A chat command is a keyword preceded by an exclamation point (like this: !prime). When posted to the chat, the command triggers the chatbot to post a pre-programmed message, in this case instructions on how to subscribe to the channel using your Amazon Prime account. This saves the chat moderators and the streamer time when common questions are asked in the chat.
Emotes
Emotes are what Twitch calls emoji. You can add emotes to your chat post by clicking the happy face in the chat box. A menu of available emotes pops up: global ones that anyone can use, and if you’re subscribed to any channels, you’ll see the ones they have created for their subscribers to use. Click the one you want to use and it gets added to your chat post.
People use emotes to punctuate their comments and to react to the streamer, like a way to visually clap or laugh or dance. If a viewer is watching the stream from a mobile device, they can also post emoji provided in their mobile’s keyboard, but it will not render as well as Twitch’s emotes.
Streamers who have Affiliate or Partner status are able to create custom emotes that only their subscribers can use. The emotes are usually very personal to the streamer, like a cartoon of them, and are sometimes used as a response to an inside joke they have with their audience.
Channel Points
Viewers can earn points on a channel by watching a stream (measured in minutes watched and consecutive streams watched), following the channel, buying cheermotes, buying subscriptions for other viewers, and other activity.
If a channel has channel points enabled, you’ll see the points and your current total right under the chat box.
Twitch presets how many points can be earned per activity and has some preset rewards, but streamers can choose what to offer in terms of rewards and how many points it takes to redeem them.
To see what can be redeemed, click the channel points avatar (which you can customize!) and a menu will pop up.
Once a reward is redeemed, it will post the redemption to the chat. “Highlight My Message” will highlight the user’s post to the chat. “Unlock a Random Sub Emote” or “Choose an Emote” will let a non-subscriber use one channel-specific emote for 24 hours. If you have made a custom reward, like “Song Request” above, then it’s up to the streamer to notice that the redemption was posted to the chat and to fulfill it.
Cheermotes & Bits
Cheermotes are animated emotes that viewers pay for with Bits (Twitch’s virtual currency which viewers spend real money to purchase). They show in the chat and on the streamer’s video for a short amount of time with an optional message from the viewer. They are similar to animated GIFs. It is a fun way of donating money to the streamer.
If you want to give a streamer Bits or send them a Cheermote, click the diamond in the chat box, buy Bits, then spend them on a Cheermote. Once you’ve selected a Cheermote to buy, you’ll see the Cheermote command in the chat box. You can add a message for the streamer after the Cheermote command and that will post alongside the Cheermote on the Video Player and in the chat. Click “chat” to post the Cheermote.
Viewers can also just donate Bits directly to the streamer. The streamer can make leaderboards of who has donated the most Bits over a set amount of time (like a monthly leaderboard). That leaderboard can show up at the top of your Chat Window or in a Panel you create.
If you don’t see a diamond in the chat box, then the streamer is not an Affiliate or Partner yet and you cannot buy them Cheermotes or give them Bits. The streamer shares in the revenue when a viewer spends Bits on the streamer.
Badges
Viewers in the chat can get badges next to their username to identify them as a chat moderator, channel subscriber, etc. Streamers that have Affiliate or Partner status can customize the badges so that subscribers who signed up for multiple months get a different badge than one who signed up for one month. These are called Loyalty Badges and are fun for viewers and help streamers identify superfans.
The viewers in the chat below all have the streamer’s peace sign to indicate that they are subscribers. The crown means that they used their Twitch Prime account to subscribe.
Alerts
You can program your stream so that alerts pop up on the screen for a short amount of time when something of significance has happened, like when a viewer has donated money, followed the channel, subscribed to the channel, etc. It is a way for the viewer to be recognized for their action and it helps the streamer see that an action has taken place at the moment it happens so they can verbally acknowledge it. They are customizable and fun.
Event List
Event Lists are running lists of recent actions taken by viewers. Again, it gives recognition to the viewer and is another way for the streamer to see that something has happened worth acknowledging in case they missed the alert.
There are other forms of event tracking, like a Goal with a progress bar showing how close you are to achieving it (a goal might be to get to 50 followers, for example), or text scrolling across the bottom showing the most recent donation, follow, etc.
Overlays
An overlay is a graphic that is laid over the top of the video and shows permanently on the stream. Most overlays are very decorative and act as a sort of frame for the video. You can think of it as a designed template. You can design your own and there are a number of services that provide them for free or