How a subathon works
During a subathon a countdown runs and every bit of support extends it: new subs, bits, donations or gift subs. The stream only ends when the timer reaches zero. The preset above starts at four hours, keeps running after a reload or an OBS restart and shows overtime at the end.
Add time by hand or automatically
By hand: right click the source in OBS and choose Interact. There, + and - add or remove one minute and the arrow keys ten seconds.
Automatically: Streamer.bot and many Stream Deck plugins can send events to browser sources through the OBS WebSocket server. Send the request CallVendorRequest with the vendor obs-browser and the type emit_event on every new sub:
{"event_name": "finaltimer", "event_data": {"action": "add", "minutes": 5, "id": "subathon"}}Enter the overlay ID “subathon” in the timer settings, so only this timer reacts even if you run several.
Important settings
- Keep running after a refresh: already enabled, so a crash never resets your subathon.
- Count overtime: shows how far past zero the stream has gone.
- Box style: easy to read over gameplay and camera.
Every option is explained in the full guide on the OBS timer page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account or a Twitch connection?
No. The timer works without any login. For automatic extensions you only connect Streamer.bot or a similar tool to OBS, not to us.
What happens if OBS crashes?
With “Keep running after a refresh” the timer remembers its state in the OBS browser. After the restart it continues at the right point.
Does the subathon timer work on Kick or YouTube?
Yes. The timer is part of your stream picture, so it works on every platform. For automatic extensions you need a tool that passes that platform’s events on to OBS.