vdo-streamdeck

Set Up VDO.Ninja on Stream Deck

This guide is for everyday use. You do not need a VDO.Ninja account, and you do not need to know anything about programming.

Before You Start

You need:

• The Stream Deck app, version 6.8 or newer.
• A Stream Deck, Stream Deck +, or Stream Deck Mobile.
• Chrome, Edge, or another browser that can run VDO.Ninja.
• The VDO.Ninja Stream Deck plugin file. Its name ends in .streamDeckPlugin.

The plugin is still in testing and is not in the Stream Deck Marketplace yet. If you were given a test copy, double-click the .streamDeckPlugin file and choose Install.

Connect Your First VDO.Ninja Page

1. Open the Stream Deck app.
2. Search for VDO.Ninja in the action list.
3. Drag Connection Status onto an empty key.
4. In the setup panel below the keys, click Generate secure key.
5. Leave Director mixer room selected and type your VDO.Ninja room name.
6. Click Open VDO.Ninja.
7. Leave the VDO.Ninja browser tab open while you use Stream Deck.
8. Return to the Stream Deck app and click Test connection.

You are ready when the setup panel says VDO.Ninja page answered and the Stream Deck key turns green.

The connection key is a private remote-control password. The plugin puts it into the VDO.Ninja link for you, so you do not need to copy it anywhere. Do not share the key or a screenshot that shows the full link.

Add Useful Controls

Drag another VDO.Ninja action onto an empty key, then choose what it should control in the panel below the keys.

• Local Control → Mic turns your own microphone on or off.
• Local Control → Camera turns your own camera on or off.
• Guest Command → Mic controls a guest’s microphone.
• Select Guest lets one set of guest buttons follow G1, G2, G3, and so on.
• Guest Scene adds or removes a guest from a scene.

The G1, G2, and G3 numbers are the guest numbers shown in the VDO.Ninja director. They are not mixer destination slots.

Use the Stream Deck + Dials

Choose Dials near the top-right of the Stream Deck app, then drag an action onto a dial.

• Value Dial can adjust local volume, guest volume, bitrate, panning, or buffer delay.
• PTZ Dial can adjust camera zoom, pan, tilt, focus, or exposure.

PTZ camera movement needs extra browser permission. Open the controlled camera page with PTZ enabled and approve the camera-control request. If you do not use a movable camera, you can ignore PTZ.

What the Keys Tell You

Each key is a solid colour with a small round badge in the top corner. The colour tells you the state from across the room; the badge confirms it up close. The key’s own label stays readable in the middle.

• Green key, check badge: connected and ready, or the selected setting is on.
• Dark red key, X badge: the page or guest is unavailable, or the selected setting is off.
• Dark grey key, dots badge: still waiting for the VDO.Ninja page to answer.
• Amber lightning badge: a Custom Command key, which is always ready to send.

If a key says Set API Key, finish the connection steps above.

A guest control can be red while the main connection key is green. This usually means the guest has not joined yet or that no guest is selected.

If It Does Not Connect

Try these in order:

1. Make sure the VDO.Ninja browser tab is still open.
2. Make sure the browser page finished loading.
3. Click Test connection again.
4. If you opened more than one controlled page, give each page its own generated connection key.
5. For a guest control, confirm that the guest is in the room and that the correct G number is selected.
6. Restart the Stream Deck app, reopen the VDO.Ninja link, and test again.

Testing the Alpha Version

Only use this when you have been asked to test upcoming VDO.Ninja changes.

1. Open Advanced and self-hosted setup in the Connection Status panel.
2. Set VDO.Ninja base URL to https://vdo.ninja/alpha/.
3. Close the advanced section.
4. Use Open VDO.Ninja as normal.

The generated director link will stay under /alpha/mixer.

For a Developer or Technical Helper

If you do not have an installable test file, a technical helper can build one from the repository:

cd plugin
npm install
npm run build
npx @elgato/cli@1.7.4 pack ninja.vdo.streamdeck.sdPlugin

The resulting .streamDeckPlugin file can be installed by double-clicking it.