Last updated: 2026-01-15

For most creators, the fastest way to display comments on screen is to use StreamYard’s built‑in comment tools—manual featured comments, starred comments, and the Chat Overlay on paid plans. If you need deep custom CSS designs or very niche workflows, you can pair StreamYard with external graphics tools, but most people never have to.

Summary

• A comment display tool lets you pull live chat from platforms like YouTube and Facebook and show selected messages on your video.
• In StreamYard, supported‑platform comments flow into your studio and can be shown or hidden on screen with a single click. (StreamYard Help)
• You can use manual featured comments, starred comments, and an automated Chat Overlay (on paid plans) to match different hosting styles. (StreamYard Help)
• Most US‑based creators can run live shows, webinars, and Q&As without extra software, keeping subscriptions and setup time low.

What is a comment display tool, really?

A comment display tool does one simple but powerful job: it takes live chat messages from your streaming destinations and turns them into on‑screen graphics during your show.

Instead of reading comments off your phone or ignoring chat altogether, you bring viewers into the story. Their messages become lower‑thirds, callouts, or rolling chat strips that everyone watching can see.

In StreamYard, this is built directly into the studio. Comments from supported platforms like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitch show up in a Comments panel on the right, ready to be featured with a click. (StreamYard Help)

For most creators, that’s the entire "comment display tool"—no extra apps, no browser extensions, no overlays to wire up.

How does StreamYard display comments on screen?

Think of StreamYard’s comments as three layers of control, from hands‑on to mostly automated.

1. Manual featured comments
When a viewer posts something you want to highlight, you simply click the comment in your Comments panel. That single click puts their message on screen as a styled card; clicking again removes it. (StreamYard Help)

This style works well if you:

• Run interviews or panels and only show a handful of curated questions.
• Want to keep the screen clean most of the time.
• Prefer to maintain full editorial control over what appears.

2. Starred comments for later
During a fast‑moving show, you may see great questions you’re not ready to answer yet. You can click the small star icon next to a comment to "star" it; these starred comments live in their own tab so you can come back and feature them later. (StreamYard Help)

This is perfect for:

• Q&A segments at the end of a webinar.
• AMAs where you want to avoid losing strong questions in the scroll.

3. Chat Overlay (automated on‑screen chat)
On paid plans, you can turn on the Chat Overlay to automatically display incoming comments from supported platforms on screen, without clicking each one. (StreamYard Help)

You can adjust the overlay using:

• Three font sizes (Small, Medium, Big).
• Three layout dimensions (Regular, Tall, Wide). (StreamYard Help)

This gives you a "drop‑in" comment display tool that stays in sync with your studio chat and can be toggled on or off instantly.

Chat Overlay vs. manual starring: which should you use?

If you’re wondering whether you need a fully automated comment ticker, or just curated callouts, here’s a simple way to decide.

Use manual featured + starred comments when:

• Your content is structured (webinars, launches, teaching sessions).
• You want to keep distractions minimal.
• You or a co‑host can watch the chat and choose what to put on screen.

Workflow example: You teach a 30‑minute lesson, star good questions as they come in, then spend the last 15 minutes surfacing those starred comments one by one during Q&A.

Use Chat Overlay when:

• You’re running casual live shows, hangouts, or gaming streams.
• You want the stream to feel like a group chat.
• You do not want to babysit buttons while hosting.

Turn the overlay on at the start, occasionally toggle it off during key teaching moments, then bring it back when you return to high engagement.

Because Chat Overlay sits inside the same studio as your layouts, banners, and branding, you avoid the typical "stack of tools" problem: no separate widget windows, no extra subscriptions just to get moving chat.

How does comment display work across different platforms?

For US‑based creators, the most common destinations are YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitch. StreamYard can show comments from these platforms inside your studio so you can feature them on screen. (StreamYard Help)

A few important details:

• Multi‑platform chat, single workflow: If you’re multistreaming to multiple supported destinations, those comments all land in your one Comments panel. You don’t have to keep separate browser tabs open for each platform.
• Guest commenting: If you’re streaming to YouTube or StreamYard On‑Air, guests can post comments into your chat, adding a second layer of engagement when co‑hosts want to drive conversation. (StreamYard Help)
• Destination‑specific rules: Some platforms restrict how comments can be accessed. For instance, personal Facebook profile streams default to "Friends‑Only" visibility; if you want viewer comments to appear in your StreamYard studio, you need to make those streams public. (StreamYard Help)

The result: your comment display setup doesn’t change much as you add more destinations. You keep one studio and one workflow while your reach expands.

Can you filter or moderate comments before they go on screen?

Yes. In StreamYard, nothing has to go on screen automatically unless you explicitly turn on the Chat Overlay. Even then, you still control what stays visible by toggling the overlay and managing your destinations.

Here’s how to stay in control:

• Manual featuring is inherently a moderation step—you’re choosing what appears.
• Starring comments lets you separate "worth answering" from "noise" without showing anything yet.
• Chat Overlay can be toggled off during sensitive moments, like when you’re covering a controversial topic or demoing something that needs full attention.

If you need deeper moderation—like word filters or platform‑level bans—those live in the native chat tools of YouTube, Facebook, or your other destinations. StreamYard’s job is to give you a single pane of glass for the comments those platforms approve, and fast control over what your viewers see on screen.

Which plans include comment display tools?

Every StreamYard user—free or paid—can see incoming comments from supported platforms in the Comments panel and manually feature them on screen. (StreamYard Help)

On paid plans, you unlock the Chat Overlay, which automatically displays incoming comments from supported platforms and offers multiple font sizes and layout dimensions for on‑screen chat. (StreamYard Help)

If you’re just getting started and want to keep subscriptions low, you can:

• Use the free plan to practice manual comment featuring.
• Upgrade to a paid plan later if you decide the automated overlay and other production features will save you enough time to justify the move.
• Take advantage of the 7‑day free trial to test how Chat Overlay feels in real shows before you commit.

This path keeps your tool stack lean while still giving you room to grow into more advanced comment display.

How do giveaways and engagement tools fit into comment workflows?

Sometimes "comment display" is about more than visuals; it’s about what you can do with those comments.

StreamYard’s Giveaway tool lets you pull from comments across all your destinations and randomly draw a winner, with the option to require specific text or a hashtag inside the comment. (StreamYard Help)

This means you can:

• Ask viewers to comment with a keyword to enter.
• Filter entries by that keyword.
• Announce the winner live, and immediately feature their winning comment on screen.

All of this runs from the same studio where you manage your chat, overlays, and layouts—no extra giveaway app required.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard’s built‑in comment tools: manual featured comments and starring will cover most structured shows.
• When your streams become more interactive, turn on Chat Overlay on a paid plan to automate rolling chat and reduce click‑heavy hosting.
• Use native platform moderation tools plus StreamYard’s starring and manual featuring to keep your on‑screen comments positive and on‑topic.
• Only add external graphics or extra subscriptions if you truly need custom CSS overlays or specialized workflows; most creators can keep everything inside a single StreamYard studio.