How to Add Platform Icons to Streamlabs Chat Box

Adding platform icons to your Streamlabs chat box makes your stream look more professional and helps viewers instantly recognize which platform a message came from. This guide walks you through the process, from opening the right settings to testing the final result. You’ll need a Streamlabs account and an active streaming setup—no coding or design skills required.

What You’ll Need

• A Streamlabs account (free) with a connected streaming platform (Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook).
• Access to the Streamlabs Dashboard (via the website or the desktop app).
• Your chat box source already added to your streaming software (OBS, Streamlabs Desktop, etc.).

Step-by-Step

1. Open Streamlabs Dashboard: Go to streamlabs.com and log in. If you use Streamlabs Desktop, you can also access the same settings from the app’s dashboard.
2. Navigate to Chat Box Settings: In the left sidebar, click All Widgets (or Widgets on some versions). Then scroll down to the Chat Box section and click Settings.
3. Open the General Settings Tab: You’ll land on the General tab by default. This is where all the main chat box options live.
4. Find the Platform Icons Option: Scroll down until you see Platform Icons. It’s usually right below the Badges section. The default is Enabled, but if it’s off, toggle it on.
5. Choose Icon Style (Optional): Some versions let you pick between Color or Monochrome icons. Select whichever fits your overlay theme. If you don’t see this option, skip to the next step.
6. Save Your Settings: Click the Save button at the bottom of the settings panel. A green confirmation message will appear.
7. Copy the Widget URL (if needed): If you’re using the chat box as a browser source in OBS, you’ll need the widget URL. Scroll up to the top of the settings page and click Copy Widget URL. This copies the full link to your clipboard.
8. Add or Update the Browser Source: In OBS or Streamlabs Desktop, go to your scene, right-click the existing chat box source (or add a new one via Sources → Add → Browser Source). Paste the URL into the URL field. Make sure the width and height match your chat box size (e.g., 400×600).
9. Test the Chat Box: Send a test message from each platform you’re connected to (e.g., a Twitch chat message and a YouTube chat message). The icons should appear next to the usernames.

Common Mistakes

• Icons not showing at all: The most common cause is the Platform Icons toggle being off, or not saving after enabling it.
• Using the wrong URL: If you copy the URL before saving, it might not include the latest changes. Always copy the URL after saving.
• Browser source cache: OBS caches browser sources. If you’ve updated the settings but the old version still shows, you need to refresh the source (see Troubleshooting).
• Mixing up widget types: Make sure you’re editing the Chat Box widget, not the Chat Feed or Event List. They have different settings.

Tips

• Match icon style to your overlay: If your overlay is monochrome, use monochrome icons. If it’s colorful, the color icons pop better.
• Test with multiple platforms: If you stream to Twitch and YouTube simultaneously, send a test message from each to verify both icons appear correctly.
• Adjust icon size indirectly: There’s no direct size slider for icons, but you can resize the entire browser source in OBS (hold Alt and drag the corners) to make everything bigger or smaller.
• Keep the chat box source name clear: Name it something like “Chat Box – Streamlabs” so you don’t confuse it with other sources.

Troubleshooting

• Icons still not appearing after enabling: First, double-click the browser source in OBS and click Refresh (the circular arrow icon). If that fails, close OBS completely and reopen it. If it still doesn’t work, try a different browser source URL—copy the URL again from Streamlabs and paste it fresh.
• Icons appear but are cut off: This usually means the browser source width is too small. Increase the width in the browser source properties (e.g., from 400 to 500) or adjust the chat box’s Width setting in Streamlabs under General.
• Only some platforms show icons: Make sure you’ve actually connected that platform to Streamlabs. Go to Settings → Accounts in Streamlabs and check that Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook are linked.
• Icons look blurry: This is rare, but if it happens, ensure you’re not scaling the browser source up too much. Instead, increase the source’s resolution in OBS (e.g., from 400×600 to 800×1200) and then scale down if needed.
• Changes don’t reflect in Streamlabs Desktop: If you’re using the desktop app, make sure it’s updated to the latest version. Sometimes the app caches older settings; a full restart of the app usually fixes this.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be a Streamlabs Prime subscriber to get platform icons?

No, platform icons are a free feature available to all Streamlabs users. You don’t need any subscription.

Can I use custom icons instead of the built-in ones?

The built-in settings only offer the default color or monochrome icons. For custom icons, you’d need to use HTML/CSS in a custom chat box widget, which is more advanced.

Will the icons work if I stream to Twitch and YouTube at the same time?

Yes, as long as both platforms are connected to your Streamlabs account, the chat box will show the appropriate icon for each message’s origin.

Why do the icons only appear for some messages?

This can happen if a viewer is using a chat client that doesn’t send platform metadata, or if you’re viewing the chat box from a different source. In most cases, it’s just a caching issue—refresh the browser source.

Can I change the position of the icons relative to the username?

No, the icons are hard-coded to appear right before the username. You can’t move them left or right without custom CSS.

Do platform icons work on mobile chat boxes?

Yes, the same widget URL works on mobile browsers, and the icons will display on mobile devices as well.

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