Where to add commands in Twitch

Custom commands in Twitch live in your channel settings, not in the streaming software itself. You reach them by going to your channel page, clicking the Settings icon (gear symbol), and selecting Chat from the left menu. From there, you'll see a Commands section where you can create new ones. The commands you add here will work across all your streams, regardless of which software you use to broadcast.

If you're a channel moderator or the channel owner, you have permission to add commands. Moderators can create and manage commands the same way the owner can. Once a command is live, any viewer in your chat can type it and see the response — though you can restrict some commands to moderators only if you want.

Key Takeaways

  • Commands are created in your Twitch channel settings under Chat, not in your streaming software.
  • You can set a command to respond with text, a link, or a clip from your channel, and choose whether viewers or only moderators can use it.
  • Command names must start with a forward slash and contain only letters, numbers, and underscores.
  • Changes take effect immediately and work across all your streams without any software restart.

Creating a basic text command

To create your first command, go to Settings > Chat > Commands and click the Create Command button. You'll enter a command name (for example, /discord or /socials), then type the response that appears when someone uses it. The response can be plain text, a URL, or a mix of both. If you want your command to say "Join our Discord at discord.gg/yourserver", you type exactly that into the response field.

Command names must start with a forward slash, use only letters, numbers, and underscores, and cannot contain spaces. /my_discord works; /my discord does not. Once you save the command, it's live immediately — viewers can type it in chat right away, and it will display your response.

Setting who can use each command

By default, any viewer in your chat can use a command you create. If you want to restrict a command to moderators only, you can set that when you create it. This is useful for commands that trigger actions (like a raid command or a command that links to sensitive content) that you want to control.

To change permissions after creating a command, go back to Settings > Chat > Commands, find the command in the list, and click the edit icon. You'll see an option to change the command from "Everyone" to "Moderators Only". Save the change, and the restriction takes effect immediately.

Using variables and dynamic content

Twitch commands support a few built-in variables that change based on who uses the command or when it's used. The most common is $(user), which inserts the name of whoever typed the command. If you create a command that says "Welcome to the stream, $(user)!", it will display "Welcome to the stream, username!" when someone named username types it.

Other useful variables include $(game) (the current game category), $(status) (your current stream title), and $(uptime) (how long the stream has been live). You can combine these in a single command — for example, "/uptime" could respond with "We've been live for $(uptime) playing $(game)". These variables update in real time, so the response is always current.

Adding clips and links to commands

Commands aren't limited to text. You can set a command to display a link to a specific clip, your channel panels, or any external URL. When you create or edit a command, you can paste a full URL into the response field, and it will appear as a clickable link in chat.

To link a clip you've created, go to your Clips section, find the clip you want, and copy its URL. Paste that URL into the command response. When someone types the command, the clip link appears in chat. This is a quick way to share highlights, funny moments, or instructional clips without typing the full URL each time.

Managing and editing existing commands

To change a command you've already created, go to Settings > Chat > Commands and click the edit icon next to the command name. You can change the response text, adjust who can use it, or delete it entirely. Changes save immediately and take effect the next time someone uses the command.

If you have many commands, you can search for them by name in the Commands list. There's no limit to how many commands you can create, so you can build a library of responses for frequently asked questions, links to your social media, donation information, or anything else your viewers ask about regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use commands if I'm not the channel owner?

Yes, if you're a moderator on the channel. Moderators have the same command creation and management permissions as the channel owner. If you're a regular viewer, you cannot create commands, but you can use any commands the owner or moderators have set up.

What happens if two commands have similar names?

Twitch requires each command name to be unique within your channel. You cannot create two commands with the same name. If you try to create a duplicate, the system will tell you the name is already in use and ask you to choose a different one.

Do commands work the same way in every chat platform?

These commands work only in Twitch chat. If you stream on other platforms like YouTube or Discord, you'll need to set up commands separately through those platforms' own tools. Twitch commands do not carry over to other services.

Can I schedule a command to run automatically at a certain time?

Native Twitch commands don't have scheduling built in. They only respond when someone types them in chat. If you want a message to appear automatically on a timer, you'll need to use a bot like Nightbot or StreamElements, which have their own command and automation systems separate from Twitch's native commands.

What if I want a command to do something other than send a message?

Twitch's built-in commands are text-based only. They cannot trigger actions like raids, follows, or alerts. For those kinds of automations, you'll need a third-party bot. Bots like Nightbot, Streamlabs, and Moobot connect to your channel and can perform actions beyond sending chat messages.