This is the real overlay. The squares show where it is see-through. It restarts when you change a setting. Click it to try the keys below.
Add it to OBS Studio
- Press Copy URL above.
- In OBS, press + under Sources, then Browser, then OK.
- Paste the URL into the URL box.
- Set Width to 1920 and Height to 1080.
- Press OK. Drag the source where you want it.
Add it to Streamlabs Desktop
- Press Copy URL above.
- Press + next to Sources, pick Browser Source, then Add Source.
- Paste the URL into the URL box.
- Set Width to 1920 and Height to 1080.
- Press Done.
Control the timer while you stream
OBS runs the overlay on its own, so this page cannot control it. In OBS, right-click the source and pick Interact. Click inside that window, then use these keys. Your stream shows the changes.
| Space | Pause or go on (a click does the same) |
| R | Restart |
| + - | Add or remove 1 minute |
| ] [ | Add or remove 5 minutes |
| ↑ ↓ | Add or remove 10 seconds |
A countdown to a clock time follows the clock, so these keys do nothing there.
About the stream overlay timer
A timer on your stream tells viewers what comes next: the stream starts in 5 minutes, you are back in 10, the giveaway ends at 9 pm. This tool makes that timer as a web address. You paste the address into OBS or Streamlabs as a browser source, and the timer shows on your stream with a see-through background.
You choose the settings here and watch the real overlay in the preview. There is no sign-up and nothing to install. All the settings are inside the URL, so nothing is stored on a server.
The overlay is a separate small page with no ads and no tracking. OBS only loads that page, never this settings page.
Features
- Seven modes — countdown, count up, to a clock time or date, subathon, and Starting soon, Be right back and Stream ending screens
- See-through background — or pick a solid colour for a full screen
- Your style — 18 fonts, size, colour, outline, shadow, alignment and a text line above or below
- Choose what happens at zero — stay at 00:00, show a text, count up in red, or hide
- Optional sound at zero — beeps, a bell or a horn, off by default
- Keys in OBS Interact — pause, restart, add or remove time
- Keeps its time — a refresh does not start the timer again
- Live preview — the real overlay on a checkerboard, in the size you use
How to use it
- Pick a mode and set the time
- Choose the font, colours and text line, and watch the preview
- Pick what happens at zero, then press Test the end to see it
- Press Copy URL
- In OBS, add a Browser source, paste the URL, and set the width and height shown on the page
- Right-click the source and pick Interact when you want to pause or add time
Which size should I use in OBS?
The size you type in OBS is the size of the overlay page. The text size in this tool is measured in that same space.
| Stream | Width × Height | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Full screen 1080p | 1920 × 1080 | Most streams, full screens |
| Full screen 720p | 1280 × 720 | A 720p canvas |
| Vertical | 1080 × 1920 | TikTok or Shorts style |
| Small box | 800 × 300 | Only the timer, moved anywhere |
If your text is too wide, the overlay makes it smaller so that it fits. Do not stretch the source in OBS: it makes the text blurry.
Control the timer while you stream
A browser source runs on its own, inside OBS, and this web page cannot reach it. So the controls are inside the overlay. In OBS, right-click the source and pick Interact. Click inside the window that opens, then use the keys.
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Space or a click | Pause or go on |
| R | Restart |
| + and - | Add or remove 1 minute |
| ] and [ | Add or remove 5 minutes |
| Up and Down arrows | Add or remove 10 seconds |
A countdown to a clock time follows the clock, so it has no controls.
What happens after a reload?
| What you do | What happens to the time |
|---|---|
| Refresh the source in OBS | Keeps going |
| Close OBS, back within 6 hours | Keeps going, also while OBS was closed |
| Close OBS, back after more than 6 hours | Starts again from your time |
| Change a setting and paste a new URL | Starts again from your time |
| Countdown to a clock time | Always right, because it follows the clock |
A paused timer stays paused after a refresh. The saved time lives in the browser data of OBS. If OBS clears that data, the timer starts again, except a countdown to a clock time.
Frequently asked questions
Does the subathon timer add time from subs or donations?
No. You add time by hand with the keys in OBS Interact. This tool does not connect to Twitch, YouTube or any donation service, and it needs no account. It stays simple and private, but someone must press the key.
Why is there no sound on my stream?
A browser source can only send its sound to your stream when you tick Control audio via OBS in its settings. Then you see it in the Audio Mixer. To hear it yourself, set its Audio Monitoring to Monitor and Output. If you open the URL in a normal browser tab, click the page once, because browsers block sound until you click.
Can I start the timer from this page?
No. This page only makes the URL. The clock starts when OBS first opens it. To start at a planned moment, press R in Interact or use a countdown to a clock time.
Do other people see my settings?
Only if you share the URL, because the settings are inside it. Your text is not sent to any server. If you pick a Google Font, your computer downloads that font from Google.
Good to know
- The overlay uses the clock of the computer that runs OBS, so check that the clock is right
- This page remembers your last settings in this browser
Related tools
- Online Timer — a big timer and stopwatch for your screen
- Visual Timer — see the time left as a shrinking shape
- Presentation Timer — keep a talk on time
- Add Text to Video — put text on a recorded video
- Webcam Test — check your camera before you go live
