Kick stream overlay checklist before you go live

Going live with a broken overlay wastes the first ten minutes when chat should be driving the show. This checklist is the order we run before hitting Start Streaming on Kick — export on disk, OBS scenes wired, Kick slug correct, and the boring settings that save you from GPU meltdown mid-rank.

Print it mentally. Fix failures before you're live.

1. Builder and export

• [ ] Correct template loaded (chat, gaming, Just Chatting, or Starting Soon)
• [ ] Kick channel slug set and verified (exact kick.com/yourslug path)
• [ ] Theme, fonts, and accent match your brand
• [ ] Export downloaded — HTML or ZIP as needed (export guide)
• [ ] ZIP fully unzipped to a stable folder if applicable
• [ ] Previous good export backed up before experimental changes

No export = no overlay. Finish the builder loop first.

2. OBS Browser Source

• [ ] Browser Source added to the right scene(s)
• [ ] Local file checked — path points to your .html or unzipped index.html
• [ ] Width and height match export canvas (typically 1920×1080)
• [ ] Overlay visible in OBS preview — not blank, not wrong scale
• [ ] Source order correct — chat above/below game capture as intended
• [ ] Shutdown source when not visible set per scene (on for rare scenes, your call on main)
• [ ] Cache refreshed if you overwrote an existing file

Full steps: add overlay to OBS.

3. Scenes and transitions

• [ ] Starting Soon scene (if you use one) has its own Browser Source or scene
• [ ] Live scene has gaming / Just Chatting / chat overlay as needed
• [ ] Scene transitions tested — no flash of wrong layout
• [ ] Hotkeys or Stream Deck buttons mapped if you switch scenes on air
• [ ] Audio sources unmuted in live scene; Starting Soon doesn't leak mic if you don't want it

Know which scene you start on. "Starting Soon → Live" is the common path.

4. Kick and stream settings

• [ ] Kick stream title and category set in Kick dashboard or app
• [ ] Stream key in OBS matches Kick (not last week's test)
• [ ] Bitrate and resolution appropriate for your upload — overlay readability tested at stream resolution, not just 4K canvas
• [ ] You're actually live on Kick when expecting live chat in overlay (pre-live scenes may show empty or stale chat)

Chat widgets need your stream live for real messages. Test slug during a short unlisted or friends-only test if Kick supports your workflow.

5. Performance sanity check

• [ ] CPU/GPU not pegged in OBS stats before going live
• [ ] Unused Browser Sources disabled or in shutdown-when-hidden scenes
• [ ] Game capture and overlay both smooth in preview — drop overlay complexity if frames dip
• [ ] Browser hardware acceleration: if OBS docs recommend toggling for your GPU, note your setting — don't change five minutes before show

Single-PC streamers: overlays cost GPU. Starting Soon shutdown helps.

6. Backup plan

• [ ] Copy of last working export in a second folder
• [ ] Know how to disable Browser Source fast (eye icon) if chat breaks
• [ ] Kick chat slug fix path: builder → re-export → refresh OBS — under five minutes if you've done it once

Murphy's law applies to Browser Source paths after Windows updates. Have the old file.

Quick pre-stream run (5 minutes)

1. Open OBS — confirm overlay renders in preview.
2. Start Kick stream (or test stream) — confirm chat messages appear in overlay.
3. Switch Starting Soon → Live scene if you use both — confirm no duplicate audio or missing overlay.
4. Check stats (viewers/followers) if your template includes them.
5. Hit go — focus on content, not fixing HTML.

Common go-live failures

| Symptom | Likely fix | |---------|------------| | Blank Browser Source | Wrong path; ZIP not unzipped | | Chat empty | Wrong Kick slug; not live yet | | Blurry overlay | Width/height too low in OBS | | Old colors showing | Re-export + refresh OBS cache | | High GPU | Shutdown when not visible; fewer browser sources |