Install VPE & Run Your First Automated Stream

VPE is a standalone desktop app — no browser extensions, no cloud accounts, no plugins to configure. Download the installer for your platform (Windows .exe, macOS .dmg, or Linux .AppImage / .deb) from getvpe.com.

On macOS, drag VPE into your Applications folder. On Windows, run the installer and follow the prompts. On Linux, make the .AppImage executable and launch it, or install the .deb with your package manager. VPE will appear in your system tray once installed.

The app is self-contained and requires no runtime dependencies. Everything is included — there's nothing else to install.

VPE communicates with OBS via the WebSocket v5 protocol (built into OBS 28+). Open OBS, go to Tools → WebSocket Server Settings, and make sure the server is enabled.

By default, VPE connects to localhost:4455 — the same default OBS uses. If you've changed the port or set a password, update the connection settings in VPE's Plugins tab.

Once connected, VPE automatically discovers your scenes, sources, and audio channels. You'll see a green 'Connected' indicator in the Plugins panel.

Go to Settings → Streaming and click 'Connect' next to your platform (Twitch, YouTube, Kick, TikTok, Facebook, or Instagram). VPE uses OAuth — you never enter your password into VPE.

After authenticating, VPE starts receiving real-time events: donations, subscriptions, raids, chat messages, and follows. These events drive all of VPE's automation.

You can connect multiple platforms simultaneously. VPE merges all events into a single stream, so your automation rules work across all platforms without duplication.

With OBS connected and a platform linked, VPE is already working. Start a stream (or use the Scenarios tab to simulate one), and watch what happens.

By default, VPE comes with starter policies: a big donation triggers a celebration scene, a raid triggers a welcome scene, and quiet moments gradually transition to a BRB scene.

You'll see decisions appear in real-time on the Dashboard tab. Each entry shows what event triggered it, what VPE decided to do, and whether it was executed or blocked by a cooldown.

VPE's behavior is driven by policies — JSON files that define 'when X happens, do Y'. Navigate to the Config tab to edit policies visually, or edit the JSON files directly in the config/policies/ folder.

Start small: pick one event you care about (e.g., raids) and one action (e.g., switch to a specific OBS scene). Once you see it working, layer in more rules.

Each policy rule has cooldowns and budgets built in — VPE won't spam effects even if events flood in. The defaults are sensible, but you can adjust them to match your stream's pace.

VPE runs continuously in the background. It doesn't need OBS to be in focus, and it doesn't need your VPE window to be open. It processes events regardless.

During a live stream, VPE watches all incoming events, understands what's happening, decides what to do, and makes it happen — all in under 120ms from event to action.

After your stream ends, VPE stores session analytics locally. You can review what happened, what moments were detected, and which effects fired in the Analytics tab.