RaceLab Support – Chat Highlights Overlay (Streaming – Twitch only)

Chat Highlights Overlay (Streaming – Twitch only)

The Chat Highlights overlay lets you pick out individual Twitch messages and show them big and clear on screen. This is great for answering questions, reacting to comments, or highlighting supporters without the full chat panel taking up space.

Important: this overlay reads messages from Twitch chat. Your Twitch account needs to be connected to RaceLab. Other platforms are not covered by this overlay.

What the Chat Highlights overlay does

  • Shows one message (or a small number of messages) at a time.
  • Displays the viewer’s name and message in a larger, styled box.
  • Often supports selecting messages via a hotkey or simple control in RaceLab.
  • Pairs nicely with the normal Twitch Chat overlay or the main Chat Overlay.

Think of it as a “comment spotlight” overlay – instead of the whole chat, you show only the message you are talking about right now.

1. Requirements

  • RaceLab app installed and running.
  • Twitch account connected to RaceLab.
  • Streaming software such as OBS Studio or Streamlabs.
  • A layout in RaceLab used for your streaming scene.

2. Connect Twitch (quick reminder)

  1. Open the RaceLab App.
  2. Go to the Settings / Streaming area.
  3. In the Twitch section, log in and authorise RaceLab to access your chat.
  4. Confirm your channel name appears correctly and shows as connected.

3. Add the Chat Highlights overlay to a layout

  1. In RaceLab, open Layouts.
  2. Create a new layout (for example: “Stream – Chat Highlight”) or open your main stream layout.
  3. Click Add widget.
  4. Select the Chat Highlights Overlay from the widget list (name may be very close to this).
  5. Place the highlight box where it will be easy to see:
    • Under or next to your webcam.
    • Top or bottom centre of the screen as a banner.
  6. Resize the highlight area so there is room for:
    • The username.
    • A few lines of text for longer messages.
  7. Adjust colours and font to match your stream branding and keep it readable.
  8. Save the layout.
Tip – keep it away from your main focus area Place the highlight where viewers can see it easily but it does not cover your braking points, mirrors or important HUD elements.

4. Showing a highlighted message

The exact controls depend on your RaceLab version, but the basic flow is:

  1. Watch your Twitch chat in your normal chat window or overlay.
  2. When you see a message you want to highlight, use the RaceLab method to select it:
    • Some versions use a small UI in the RaceLab app.
    • Others may support hotkeys or simple controls to cycle messages.
  3. The selected message appears inside the Chat Highlights overlay in your layout.
  4. Talk about the message on stream, answer the question, or thank the viewer while their message stays on screen.
  5. When finished, clear the highlight or select the next message.
Tip – good for Q&A segments For planned “Questions from chat” sections, switch to a scene where the highlight box is larger and the car is smaller. This makes it easy for viewers to read each question as you answer it.

5. Add the layout to OBS / Streamlabs

  1. In RaceLab, open the layout that has your Chat Highlights overlay.
  2. Copy the overlay URL / browser link.
  3. Open OBS Studio or your streaming software.
  4. Select the scene where you want highlights to appear.
  5. Click Add > Browser Source.
  6. Name it “RaceLab – Chat Highlights overlay”.
  7. Paste the overlay URL into the URL box.
  8. Set a suitable width / height, for example:
    • Width: 600–1000 px
    • Height: 150–350 px
  9. Press OK and move the browser source where you want it.

6. Moderation & safety

  • Only highlight messages you are comfortable showing in VODs and clips.
  • Use Twitch moderation tools (mods, blocked words, automod) to reduce the chance of bad messages showing up.
  • If something slips through, quickly clear the highlight and continue. Remember you control which messages you choose to display.

7. Common problems and quick fixes

  • No message ever appears:
    Confirm Twitch is connected in RaceLab and that you added the correct Chat Highlights widget (not a different chat overlay). Make sure you are using the correct layout URL in OBS.
  • Wrong message is highlighted:
    Check how RaceLab chooses messages (for example last selected, or by a list). Practice the selection method off-stream until it is comfortable.
  • Text is cut off:
    Increase the overlay height, reduce font size slightly, or limit the length of messages you choose to highlight on screen.
  • Highlight covers too much of the game:
    Move it to a different corner, or create a dedicated “Chat Highlight” scene where the camera is bigger and the game window slightly smaller.
  • Overlay looks different in OBS vs RaceLab preview:
    Ensure browser source width / height matches the layout size, and avoid heavy scaling in OBS that can distort the overlay.

This page was created by a RaceLab community member Scottozy, based on personal experience using RaceLab overlays together with publicly available documentation and community feedback. It is an unofficial help page and is not an official RaceLab publication.

Sources & references

  • RaceLab – information about chat highlight / featured message overlays.
  • RaceLab community examples of using chat highlight boxes for Q&A and reactions.
  • Practical testing by sim-racers combining RaceLab Chat Highlights overlays with OBS / Streamlabs on Twitch.