Voting
Voting lets viewers choose between several options, either by typing in the comments or by sending gifts. The results show up directly in OBS and move as votes come in.
What is Voting
Use it to decide what you do next: which game to play, which character to use, or just a fun poll. Because viewers can see the results, they have a reason to get others to vote too.
Before you start
Your TikTok Live has to be connected.
Setup steps
1. Create the options
In the Options & Results section, type an option and click Add. Click an option's name to rename it.
There is a limit on the number of options; when you hit it, you'll see "Maximum N options." A duplicate option is also rejected with "That option already exists."
2. Set the duration
| Option | Behavior |
|---|---|
| No limit | Voting runs until you stop it |
| Custom | Enter your own duration in seconds |
Voting stops on its own when time runs out, and the results stay on screen in OBS.
3. Start
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| Start | Starts the vote |
| Stop | Ends it early |
| Reset Voters Only | Votes go back to 0, the option list stays |
| Reset All | Deletes the options along with their votes |
| Shown in OBS / Hidden from OBS | Hides the overlay without stopping the vote |
If you haven't, the dashboard tells you: "Voting has not started yet, please click the start button first." Viewer comments before that point aren't counted.
How viewers vote
By comment
Viewers type an option's name as a whole word in a comment.
Typing a different option moves their vote instead of adding another. Viewers can't multiply their vote by typing it over and over.
Since it has to be a whole word, pick short names that are unlikely to show up by chance in normal chat. Options named A and B work far better than long phrases.
By gift
Turn on Vote with Gifts, then map specific gifts to specific options. Each mapping has its own Votes per gift.
This difference is easy to misunderstand. The dashboard's own explanation:
Gift votes stack and do NOT cancel a viewer's chat vote. Gifts are influence, comments are votes.
Gift votes stack (one person can send gifts many times and every one counts), and a gift doesn't remove that person's comment vote. A viewer who comments and then sends a gift contributes both.
If you want a strictly fair one-person-one-vote poll, don't turn on voting with gifts.
If a mapping points to an option that has been deleted, the dashboard warns you and offers a Clean up button.
Install the overlay
Open the Voting menu in the dashboard, find the Install Overlay in OBS / TikTok Live Studio card, and copy the overlay link. Paste it as a Browser Source in OBS, or add it through Add Source → Link in TikTok Live Studio, at 1920 × 1080.
Use the Customize button on the same card to change how this overlay looks.
Never installed an overlay before? Read Installing Overlays in OBS & TikTok Live Studio first. It walks through each step.
Important settings
The Customize button:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Overlay heading | The heading text |
| Accent color | The main color |
| Bar colors | Different per rank, All accent color, or Plain white |
| Show rank numbers | Position numbers |
| Show percentages | Vote percentage |
| Show vote counts | Number of votes |
| Show voter photos | Profile photos of the viewers who voted |
| Photos per option | How many photos are shown |
| Show countdown | Time remaining |
| Options shown | How many of the top options are shown. 0 = all |
| After voting ends | Keep the result on screen or Hide after a few seconds |
If you limit Options shown, the dashboard reminds you that the overlay only shows that many from the top. The other options are still counted; they just aren't visible.
Common problems
Symptom: viewers comment but the vote count doesn't go up.
Check that the vote has been started with Start. Also check that viewers type the option name as a whole word. If the option is red, the comment "it's reddish" isn't counted.
Symptom: one person can win alone through gifts. That's by design, because gift votes stack. Turn off Vote with Gifts if you want a more even result.
Symptom: voting has ended but the overlay still shows the results. That's intentional. Change it in After voting ends, or click Start for a new round.