Twitch has become one of the biggest streaming platforms of our time.
Since basic membership is free, thousands of people can enjoy the service. Due to the large number of users on the platform, it can be fairly easy for streamers to gain a big audience.
While this may be a dream come true for most gamers/content creators, it will not always be an easy road.
However, there are a few things that twitch chat logs can help with. Monitoring the chat can make your journey as a new (or old) twitch streamer easier.
Checking the logs will help you create better content and avoid messy situations regarding twitches Terms of Service.
If you have no idea how to get started, don’t worry. This guide will tell you three simple ways to check your twitch chat logs. We will also cover why you should monitor the logs and how to download them to your computer.
By the end of this article, you will be a chat log pro (and a better streamer for it).
Why Would You Want To Check Twitch Chat Logs?
Twitch chat logs contain the chat data from your past twitch streams. There are a few reasons you may want to check this.
Some reasons will revolve around branding and marketing; others will be for investigative purposes. Let’s check out the main reasons to check the chat history.
To Ensure No User Is Violating Twitch’s Terms of Service
Twitch has very clear rules about what kind of behavior is okay in the chat rooms, and for a good reason. The company does not allow hateful conduct or harassment of any kind.
Since the chat goes by pretty quickly for some streamers, it can be hard to keep a watchful eye on the chat room’s content.
Checking the chat log allows you to take time after the stream to make sure no users violate the terms of service.
You Can Review and Evaluate User Feedback
There will always be ways that you can improve, especially as a new streamer. Sometimes viewers will have some constructive and supportive feedback since they want to see you succeed.
Checking the twitch chat logs will allow you to take note of regular feedback. There will be a few good ideas in the chat, and you can take the time to write them down and brainstorm ways to implement them.
Since the chat log history is not time-sensitive like live chat is, you will have more time to evaluate each idea.
Use the Log To Collect Data
Another great thing about twitch chat logs is that you can gather audience data. You will be able to review the comments and see what games viewers liked and what style of streams they find the most entertaining.
By using the data, you can create more content that users love, therefore gaining more satisfied viewers.
To Investigate Users
There will always be certain kinds of people that will leave negative and hateful comments on twitch. It will be easy to search for specific users with the chat log if you suspect any rude behavior.
You can also see when the user created their account and investigate all of their comments on your video. Sometimes when you ban a twitch user, they will create another account to leave more comments on your stream.
You can avoid this problem by analyzing the two accounts’ writing styles and checking the time they created the account.
Find New Memes
Each of the channels on Twitch are similar to their sub-communities on a larger platform. The streamers who have loyal followers often develop jokes and memes from inside for their specific channel.
When you check your chat logs on Twitch, you can learn about your followers’ communication style. In this way, you can gain a detailed insight into their memes, vernacular, and language. Using this information smartly leads to better loyalty and engagement.
Look For Usernames
Twitch accounts can be created for free, and the process is simple. This has largely contributed to the growth of the platform. However, people can also abuse it for bans and circumvent timeouts. In some instances, banned users may create another account and start abusing others.
Using the Twitch Chat Log, you can view the time that would tell you when the new account was created. You would also get detailed knowledge on the type of comments that the user is leaving. By comparing the writing styles and usernames, you can find out whether any of the banned users have entered the channel again.
Why Should You Review Your Chat Consistently?
Reviewing your chats consistently would help you enhance your Twitch channel. Regardless of the method through which you do it, it’s crucial to view the chat. This will help you find the pulse of the audience. It’ll also enable you to maintain the record of banned users and resolve issues related to violations of the terms of service.
All the available options can be used easily. You can judge the required complexity seamlessly and run your channel.
How to Check Twitch Chat Logs as a Viewer
In Twitch, viewers aren’t allowed to have a look at their own history. This is because the platform has certain norms against sharing of data.
If you’re a moderator or a streamer, you can check out the chat logs through the methods mentioned in this post. VODs refer to the complete recordings of the streaming session. This enables the users to replay each of the events in the chat box. Therefore, it would be possible for the viewers to see the comments that the moderator has removed.
As a viewer, you can access the chat log by requesting the moderator to share a part of your chat history with you.
You Can Monitor Your Own Behaviour With the Chat Log
It is easy to get carried away while streaming intense games and miss some comments in the chat. A great way to monitor your behavior is with the chat log.
Twitch is a place where many people come together from many different walks of life. Use the chat log to see if you said anything that might have offended viewers.
Perhaps there is a certain joke that users don’t like or phrases that viewers are uncomfortable with. You can also see what kind of topics that the viewers interact with best.
Investigating Why a User Was Banned
If you have a good amount of followers, you may have some moderators in the chat. There will be times where you won’t catch the reason why mods ban a certain user.
After the stream, you can check the chat log and ensure that the banned user actually violated the Twitch Terms of Service.
You need to be careful when users are banned. If they have not violated the terms and are banned, you could get a penalty as the streamer.
How Do You Check Them Out?
Now that we have looked at a few reasons why you may want to check the chat log let’s see how to do it.
First Option: Use the VODs To Review Chat Logs
If you need to search for a comment that was removed by a mod, reviewing the VODs will be the only way to do it.
Twitch allows streamers to record their streams entirely. By recording the stream, you record the chat as well.
This way, you can investigate a removed comment and make sure it violated the terms of service. Checking your VODs will be the best way to look at everything you missed during the stream.
There are a few downsides to this option, though. You can only view VODs that are two weeks old. Any streams earlier than that will not be available.
Furthermore, you will have to wait out the stream and watch the entire video if you are unsure when the comments happened.
Second Option: Use the Search Command To Review Chat Logs
Using the search command will be the easiest way to search for a specific user. Simply type /user [username] into the chatbox of your channel.
Twitch will provide a lot of helpful information about the user, making it very easy for you to investigate.
Some information that Twitch provides is…
- When the user created their account
- The number and content of comments they have left in your chatbox during streams
- The number of times they have been banned from the channel
- Any comments made by the moderator about the user
It is worth noting that this option will not let you see any deleted comments that the user made. However, you will usually be able to find the time when a moderator deleted a comment.
You can then take that information and check your VODs to know what the comment was.
This option is also very helpful if you glimpsed a conversation during your stream but happened to miss it. Sometimes users will suggest products (like movies or t.v shows, for instance).
Using the search command will help you stay on top of what your audience likes and show them you care about their opinions.
Third Option: Take Advantage of a Third-Party Program
If you are a bigger streamer with a larger audience, you may want to use third-party programs to track the twitch chat logs. Most programs will provide more options and features to monitor the chats more easily.
The most popular third-party programs are Logviewer and Chatty. Even though they may take some time to get used to, the programs are generally simple to use. There will be lots of online resources as well to help with the learning curve.
An important thing to remember about the programs is that you will not be able to see any deleted comments. You will have to look at the VODs for those.
Using Chat Moderator View
If you already have moderator access, you can check out the chat in the stream as a moderator. You simply need to get into the moderator view in Twitch. This would enable you to get access to the logs of the chat.
To enter the moderator view, you need to click on the icon marked as ‘sword.’ You’ll find this in the right corner at the bottom of the screen. Simply click on any of the viewers’ usernames so that you can gain access to the overall chat on the respective channel.
How Do You Download Twitch Chat Logs?
Downloading twitch chat logs can make it very easy for you to monitor a large audience database or review chats later.
To download twitch chat logs, you will have to use third-party programs since you cannot do it through twitch. The program called Chatty allows users to download the logs.
Using this feature will download the logs to your computer. You can then keep all of the chats in a file and refer to them any time you want.
If you are interested in keeping track of audience data, downloading your twitch chat logs would be a good idea. Even though the VODs will delete after two weeks, you can still have a way to monitor the growth of your channel through the months/years.
Is It Possible To See The Chat Logs For Any Other Channel?
It’s possible only for the moderator or the streamer to check out the chat logs for the users and videos in their respective channels. In this context, you should know that the chat logs aren’t hosted by Twitch publicly. This would violate the rules of the platform related to data sharing.
The official website of OverRustle Logs, before 2020, used to maintain a record of chat from all the channels which weren’t private. Therefore, anyone could use this database. Eventually, some users began to stalk others and check out their activities in the channels.
Considering these issues, the logs were deactivated after the legal department of Twitch intervened in March 2020.
Conclusion
There are a few different ways to check twitch chat logs.
The first and most simple way is to take advantage of your VODs. A VOD will be available for two weeks after you stream, and you can check them anytime within that period. If you want to investigate a comment that moderators removed, this will be the best way.
The second way is to use the search command to investigate a specific user. All you have to do is type /user [username] into your channel’s chatbox, and a bunch of information will come up about the account.
The last way is to use third-party programs. There are two main programs that streamers use to monitor their twitch chat logs: Logviewer and Chatty. Both may be challenging to navigate at first but will be extremely helpful once you get the hang of it.