Getting Started with SE.Live (2024)

SE.Live is our stream management tool which is a plugin for OBS Studio that enhances OBS by adding our activity feed, chat, and media request features. The following post will take you through installing SE.Live and getting started using it. We also released this Q&A video to address any concerns in advance.

The first step is downloading SE.Live HERE.

When launching the program for the first time, navigate to Settings > Stream and then choose your service. We will use Twitch as an example, but SE.Live is available for YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and Trovo too!

Select ‘Connect Account’ and go through the authorization process. When it’s done, the Twitch docks should pop open. You can close them for now or place them where you want. You can always access them later as long as you’re logged into OBS with your Twitch account, via View > Docks.

Next, navigate to StreamElements in the top menu > Login. Login with your account and authorize the service. Once this is done, the StreamElements chat and Activity Feed docks should open. You can close them for now as well (and access them from the StreamElements menu > SE.Live docks > Chat \ Activity Feed \ Media Request).

If asked to go through the initial setup again within the program after having done that in the setup wizard in your dashboard, simply start the process in SE.Live too. It should autocomplete as it connects, and then you can press ‘Do it later’ and ‘Leave’. The prompt for initial setup should then disappear.

Your SE.Live window should look like this after logging into your Twitch and StreamElements accounts (assuming only the Twitch docks were closed):

Using OBS’s features ‘Profiles’ and ‘Scene Collection’ you can save your docks layout and streaming settings (including connected account \ stream key). If you have several profiles saved, and you switch between them to stream to different services, then after switching profiles in OBS, make sure you navigate to StreamElements > Logout, and log back in with the correct account.

The StreamElements menu

• Edit Widgets Data: Allows you to edit your widgets data within SE.Live
• Setup Bot & Tipping: Takes you to initial setup (autocompletes if done)
• Browse Overlays: Takes you to the ‘My Overlays’ section of your dashboard
• SE.Live Docks: Opens\closes the Activity Feed, Chat or Media Request docks
• Import button: Prompts you to choose a service you want to import from
• SE.Live Versions: Switch to SE.Live’s most stable or latest version version
• Cloud Backup: Backup your Settings And Content

Make sure to enter a name for the ‘Backup’ option to become available.

You’ll be able to manage your backups and restore from the ‘Manage Cloud Backup’ option. Do note that restoring previous backups will require restarting OBS.

• Check for Updates: Checks if a newer version of SE.Live is available to download
• Help menu: Use to Report an Issue or join our Discord via the Live Chat option
• Logout: Logs you out

Now that you are familiar with the plugin and are logged in, you’re ready to go! You can type in your Twitch chat to make sure you see it in your OBS and overlay, and you can get started with creating the amount of scenes you’re interested in and deciding what each of those different screens shows. For example, an ‘In game’ scene will probably have a different visual arrangement than a ‘BRB’, ‘Stream Starting’ or ‘Just Chatting’ scenes.

Most creators like to show the recent activities in their stream, such as latest tips, recent subscribers, etc. These are widgets called ‘Labels’. Most commonly, you will have a visual asset as a background for the label. Alternatively you could just show that information as text on screen, without visual assets. The possibilities are endless!

To get started, navigate to your StreamElements dashboard > My Overlays, and press ‘Edit’ on the overlay that was created as part of the initial setup. In that overlay, you can add some widgets just to play around with and see what is available. Make sure Live Preview is enabled, and save the overlay.

Copy the overlay URL and create a browser source in SE.Live with that link (see warning below).

WARNING: The link you are using to create a browser source contains sensitive information, so avoid exposing it to viewers or sharing it in any way. When editing an overlay in the editor, the link will be shown in the address bar.

We recommend creating certain widgets in their own overlays. You can create an overlay for your visual assets and a different one for your AlertBoxes. You can even create an overlay specifically for follower alerts, for example, by enabling only the follower alerts for that overlay’s AlertBox, if you want to show follower alerts in one position, and the rest on another position.

For any visual assets and overlays you may have, remember that the order of layers within OBS matters, so make sure to place the overlays’ browser sources in a position that would reflect what you want to show. For example, you might want alerts for thanking followers, tippers, and subscribers, etc., to be on top of everything and not hidden by anything else on screen.

Now that you’re ready to start, choose a theme, a SuperTheme, and alerts or widgets from the StreamElements Themes Gallery and go wow the crowds!

We invite you to join our Discord to meet the community, Support Champions & staff, in order to learn how to optimize our tools for success and grow your channel.