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Getting Started

This guide walks you through setting up TipLink from scratch and creating your first automated alert. By the end, your stream will automatically respond to incoming events.

This guide covers TipLink V2 (the current version)

If you're looking for TipLink Desktop documentation, that product was discontinued on July 30th 2025. See the (Legacy) TipLink Desktop section.

Before You Begin​

Make sure you have:

  • TipLink installed on your Windows PC
  • An active TipLink license (or active free trial)
  • At least one streaming platform account (e.g. Twitch, Kick, Fansly)

Step 1: Activate Your License​

When you open TipLink for the first time, you'll be prompted to activate your license.

  1. Enter the License Key from your purchase email or Patreon account.
  2. Click Activate.
  3. TipLink will verify your license and take you to the Home screen.
Don't have a license yet?

Get one from Payhip, Gumroad, or start a free trial via Patreon.

Step 2: Add Your Platform Account​

TipLink needs your platform credentials before it can receive events. This is a one-time setup per account.

  1. Open TipLink and click Platforms in the left sidebar.
  2. At the top of the page, click the platform you want to add (e.g. Twitch (Your Channel)).
  3. Follow the on-screen setup instructions for your chosen platform.

Once set up, your new account will appear in the list on the Platforms page.

Platform setup guides

Each platform has its own setup page with detailed instructions:

Step 3: Go Live with Your Connection​

Adding an account saves your credentials, but you also need to connect it so TipLink actively starts listening for events.

  1. Go to the Home page or Platforms page.
  2. Find your account in the list and click Connect.
  3. The button will turn red and show Disconnect when connected successfully.

TipLink is now listening for incoming events from that platform. Repeat Steps 2–3 for any additional platforms.

Step 4: Create an Alert​

An Alert is a rule that says: "When this event happens, do these things."

  1. Click Alerts in the left sidebar.
  2. Click Create New Alert in the top-right corner.
  3. Give your alert a Title (e.g. "$5 Donation Alert").
  4. Under Platforms, select which platform(s) this alert should watch.
  5. Under Accounts, select which account(s) this alert should apply to.
  6. Under Valid Events, choose the event type that triggers this alert (e.g. Donation / Tip).
  7. If the event type has amount settings (like a minimum donation), configure those now.

Step 5: Add an Action​

Actions are what TipLink does when your alert fires. Let's add a stream overlay alert.

  1. On your alert's edit page, scroll down to the Actions section.
  2. Click Add Action and select Stream Overlay.
  3. Select the overlay canvas you want to use (or create one first - see Stream Overlays).
  4. Set a message using event data, e.g.: {{ username }} donated {{ value }}!
    • Click the {{ }} button next to any text field to open the Placeholder Picker - a searchable list of every value available from the triggering event, so you don't need to guess the field names.
  5. Choose an animation style and duration.
  6. Click Save.
Advanced Mode

New alerts open in Advanced Mode by default. This adds extra per-action settings - like a per-action chance percentage, individual cooldowns, and execution timing controls. You can ignore these when starting out; they are optional and collapsed by default.

Other action types

You can add multiple actions per alert. For example: show an overlay, post to Discord, and trigger a PiShock device, all from one alert.

Browse all action types

Step 6: Test It​

Don't wait for a real event - test immediately using the Test Event Tool.

  1. Go back to the Alerts page and find your new alert.
  2. Click the ⋮ (more options) menu next to the alert.
  3. Select Test Event.
  4. Fill in the simulated event fields (e.g. a fake username and donation amount) and click Fire Event.

Your overlay should appear on your stream source with the values you entered.

Other ways to test
  • Quick test: Click Test Actions from the alert's ⋮ menu to fire actions immediately with generic placeholder data - no event fields to fill in.
  • Replay a real event: Go to the Activity page, find any past event, and click the circular arrow icon to replay it through your alerts.

You're Set Up!​

Here's what to explore next:

I want to...Go here
Connect more platformsConnect Your Platforms
Create more complex alertsAlert Triggers & Conditions
Control OBS from my alertsOBS Studio Actions
Auto-post to Twitch chat on eventsTwitch: Send Chat Message
Show a goal progress bar on streamGoals
Add a hype countdown timerVariables
Add a death counter or text overlayVariables
Randomize actions or add delaysRandom Number · Delay
Trigger a PiShock device on donationsPiShock Setup
Back up my settingsExport & Import
Understand what happened to an eventActivity Log
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