Understand a past eventActivity Log
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Need a hand?Ask on DiscordEmail supportGet TipLink