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How to Add Custom Widgets in Streamlabs Desktop

Add one Custom Widget natively in Streamlabs Desktop, edit it in the dashboard, and use Browser Sources for multiple widgets or inactive themes.

By DocumentaryTube Team 4 min read
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To add one custom-coded widget, use Streamlabs Desktop’s native source: click + in Sources, choose Widgets → Custom Widget → Add Source, then open Edit Custom Code in the source settings. Use a Browser Source instead when you need multiple custom widgets, a widget from an inactive theme, or a workaround for a widget that will not load natively.

Add one Custom Widget as a native source

  1. Open Streamlabs Desktop and locate the Sources panel.
  2. Click +, scroll to Widgets, select Custom Widget, then click Add Source.
  3. Name the source in the dialog and add it.
  4. In the source settings, adjust Browser Settings if needed. Expand Custom Code and choose Edit Custom Code to access the widget’s Custom Fields, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

This native source uses the Custom Widget associated with the active widget theme. If the widget you want is not the one that appears, check which theme is active before rebuilding or changing code.

Edit the widget in the Streamlabs dashboard

Streamlabs supports editing a Custom Widget from either Desktop or the dashboard, and recommends the dashboard for this work: custom fields are easier to see, more testing options are available, and switching themes is easier. Open the Custom Widget page in your authenticated Streamlabs dashboard; this is not an account-free editor. After editing, test the widget there before returning to Desktop to confirm its appearance in the scene.

Choose between a native source and a Browser Source

Use Best fit Theme behavior
Native Custom Widget source One widget associated with the theme you are currently using Follows the active widget theme
Browser Source Multiple Custom Widgets, a widget belonging to an inactive theme, or a fallback when the native source does not load Uses the URL copied for the specific theme’s Custom Widget

Streamlabs documents Browser Sources for multiple Custom Widgets and for using widgets tied to inactive themes. Each URL-backed source can be sized independently in Desktop.

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Add multiple Custom Widgets with Browser Sources

  1. In Streamlabs, open Widget Themes and find the theme containing the widget you want.
  2. Click the link control beside that theme. Find Custom Widget and copy its URL.
  3. In Streamlabs Desktop, click + in Sources, choose Browser Source, and add it.
  4. Paste the copied URL into the source settings and set the width and height to fit the widget.
  5. Repeat with the URL for each additional widget or theme you want to show.

A theme holds widget settings, including its Custom Widget. The active theme determines which Custom Widget is available through the native source. If you are creating a separate custom widget, create another widget theme, make it active while editing that widget, and repeat as needed. Before going live, activate the theme whose other widgets you intend to use; use Browser Sources for custom widgets that need to remain tied to other themes.

Handle custom code carefully

Custom widgets can run code, so treat code from other people as untrusted until you understand it. Streamlabs warns: “Because of the inherent risks of using custom code, we remind you to be extra careful when using code that you did not write.” Streamlabs also says its team cannot advise users on creating their widgets. Review code before using it, and test changes in the dashboard before relying on them in a live scene.

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Troubleshoot a widget that keeps loading

Confirm the intended theme is active

If the native Custom Widget source shows the wrong widget, check the active widget theme. The native source follows that theme. For a widget in another theme, copy its Custom Widget URL and add it as a Browser Source instead.

Check the URL and dimensions

For a Browser Source, make sure you copied the Custom Widget URL from the intended theme and pasted it into the correct source. Set width and height to suit the widget; an incorrect size can make content appear clipped or absent even when the source has been added.

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Use the documented macOS workaround when appropriate

A Streamlabs Support article dated April 25, 2025 documents a macOS case in which a natively added Custom Widget continually loads. Its stated status is “Workaround Available”: edit the widget in the dashboard, copy its URL, then add it in Desktop as a Browser Source. This is a documented option for that reported case, not evidence that every macOS installation has a current general loading defect.

Allow for interface differences

Streamlabs’ setup guides were published or updated in 2026, but a complete current Desktop-version and operating-system compatibility matrix is not established. If your installed version has different labels or placement, look for the Sources panel, widget source options, and the Custom Widget’s settings rather than assuming the interface is identical.

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