Connecting to TipLink
Published 17 Sept 2026
Every TipLink key talks to the desktop app over the Control API - a local connection TipLink only opens when you turn it on, and only for apps you have approved.
You pair once. After that every TipLink key on every profile is connected, including keys you add later.
Step 1 - Turn On the Control API
Open Settings in TipLink- In TipLink, open Settings.
- Find Control API and turn on Enable Control API.
That is all that is needed here. Leave the token box alone - the plugin does not use it.
Switching this on restarts TipLink's built-in server, which it shares with the Webhook API. If you use webhooks, expect a second of interruption.
Step 2 - Pair the Plugin
- In the Stream Deck app, open the TipLink category on the right and drag any action onto a key.
- The key's settings panel opens. At the bottom is a connection row reading Not connected to TipLink.
- Click Connect to TipLink.
- TipLink shows an authorization prompt. Read it, then click Allow.
The connection row turns green and reads Connected to TipLink, with the version number. Every dropdown in the panel fills with your real alerts, platforms and overlays.
The authorization window sits on top of other apps, including fullscreen ones, so this works with TipLink minimised behind OBS. You do not need to find the TipLink window first.
The rest of TipLink is greyed out until you answer. If the prompt has landed off-screen or on a monitor you have since unplugged, use Deny & close on the greyed-out app to get out of it, then try again.
Status Messages
The connection row in each key's settings panel says exactly what is wrong.
| Message | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Connected to TipLink | Working. | Nothing. |
| Not connected to TipLink. | No pairing yet. | Click Connect to TipLink. |
| Looking for TipLink… | Searching for the app. | Wait a few seconds. |
| Waiting for you to approve this in TipLink… | The prompt is open. | Switch to TipLink and click Allow. |
| TipLink is not running. Start it, then try again. | Nothing answered on the port. | Start TipLink, then click Retry. |
| Turn on the Control API in TipLink → Settings, then try again. | TipLink is running but the Control API is off. | Do step 1 above, then Retry. |
| TipLink is not responding. | It was paired, but the app is closed or still starting. | Start TipLink. The plugin reconnects on its own; Retry forces it. |
| Access was revoked. Connect again to re-authorize. | The grant was revoked in TipLink, or the token is wrong. | Click Reconnect and approve the new prompt. |
| You denied the request in TipLink. | You clicked Deny. | Click Try again. |
| The request expired. | Nobody answered within five minutes. | Click Try again when you are ready to approve it. |
| This version of TipLink is too old to pair. | TipLink is older than v1.20.0. | Update TipLink to v1.20.0 or newer. |
Disconnecting
There are two ends to this, and they do different things.
From Stream Deck. Click Disconnect in any key's settings panel. This forgets the plugin's own copy of the token. The authorization stays listed in TipLink, because an app cannot revoke its own grant.
From TipLink. Open Settings → Connected Apps, find the Stream Deck entry and revoke it. This deletes the grant and drops the live connection immediately - which is the one to use if you are handing the PC to someone else.
After a revoke, keys show Bad token until you pair again.
Advanced Connection Settings
Under Advanced connection settings in any key's panel are three fields. Most people never open this.
| Field | What it is for | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Host | The address TipLink is on. Only change this if you know why. | 127.0.0.1 |
| Port | Must match Webhook API Port in TipLink's settings. Change this if you moved that port. | 3821 |
| Token | The static Control API token from TipLink's settings. For clients that cannot show a Connect button. | Blank |
These are global: setting them on one key sets them for all of them.
A token pasted here has no identity, so TipLink cannot tell it apart from anything else using the same token. Rotating the token in TipLink's settings cuts off everything using it at once. Pair with Connect to TipLink instead unless you have a specific reason not to.
Stream Deck has no secure storage, so anything in the Token box is saved in plain text in Stream Deck's settings. This is the main reason the Control API uses its own token rather than reusing the webhook one.
Changing the Port
The Control API shares a port with the Webhook API server. If you changed Webhook API Port in TipLink's settings:
- Restart TipLink so the new port takes effect.
- In any TipLink key's panel, open Advanced connection settings and put the same number in Port.
Both ends have to agree or the plugin will report that TipLink is not running.
Related
- TipLink for Stream Deck - install and overview.
- Troubleshooting - dropdowns that stay empty, keys stuck on Offline.
- Settings → Control API - the TipLink side, including Connected Apps.