Variables

Created 4 Mar 2026·Updated 31 Jul 2026

Open Variables in TipLink

Variables let you store and update values during your stream, like a death counter, a challenge meter, a piece of text, or a countdown timer, and display them live on your stream overlay.

No coding needed. You create a variable, give it a name, choose a type, and update it either manually or automatically through alert actions.

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What Is a Variable?

A Variable is a named value that TipLink remembers and can display. Think of it like a scoreboard entry:

Variable Name	Type	Example Value
death_count	Number	14
current_song	Text	"Never Gonna Give You Up"
is_challenge_active	True/False	true
boss_timer	Countdown	4:32 remaining

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Variable Types

Type	What it stores	Example use
Text	Any text or word	Current song, viewer name, custom message
Number	A whole or decimal number	Death count, sub count, donation total
True/False	Either true or false	Is a challenge on? Is a mode active?
Countdown	A timer that counts down to zero	Boss timer, challenge time limit

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Creating a Variable

1. Click Variables in the left sidebar.
2. Click Create New Variable in the top-right corner.
3. Fill in the details:
   • Name - A label for your variable (e.g. death_count). This is used to reference the variable in overlays and actions.
   • Type - Choose from Text, Number, True/False, or Countdown.
   • Initial Value - The starting value when TipLink first loads.
   • Persist between sessions - If enabled, TipLink saves this value to disk. When you restart TipLink, the variable picks up where it left off instead of resetting.
4. Click Create.

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Editing a Variable's Value

You can update a variable's value directly on the Variables page - no alert needed.

• Text / Number - Click the value field inline and type a new value, then click Save.
• True/False - Click the toggle to flip the value.
• Countdown - Use the countdown controls (Start, Pause, Resume, Reset) to manage the timer.

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Countdown Timers

The Countdown variable type is a special timer that ticks down from a set number of seconds.

Setting the time

1. On the Variables page, click your countdown variable.
2. Enter the time in hours, minutes, and seconds.
3. Click Set Time.

Controls

Button	Action
▶ Start	Begin counting down
⏸ Pause	Freeze the timer
▶ Resume	Continue a paused timer
↺ Reset	Return to the initial value

Countdown history

Each countdown timer keeps a history of actions (start, pause, resume, stop, reset, and time added or removed). This is useful for reviewing what happened during a stream.

The number of entries kept per timer is set by Countdown Timer History Limit on the Settings page. The default is 500.

Session behaviour

Countdown timers are always saved to disk, regardless of the "Persist between sessions" setting. The timer state (running, paused, remaining time) is preserved across TipLink restarts.

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Displaying a Variable on Your Stream

Variables are shown using a Text widget on an overlay canvas.

1. Go to Overlays in the sidebar.

2. Open an overlay canvas and click Open Widget Editor.

3. Add a Text widget.

4. Click the gear icon next to the widget to open its settings.

5. In the Text field, type your message and use the Insert button to drop in a variable, for example:

   Deaths today: {{ var.death_count }}

6. Position and resize the widget on the canvas.

The widget updates live as the variable's value changes. See Stream Overlays for all the Text widget options.

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Updating a Variable from an Alert

You can change a variable's value automatically every time an alert fires.

1. Open or create an Alert.

2. Add the Global Variable action.

3. Choose the variable to update.

4. Choose the operation:

   Operation	What it does	Works with
   Set Value	Replaces the value with a fixed value or event data, e.g. {{ username }}	All types
   Add (Number)	Increases the value by an amount	Number
   Subtract (Number)	Decreases the value by an amount	Number
   Multiply (Number)	Multiplies the value by an amount	Number
   Divide (Number)	Divides the value by an amount	Number
   Append (String)	Adds text to the end of the current value	Text
   Toggle (Boolean)	Flips the value between true and false	True/False

5. Save the alert.

Example - Auto death counter: Alert fires on your chosen event, then adds 1 to death_count using the Add (Number) operation.

Countdown timers from an alert

Countdown timers use their own action, called Countdown Timer. Add it to an alert and choose an operation:

Operation	What it does
Start	Begin counting down
Pause	Freeze the timer where it is
Resume	Continue a paused timer
Stop (Set to 0)	Stop the timer and set it to zero
Add Time	Add a number of seconds
Remove Time	Take away a number of seconds
Reset to Initial Value	Put the timer back to its starting time

See Countdown Timer for the full guide.

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Using Variable Values in Other Actions

Once a variable has a value, you can insert it into text fields in other actions using this syntax:

{{ var.death_count }}

For example, in a Stream Overlay action message:

{{ username }} made me die again! Total deaths: {{ var.death_count }}

Use the placeholder picker

Click the {{ }} button next to any text field to open the Placeholder Picker. Your variables are listed under Global Variables, so you never have to remember the exact name.

See Using Event Data in Actions for the full guide to placeholders.

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Using a Variable as an Alert Trigger

An alert can fire when a variable's value changes. This is how you build reactions to your own counters, for example "when the challenge meter hits 100, show an overlay".

1. Open or create an Alert.

2. Under Platforms, choose TipLink Variables.

3. Under Valid Events, choose Variable Value Changed.

4. Choose which variables to watch. Leave this empty to watch all of them.

5. Optionally add a condition:

   Condition	What it checks
   Number Condition	The new value is within a minimum and maximum range. Works with Number and Countdown variables.
   Text Condition	The new value contains the text you enter. Works with Text variables.
   Boolean Condition	The new value is either True or False. Works with True/False variables.

6. Add your actions and save.

Avoid loops

If an alert is triggered by a variable changing, and one of its own actions changes that same variable, it will trigger itself over and over. Point the action at a different variable, or add a condition so it can only match once.

When a countdown reaches zero

Countdown timers have their own trigger. Choose TipLink Countdowns as the platform and Countdown Completed as the event.

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Tips

• Variable names are case-sensitive. death_count and Death_Count are different variables.
• Use Persist between sessions for values that should carry over (like a donation total), and leave it off for values that should reset each stream (like a per-session death count).
• To clear a variable at the start of a stream, use the Set Value operation and set it back to your starting value. Only countdown timers have a dedicated Reset to Initial Value option.
• Countdown variables always persist. The timer state is never lost on restart.