How to Put Words on TikTok Live

Putting words on your screen during a TikTok LIVE can completely change the game, turning a casual stream into a polished, engaging, and professional broadcast. Whether you want to flash a discount code, share a call-to-action, or just welcome your audience, text can help you get your message across clearly. This guide will walk you through exactly how to do it, from the simplest built-in tools to professional streaming software for maximum control.

Why Add Text to Your TikTok Live?

Before getting into the how, let's quickly cover the why. Adding text isn't just a gimmick, it’s a strategic tool. When used correctly, it can help you:

• Drive Action: Displaying a clickable link in your bio, a promo code, or a website URL gives your viewers a clear next step. Visual reminders are powerful and can significantly boost conversions.
• Highlight Key Information: New viewers are constantly joining your stream. A persistent text overlay that announces your LIVE topic or a special giveaway keeps everyone in the loop without you needing to repeat yourself every 30 seconds.
• Increase Engagement: Use text to post a question for your audience, run a poll, or display a follower goal. This gives people a reason to participate, send gifts, and stick around longer.
• Improve Accessibility: For viewers who are hard of hearing or watching without sound, on-screen text makes your content more inclusive and easier to follow.

Method 1: The Quick & Easy Way with TikTok's Built-In Stickers

If you just need to add a simple piece of text and don't want to mess with extra software, TikTok has a native feature that works perfectly. This is ideal for adding a quick note, topic title, or a username you want to shout out.

How to Use Live Stickers:

1. Open the TikTok app and tap the plus (+) button at the bottom center.
2. Swipe over to the LIVE option.
3. Before you hit "Go LIVE," look for the "Stickers" option on the right side of the screen. Tap on it.
4. A menu of stickers will appear. Look for a sticker that allows you to add text. These are usually pretty easy to spot. Some might have decorative borders, while others are plain text fields.
5. Tap the text sticker, and a keyboard will pop up. Type in your message. Keep it short and sweet, as you have limited space.
6. Once you've typed your message, you can drag the text box to position it anywhere on the screen. Pinch to resize it and rotate it if needed.
7. When you're happy with the placement, you can go ahead and tap "Go LIVE." Your text will be visible to everyone who joins your stream.

The Catch: This method is fantastic for its simplicity, but it's not very dynamic. You can't change the text mid-stream without a lot of fiddling, nor can you add custom fonts, animations, or professional branding. For that, you need to bring in the big guns.

Method 2: The Professional Way with Streaming Software (OBS)

For brands, serious creators, or anyone who wants complete control over their LIVE's visual elements, streaming from a computer is the way to go. It unlocks the ability to add branded overlays, dynamic text, different camera angles, and even screen sharing. The most popular (and free) software for this is OBS Studio.

It might sound intimidating, but the basic setup is surprisingly straightforward.

What You'll Need:

• TikTok LIVE Access on a Computer: Not everyone has this enabled. Typically, you need a certain number of followers (TikTok's threshold can change, but it’s often around 1,000) and to be in good standing.
• A PC or Mac: A reasonably modern computer that can handle streaming video.
• OBS Studio: A free, open-source streaming software. You can download it directly from obsproject.com.
• A Webcam: Your laptop's built-in camera works, but an external webcam or a DSLR camera will provide much better quality.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Words with OBS:

Step 1: Get Your Stream Key from TikTok

Before you do anything in OBS, you need to tell TikTok you're planning to stream from a computer.

1. Go to tiktok.com on your computer's browser and log in.
2. Click the "Go LIVE" button, which is usually located in the top-right corner.
3. This will take you to the LIVE Center. Fill out your LIVE details like title and topic.
4. On this screen, you’ll find a "Server URL" and a "Stream Key." The stream key is like a secret password that connects OBS directly to your TikTok account. Never share this key with anyone. Keep this page open in your browser.

Step 2: Set Up OBS Studio

Now, let's get OBS ready. When you first open it, the screen will be black. That's normal. OBS works with "Scenes" and "Sources."

• Scenes: Think of a scene as a specific screen layout. You might have one scene for your main "talking head" view and another for screen sharing. For now, we'll just use one scene.
• Sources: Sources are the actual elements that appear within a scene - your camera feed, images, and, most importantly, text.

Find the "Sources" box (usually at the bottom of the screen) and click the plus (+) icon to add your first source.

Step 3: Add Your Camera

1. In the "Sources" box, click + and select "Video Capture Device."
2. Give it a name, like "My Webcam," and click "OK."
3. A properties window will pop up. From the "Device" dropdown menu, select your webcam. You should see a preview of your camera feed. Click "OK."
4. You can now drag the corners of the video feed in the main OBS window to resize it and position it however you like.

Step 4: Add Your Text!

This is where the magic happens.

1. Click the plus (+) icon in the "Sources" box again.
2. This time, select "Text (GDI+)."
3. Give it a descriptive name, like "Welcome Message" or "Promo Code," and click "OK."
4. A big properties window will appear with lots of customization options. This is your text editor.
5. In the "Text" field, type whatever you want to appear on screen.
6. Below that, you can customize everything:
   • Font: Choose any font installed on your computer. Pick one that is bold and easy to read on mobile.
   • Color: Select a color that contrasts well with your background.
   • Outline/Stroke: Adding a thin black or white outline can make your text "pop" and be readable no matter what's behind it. Highly recommended!
   • Background Color & Opacity: You can even place your text inside a semi-transparent box to improve legibility.
7. Once you're done styling your text, click "OK."
8. Just like your webcam feed, your new text source will appear in the main OBS preview window. You can drag it to position it and resize it. A common spot is the top or bottom corner of the screen where it won't block your face.

Step 5: Connect OBS to TikTok

Almost there. It's time to link the two pieces together.

1. In OBS, go to Settings > Stream.
2. For the "Service" dropdown, select "Custom..."
3. Go back to your TikTok LIVE Center browser tab. Copy the "Server URL" from TikTok and paste it into the "Server" field in OBS.
4. Now, copy the "Stream Key" from TikTok and paste it into the "Stream Key" field in OBS.
5. Click "Apply," then "OK."

Step 6: Go Live!

This is the final step. The order is important.

1. In OBS, click the "Start Streaming" button. OBS is now sending your video feed (with your camera and text overlay) to TikTok's servers.
2. Switch back to your TikTok browser tab. You should see a preview of your stream from OBS appear in the LIVE Center.
3. If everything looks good, click the "Go LIVE" button on the TikTok page.
4. That's it! You are now live on TikTok, broadcasting from your computer with professional text beautifully displayed on screen.

To end your stream, click "End Stream" in OBS first, then "End LIVE" in your TikTok browser window.

Best Practices for Using Words on a LIVE Stream

Just because you can put words on screen doesn’t mean you should go crazy. Here are a few tips to keep your stream looking professional and uncluttered.

• Keep it Legible: Use bold, easy-to-read fonts and high-contrast colors. What looks good on your 24-inch monitor might be unreadable on a phone screen.
• Be Brief: Mobile viewers have short attention spans. Use bullet points or short phrases instead of long sentences. Think "50% OFF TODAY!" not "We are pleased to announce a special promotion for a limited time that gives our customers a fifty percent discount."
• Don't Be Static: If you're using OBS, an amazing pro-tip is to set up multiple text sources that you can turn on and off. You can reveal a discount code halfway through, then turn it off and show a "Follow Me!" prompt later. The eye icon next to each source in OBS lets you show or hide it instantly.
• Stay On-Brand: Use the same fonts and colors that you use across your social media profiles and website. This helps build brand consistency and recognition.

Final Thoughts

Adding words to your TikTok LIVE is a powerful way to make your broadcasts more engaging, informative, and professional. You can start with TikTok's simple native stickers for quick messages or elevate your production value significantly with the control and creativity offered by streaming software like OBS.

Organizing a polished stream is just one part of a great social media strategy. The real impact comes when you plan that event as part of a larger content calendar. That's why we built Postbase. Having a visual calendar helps us see all our scheduled videos and posts, making it easy to create excitement and promote our LIVEs ahead of time. It ensures every piece of content works together, building a consistent and engaging presence that turns viewers into followers.