How to run a subathon on Twitch
Set the clock. Let subs, gift subs, and Bits add time. Keep the finish line—and every live control—in your hands.
Two connected runs are free. No card required.
Summer community subathon
06:00:00
Launch timeline
From rough idea to live clock
Four short phases. Plan the stream first, then make the timer match it.
- 1
Plan
Step 1
Set your clock and finish line
Choose a starting time you can finish, even if chat adds nothing.
Step 2
Choose what support adds
Decide what each sub, gift sub, and Bits milestone adds.
- 2
Build
Step 3
Plan the fun—and the breaks
Line up goals, content blocks, food breaks, and moderator cover.
Step 4
Connect Twitch
Sign in, enter your rules, and save the subathon as a draft.
- 3
Rehearse
Step 5
Put the timer in OBS
Paste your permanent overlay URL into one Browser Source.
Step 6
Rehearse the controls
Test events, pause, resume, edits, goals, and the OBS overlay.
- 4
Go live
Step 7
Brief chat, then start
Explain the rules on stream before you start the saved timer.
Step 8
End cleanly
Thank chat, end the run, and review the final stats in History.
Before setup
Pick rules that still feel fun six hours in
The classic mistake is choosing a huge “+5 minutes per sub” because it sounds exciting.
Instead, picture your busiest realistic hour. How much time could chat add? If that answer scares you, lower the increment or set a firmer ceiling.
Good rules create hype without making tomorrow a problem.
Three starting points
Use these as a gut-check, not a universal rulebook.
Conservative
Active chat or a firm finish
Starting clock
4:00:00
Each sub
+0:30
100 Bits
+0:15
Balanced
First planned subathon
Starting clock
6:00:00
Each sub
+1:00
100 Bits
+0:30
Room to grow
Smaller community
Starting clock
3:00:00
Each sub
+2:00
100 Bits
+1:00
Quick gut-check
Starting time: would you happily stream it with zero extra support?
Gift bomb: what happens if someone drops 5, 10, or 20 subs?
Goals: only promise rewards you can actually deliver.
Two different limits
Your timer ceiling is the highest the countdown can climb.
The free-plan limit ends a run after 24 real hours—even while paused.
Need rewards chat will care about? Browse the subathon ideas guide.
Connect safely
Let Twitch events move the clock
When someone subs, gifts, resubs, or Cheers, Twitch tells the timer. Your saved rule adds the time and the event appears in the live feed—no manual stopwatch work.
Authorize through Twitch
Review the permissions on Twitch before approving; your Twitch password is not sent to StreamerGiveaway.
Save a draft first
Name the event, enter starting time, ceiling, goals, and add-time rules. Saving does not start the clock.
Check the preview
Use the built-in test buttons to see how a Tier 1 sub, five gifts, or 1,000 bits changes the sample timer.
What the connection does
What StreamerGiveaway can see—and what it cannot
Subs and gift subs
Twitch reports new subs, resubs, and gift batches.
Cheers with Bits
Twitch reports the Bits amount so your rule can add time.
What happened
The dashboard shows who supported, how much, and the time added.
Your password stays with Twitch
StreamerGiveaway never receives or stores it.
Broadcast setup
Add the subathon timer to OBS
The dashboard is your control room. OBS only displays the transparent overlay through one permanent Browser Source URL.
URL
Width
Height
Shutdown source when not visible
Refresh browser when scene becomes active
05:42:18
- 1
Copy the permanent URL
Open Subathons in the dashboard. Copy the OBS URL shown in the overlay setup card. Do not post this URL publicly.
- 2
Create the Browser Source
In OBS Sources, select +, choose Browser, paste the URL, and set the viewport to 1920 × 1080.
- 3
Place and test it
Move or resize the source in the preview. Start a test run, pause it, resume it, and confirm the same state appears in OBS.
OBS documents that Browser Source loads a web page and lets you set its URL, width, height, visibility behavior, and refresh behavior. Those controls are in the source properties.
Official OBS guideDuring the stream
One live-control flow, no OBS juggling
Keep StreamerGiveaway open on a second screen or trusted control device. OBS reflects the saved state; the live dashboard is where you make operational decisions.
Moderator handoff
Assign at least one trusted moderator to chat safety and one person to the run sheet if possible. Twitch moderators can warn, time out, ban, and manage chat modes; do not assume that role automatically grants access to your private StreamerGiveaway dashboard.
Twitch channel rolesStart after your rules briefing
Show the starting clock and ceiling, explain what each event adds, state break rules, then press Start.
Pause for planned or urgent breaks
The countdown freezes. On this timer, Twitch events can still add time while paused, so make that behavior explicit.
Edit carefully mid-run
You can set remaining time, change future event rules, edit milestones, use 0.5×–10× multipliers, or apply manual ± time.
End when the stream is actually over
Ending moves the run to History and cannot be resumed. All statistics and recorded events remain available.
Chat lead
- Pin or repeat timer rules
- Manage safety and chat modes
- Escalate disputes to the streamer
Run-of-show lead
- Call upcoming goals and breaks
- Track promised rewards
- Verify manual adjustments aloud
Streamer
- Approve rule changes
- Control pause and end decisions
- Keep viewers informed
Fast recovery
Subathon setup troubleshooting
Diagnose from the dashboard outward: first verify the run state, then the Twitch event, then the OBS display.
The timer is blank in OBS
- 1Confirm the Browser Source is visible and not covered by another source.
- 2Verify the permanent overlay URL was pasted without missing characters.
- 3Start a saved subathon; the overlay hides when no run is active.
- 4Open Browser Source properties and refresh the current page.
A sub or cheer did not add time
- 1Check whether the event appears in the dashboard live feed.
- 2Confirm the saved rule is greater than zero and the multiplier is expected.
- 3A timer ceiling can prevent the visible clock from growing further.
- 4For free runs, time beyond the 24-hour finish may be banked instead of displayed.
The dashboard updates but OBS does not
- 1Refresh the Browser Source cache from its properties.
- 2Confirm OBS and the dashboard are online.
- 3Check that OBS uses the same account's current permanent URL.
- 4If scenes duplicate sources, inspect the source that is actually visible.
The timer changed during a pause
- 1Pause freezes countdown decay; it does not block Twitch event additions.
- 2Review the event feed for a sub, gift, resub, cheer, or manual adjustment.
- 3Explain this behavior before breaks so chat knows its support still counts.
- 4If necessary, use Edit settings to set the intended remaining time.
After the timer
Close the loop after your subathon
A clean ending protects trust and makes the next event easier. Save your final totals, thank supporters, fulfill every published goal, and turn the run history into better settings next time.
- Confirm the run is ended in the dashboard
- Capture final subs, gifts, bits, and time added
- Review the event feed for corrections
- Assign owners and dates to unfinished goals
- Ask moderators what broke or caused confusion
- Adjust your next starting time and increments
Completed · Summer Subathon
Run review
Direct subs
—
Gift subs
—
Bits
—
Time added
—
Your own run history supplies these numbers. This guide does not invent performance benchmarks.
Questions from setup
Twitch subathon FAQ
How do you run a subathon on Twitch?+
Plan a starting countdown, add-time rules, a timer ceiling, goals, breaks, and moderator roles. Then connect Twitch to a subathon timer, add its permanent URL to OBS as a Browser Source, test the overlay and event flow, go live, and start the saved run. Manage pauses and adjustments from the timer dashboard, then end the run and review its history.
How do I add a subathon timer to OBS?+
Copy the overlay URL from your StreamerGiveaway subathon dashboard. In OBS, click the plus button in Sources, choose Browser, paste the URL, and set Width to 1920 and Height to 1080. Confirm the background is transparent, position the timer in the preview, and keep the URL private because it identifies your overlay.
What Twitch permissions does the timer need?+
StreamerGiveaway requests Twitch permissions that include reading channel subscriptions and bits so Twitch EventSub can report new subscriptions, gift-sub batches, resubscription messages, and cheers. The sign-in page shows the permissions before you approve them, and your Twitch password is not shared with the site.
Should I cap my first subathon?+
Yes. A timer ceiling gives viewers a clear finish line and prevents the countdown from growing beyond what you can safely host. It is separate from StreamerGiveaway's free-plan wall-clock limit: your chosen ceiling controls the visible countdown, while a free run can remain live for no more than 24 elapsed hours.
Can I pause a subathon timer for breaks?+
Yes. Pausing freezes the remaining countdown. Twitch support can still add time while the StreamerGiveaway timer is paused, so explain that rule to chat before the event. Resume from the dashboard when you are ready.
Can I change the timer while the subathon is live?+
Yes. The live dashboard lets you set the remaining time, edit event increments and goals, change the multiplier, and make quick manual additions or deductions. Changes apply to the dashboard and OBS overlay; changed automatic rules apply to the next Twitch event.
Is the Twitch subathon setup free?+
StreamerGiveaway includes two free Twitch-connected subathons. Each free run has a 24-hour wall-clock limit measured from the moment it starts, even while paused. A test ended within 15 minutes without a Twitch event does not use an allowance.
What if the OBS timer is blank or not updating?+
First confirm a saved subathon is running and the Browser Source uses the current permanent overlay URL. In OBS, make sure the source is visible and above the layers that could cover it, then open its properties and use Refresh cache of current page. Also verify your internet connection and check that the dashboard receives the same update.
Free Twitch subathon timer
Build the connected countdown and OBS overlay used in this guide.
Open guideWhat is a subathon?
Understand the format, capped and uncapped events, and the core rules.
Open guideSubathon ideas and goals
Plan milestone rewards and content blocks after your setup is sound.
Open guideFrom checklist to live clock
Build the timer before launch day
Connect Twitch, save your timer rules and goals, customize the OBS overlay, and rehearse the controls while there is still time to change the plan.
Two free connected runs · up to 24 wall-clock hours each