Whatnot OBS setup for overlays and break boards
Place Whatnot overlays and boards in OBS on a 1080 x 1920 canvas. Connect steps and stream keys stay on Whatnot's help page.
On this page
A Whatnot OBS setup for overlays and break boards is a vertical canvas, a few named scenes, and files that leave the card visible. Phone-only is a real option for a simple show. It is the wrong option the day you want a starting plate, a live board, a sold flash, and a BRB that match. Those need a compositor. OBS is the usual one.
Whatnot documents how to connect OBS, including stream settings and troubleshooting, on Using OBS with your livestream. This post does not repeat stream keys or WHIP steps. It is where the design files sit after you are connected. Safe area: Whatnot overlay size.
| Piece | OBS source | Skip when |
|---|---|---|
| Frame, board, starting, BRB, end | Image Source, 1080 x 1920 | You are live from the phone with no desktop |
| Short sold or hit motion | Its own scene, often Browser Source | You want a border that loops all night |
| Card cam and face cam | Video Capture, locked after you place them | The capture covers the spot list |
| Data widgets from another tool | Only if you already use them and they fit the hole | You think a widget is a brand kit |
Set the canvas before you import anything
Base resolution 1080 x 1920, not 1920 x 1080. A leftover horizontal scene will crop, shrink type, and look like a Twitch pack wearing a phone costume. Build and export files at that size. Do not design wide and stretch.
Name sources so a stranger can run the show: STARTING, LIVE_FRAME, BOARD, CAM, BRB, END. Lock the transform after the position is right. Keep a copy of the scene collection before you swap formats. 'Final v7' is how the wrong board goes live.
Image Source for stills, Browser Source for motion
Static frames and boards go in as images. Point at the file, fit the canvas, read a claimed cell on your phone. Short motion, if the delivery is HTML or a small animated state, goes in as a Browser Source on its own scene so you can hotkey it and leave. Confirm the file type in the delivery notes. Do not assume a format the Whatnot app itself will play. These scenes are for OBS.
Do not stack a pile of follow alerts on the board. Whatnot already draws chat and bids. Extra chrome covers the pull. Tools that add leaderboards or comps can sit in a hole you planned. They are not a substitute for your name, your colors, and your spot list. Read those products on their own sites before you count on a feature.
Four scenes are enough
- Starting: logo, show title, no live card yet. Early joiners should know who you are.
- Live: card cam, frame, board, face cam in a corner that misses bids and the slab.
- BRB: a still hold while you reset. Put the show name on it. No loop.
- Ending: next show in one line. Same brand as starting.
Hotkeys or a Stream Deck help. Hunting the source list mid-break is how claims fall behind. The deck is a button box you operate. It is not a person clicking spots for you, and a design file is not live board software that remembers sales after a crash.
Phone test, then stop tweaking
Watch the live scene on a phone, with someone else looking. Desktop preview lies about type size. If the card, the cam, and the board fight, the card and the board win. Move the face.
Who should stay off OBS: occasional singles, no custom art, a show that is just you and the item. Who should not hire a kit yet: anyone who has not set the canvas and connected, because the files will sit in a folder. Connect with Whatnot's help article first. Service home: Whatnot stream setup. What the packet should include: what to send when you hire.
When the preview lies
OBS preview on a monitor is larger than a phone and it does not draw Whatnot's chat. You can love a layout that is unreadable in the app. Screenshot a real broadcast, or a private test if you have one, and mark what the app covered. Move type. Do not shrink the whole canvas to 'make it fit.'
If a source is named final and you are not sure it is the one on the program, it is not ready. Delete or hide it before the show, not during the first spot.
The first import, named so you can find it live
Set the canvas to 1080 x 1920 before you import a single file. Then bring in stills as Image Source and motion as Browser Source on its own scene, so a hotkey can show it and a second hotkey can get you back to the still. Do not drop a motion file into the middle of the live scene and hope you can drag it off while a spot is selling.
Four scenes are enough to start: starting, live, the status you actually fire (sold, giveaway, or pull), and end. Name them those words. A scene called 'scene 2' will be the one you hit by accident. Hide every source named final, final2, or REAL that you are not sure is on the program. If you cannot point at the file that is live, it is not ready.
Connect and stream keys stay on Whatnot's OBS help. This is only where the design files sit after you are connected. Test the program output, not only the preview. The preview is larger than a phone and it does not draw Whatnot's chat. Screenshot a real broadcast, or a private test, and move type that the app covered. Do not shrink the whole canvas to make one line fit.
| Import mistake | What you see on the show | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Canvas still 1920 x 1080 | A wide frame with the card in the letterbox | Set 1080 x 1920, then re-place the sources |
| Motion buried in the live scene | You cannot get back to the still without dragging | Browser Source on its own scene, with a hotkey back |
| Six copies named final | The wrong border is the one on program | Delete the copies. One file per scene. |
| A board placed under the bid UI | The bottom row does not exist for buyers | Move the board up. Do not shrink the type to nothing. |
Who should stay off OBS: occasional singles, no custom art, a show that is just you and the item. Who should not hire a kit yet: anyone who has not set the canvas and connected, because the files will sit in a folder. We do not remote into your computer and we do not run the show. You place the files. If that sentence is a problem, fix the setup before you order art.
FAQ
Do I need OBS for Whatnot overlays?
For a layered kit, yes. The phone app can go live. It will not run your starting scene, board, and sold plate as separate sources.
What OBS canvas size should I use for Whatnot?
1080 x 1920. Confirm connect settings on Whatnot's OBS help. Do not start from a horizontal Twitch canvas.
Should boards be Image Source or Browser Source?
Stills are images. Use Browser Source when the delivered board is a web view or needs a short state change. Read the file you were given. Do not convert it by guessing.
How many scenes do I need?
Starting, live, BRB, and ending cover most shows. Add sold, giveaway, and pull only if you will actually fire them.
Can you set up my OBS for me?
We build the files and can note how they should be placed. We do not remote into your show and run the break. You lock the sources and you hit the keys.
If the canvas is already 1080 x 1920 and the card is still covered, send a screenshot of the OBS preview through Free Audit or Discord.
Need overlays, boards, or a full Whatnot kit sized for your show?
