Publish & add to OBS
Overlays use a draft → publish model. Every change in the editor is saved instantly as a draft, but OBS only shows what you published. That means you can redesign during a live stream safely, and every publish becomes a numbered version you can go back to.
How it works#
- Publish → optional What changed? label → Publish now. OBS updates within a second, without refreshing the source.
- OBS always shows the newest version (marked Live in OBS in the version list).
- Restore to draft loads an old version into your draft; publish it to make it live again. Nothing is ever overwritten.
- Discard draft throws away unpublished changes and returns the editor to the live version.
- In Scenes & sources mode you can turn on Go live instantly: every change publishes itself after half a second.
- An artist (from DAB Mod) can edit your overlays. With approval mode, their Publish becomes a request you approve on the overview.
Before you start#
Set it up#
In the editor: OBS link. Or on the overview: the link icon on the overlay card.
OBS → your scene → Sources → + → Browser → Create new → name it e.g. DAB · Live.
URL: paste the link. Width 1920, Height 1080 (or 1080×1920 for portrait). Leave Custom CSS empty.
Tick Control audio via OBS so alert sounds go through OBS's mixer.
Click OK; if needed right-click the source → Transform → Fit to screen.
OBS → Tools → WebSocket Server Settings → Enable WebSocket server. Note the password (Show Connect Info).
In the editor: Automate → Connect OBS. Address stays ws://localhost:4455; enter the password → Connect.
Under Add overlay to scene choose a scene → Create browser source.
Every setting explained#
| Publish | Opens the publish box. |
| What changed? (optional) | A short label (max 80 characters) shown in the version history, e.g. new raid alert. |
| Publish now | Makes the draft live as the next version. Toast: Published as vN — OBS has been updated. |
| Draft with unpublished changes | Shown when your draft differs from what OBS shows. |
| Discard draft | Throws away every unpublished change; the editor reloads the live version. |
| Version list | Every published version: number, Live in OBS on the newest, layer count, your label and date/time. |
| Restore to draft | Loads that version into your draft (the current draft is replaced). Publish to put it live. |
A direct connection from your browser to OBS on the same computer.
| Address | The WebSocket address, normally ws://localhost:4455. |
| Password | The OBS WebSocket password. It's stored only in this browser; the connection goes straight to OBS, never through DAB servers. |
| Connect / Disconnect | Connects and loads your OBS scenes. |
| Scenes in OBS | Click a scene to switch OBS to it right away. |
| Add overlay to scene + Create browser source | Creates (or updates) a browser source named DAB · overlay name with the right link and size in the chosen scene. |
Recommended values in OBS.
| URL | Your overlay's OBS link. |
| Width / Height | Exactly the overlay's size: 1920×1080 (landscape), 1080×1920 (portrait), 1080×1080 or 1280×720. |
| Control audio via OBS | On — alert, media and sound layers then appear in the OBS mixer. |
| Shutdown source when not visible | Off for overlays with alerts, otherwise events during another scene are missed. |
| Page permissions | Set to Advanced access to OBS only if you use automations that switch scenes. |
| Artist editing | An artist added through DAB Mod can open and edit your overlays. OBS links stay yours: they can't copy them. |
| Approval requests | In approval mode their Publish sends a request instead. On the overview you see Name wants to publish "overlay", with open comment count, and the buttons View, Reject and Approve (publishes the overlay's current draft). |
Good to know#
Troubleshooting#
Can't reach OBS
localhost.