If you are a gaming enthusiast, you probably understand the importance of activities like live streaming, recorded videos or broadcasting. With Twitch, you can easily execute all of them accurately.
Twitch Chat is an integral feature for viewers and streamers to communicate during live streaming in a single Twitch channel. Viewers can not only chat with streamers but also with other followers on that channel. It helps a streamer to build a community and grow the audience for their channel.
However, sometimes there can be hateful speech, inappropriate comments or abusive content that creates negative impacts on others. Therefore, it’s important to monitor and manage the chat logs to ensure healthy interactions.
In this following guide, we’ll discuss why it needs to be tracked and how to check Twitch chat logs as a streamer and moderator.
What are Twitch Chat Logs?
Twitch chat is the communication medium on Twitch that lets viewers interact with the streamer while watching a live stream. Twitch chat logs are the entire chat history during streaming.
By checking the chat logs, Twitch streamers and moderators can modify their community by restricting or removing members who mock, harras or spread hatred.
Why do you need to check Twitch Chat Logs?
You need to check Twitch chat logs because of the following reasons:
Know your audience better
If you want to become a popular Twitch streamer, it’s important to know who’s watching your channel and keep in sync with them. The chat logs will help you understand your audiences’ likes/dislikes, interests, expectations etc.
Review viewers reactions
Due to anonymity, viewers don’t hesitate to express their thoughts in live streams. You can check their authentic and live reactions from the chat history. Thus, you’ll know what you do working or not and can take necessary actions to modify it.
Remove and report offensive comments
As a streamer, you need to ensure the viewers must not violate Twitch’s Terms of Service. Otherwise, if your viewer makes offensive or inappropriate comments, you may face a penalty or lose the channel. So, by reviewing the chat logs regularly, you can remove and report abusive behavior, trolling or mocking.
Find new content
When scrolling through the chat, you may find new memes or jokes by the followers made for your channel. Checking Twitch chat logs help you determine the platform content and stay updated with the current trend.
Evaluate moderator actions
Twitch chat moderators often make wrong decisions or become harsh on your audience. In that case, you may need to review the chat logs to identify any action taken for a viewer is justified or not.
Additionally, before banning a user on your channel, chat mods check the chat history to understand how long they should ban the person.
Get audience feedbacks
You can ask questions to your audience on Twitch chat and get their valuable feedback on your streams. Thus, you’ll gain an insight into what they’re expecting and so you can deliver better streams.
Discover loyal followers
Apart from simple interactions, you need to express your regards to your loyal followers and appreciate them for engaging with your channel. By monitoring the Twitch chat logs, you can discover your most active and supportive viewers.
How to Check Twitch User Chat Logs as a Streamer
In order to check the conversation of your viewers and how they’re responding to your channel, you can follow these methods to check chat logs:
- User Search Command
- VOD recording
- Third-party chatbots
Use the User Search Command
Simply enter the following user search command /user [usernamer] in the channel’s chatbox and you’ll get all the comments made by that user.
Besides comments, you can see the following with this feature:
- For how long that user has been your follower on Twitch.
- The number of messages and content left by the user on your channel.
- Their account creation date.
- The number of timeouts and bans the user received.
- Any comments by mods on that specific user regarding ban or timeout.
Play Twitch Stream VOD Recording
Another effective way to review chat history on Twitch is by playing your stream’s VOD (video-on-demand) recording. When your stream is ended, it gets stored as a VOD on the channel.
So, if you want to go through the entire chat logs of a specific Twitch stream, replay the stream and track the live chat. The biggest advantage is you can also access the comments deleted by the mods.
The only drawback is this process is quite time-consuming and doesn’t include filtering. So, you have to scroll through the entire chat to find a particular comment or user.
Note: Most Twitch Partners, Twitch Turbo users and Amazon Prime members can have their previous broadcasts stored for 60 days before they’re deleted. Whereas other broadcasters will have the past broadcasts for 14 days only before being deleted.
Use Third-Party Chatbot
Using third-party chatbots like Chatty, an official Twitch chat client, can help you access the chat history on Twitch.
Chatty is an open-source, Java-based chat software made for Twitch that runs on any Windows OS with Java 8 or later. It offers several useful features like downloading chat history, creating custom commands, auto-mode support to deny or approve filtered messages, checking 100 recent subscribers/followers etc.
In order to use Chatty to check chat logs, download and install it on your Windows PC and it’ll automatically link with the Twitch account.
Some other third-party software you can try are:
- Logviewer
- Streamlabs
- Nightbot
- Coebot
- StreamElements Bot
How to Check Twitch Chat Logs as a Moderator
If you want to check Twitch chat logs as a moderator, the easiest way is to enter Moderator View and select the username to access their chat.
Here’s how to do it:
- Click the small sword icon at the lower-right corner of the chat on the channel.
- Click on a specific username to review their chat logs.
- Scroll throughout the chat to check their previous messages. It’ll also display mod comments, timeouts, bans or reviews if that user has received any.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you delete your chat logs on Twitch?
Yes, you can delete your chat logs on Twitch by enabling the Mod Icons option.
To delete all the messages on Twitch chat, select the cog icon at the bottom of the chat, enable Mod Icons under Mod Tools and type the command /clear in the chat.
Does Twitch store chat?
Yes, Twitch stores chat but not permanently. You will have your previous live broadcast stored along with the chat for 60 days if you’re a Twitch Partner, Prime or Twitch Turbo user. Other broadcasters can save the Twitch chat logs for 14 days before they get deleted.
Why can’t I see my chat on Twitch?
You can’t see your chat on Twitch because you might have accidentally closed the chatbox. So, to open it, access Twitch on its website and click the expand arrow at the upper left of your screen.
Can you download Twitch chat logs?
If you want to download Twitch chat logs, you can do it via third-party chatbots like Chatty or Nightbot. Chatty is the official chat partner of Twitch and it’s safe to use.