Use a section to group controls that work together. You can color-code the group, move it around the position, or copy and paste the complete set of controls as one unit. For example, a section might contain the transport controls for a recorder or player, or a program cut bus for a video switcher.
Tip
Sections can own variables that are available to every button inside them. This makes it easier to reuse a complete feature you have built.
Click an empty canvas cell, then drag across the area the section should occupy.
Right-click the selection and choose Section, or press S.
In the Inspector, use Location → Size to adjust its dimensions when needed.
Add buttons or nested sections inside it.
Select Apply to save the layout.
Choose one recognizable purpose for the section, such as playback, monitoring, audio, or routing. If the controls need alternate layers or navigable categories, you can use a Shift Section or Folder Section instead.
When a section contains more controls than its visible area can show, select the section and set Scroll to On in the inspector. Use Scrollbar to choose where its navigation control appears.
The section then scrolls independently from the rest of the position. This can keep a large set, such as camera presets, inside one logical area without expanding the entire canvas. Controls outside the visible area remain available by scrolling. On the StreamDeck Studio, the encoders can be used to scroll the sections, instead of the scroll-buttons. Click the encoder to move the cursor to different scrollable sections.
Section authentication protects controls inside a section. It is separate from signing into the Buttons Editor: a person can already be using the position and still need to unlock one protected section.
Select the section, open Authentication, then choose the mode that matches the requirement:
None: anyone using the position can access the section.
User role: require one of the selected roles. This requires a Pro license.
User role + PIN: require both an allowed role and the user's personal PIN. This requires a Pro license.
Section PIN/NFC: use codes or NFC cards configured specifically for this section.
Authentication adds an unlock step during operation. Each section can use the mode that fits its intended workflow.
Give the code a recognizable label and enter the required values.
Add more code rules only when different people or procedures need separate credentials.
Select Apply.
Use Code Input Layout to fit the keypad to the surfaces assigned to the position. Keep section codes private; do not place them in screenshots, tickets, or public documentation.
A Stream Deck Studio can identify an NFC card for a protected section.
Set Authentication Mode to Section PIN/NFC.
Under Credentials, select Add NFC Rule.
Present the card or tag to the Stream Deck Studio reader when prompted.
Give it a label that identifies its intended use without exposing private information.
Select Apply.
Repeated wrong codes are throttled per account: the first 3 wrong codes cost nothing, then each further wrong code makes the next check wait longer, starting at one second and doubling each time up to a maximum of 2 minutes. A correct code clears the history. Only codes that were actually checked and found wrong count, so a retry during an outage doesn't add to the wait. This protects against guessing without ever locking the account's owner out for longer than 2 minutes: it is not a lockout an administrator needs to reset.
