What Does Lurking Mean On Twitch? An In-Depth Guide

View-botters artificially inflate their viewercount by using third party software. The only type of ‘lurking’ that would be considered illegal on Twitch is view botting. Some lurkers want to announce that they are going to be lurking. If you are one of those people, you can say something along the lines of “I’m going to be lurking, have a good stream! The more viewers a streamer has, the higher their channel will appear in Twitch’s directory, making it easier for new viewers to discover them too.

Were you lurking in a stream, and have the streamer say hello, when you never sent a message in chat? If you’re logged into a Twitch account, the streamer can easily see who is in their stream at any given moment. In fact – even other viewers can see who is in a stream’s chat.

Taking time to learn chat syntax, emoji usage, inside terminology and a streamer‘s unique community rules before posting avoids potentially embarrassing missteps. Survey data indicates roughly 70% of lurkers highlight their introverted nature as the primary reason they observe silently rather than chat actively. Of course, measuring introversion remains highly subjective. However, the predominance of this motivation rings clear in polling.

Lurking on Twitch refers to viewers who are present in a stream but choose not to actively engage in chat or interact with the streamer. These lurkers typically watch the stream silently without participating in conversations. Lurking represents a major part of the viewership equation in Twitch streaming. Though often underestimated, understanding lurking behavior offers streamers key insights into audience preferences and conversion opportunities.

Lurkers are people who watch Twitch streams without interacting with the chat or the streamer. The term “lurker” on the internet means someone who observes people interacting on social media without partaking, usually to figure out if the place is right for them. Any lurkers that aren’t logged in to Twitch or don’t have a Twitch account will show up in the view count but will not show up in the ‘users in chat’ list. Many lurkers are enjoying your stream just as much as your other viewers, they simply prefer to do so in silence. Even if you may be extremely extroverted and don’t understand their behavior, you have to understand that many people online are introverted. Accept that and let them lurk on your Twitch stream without pointing it out.

Don’t Shirk the Lurk on Twitch

Now when visitors wish to ghost watch a stream, typing the channel‘s special lurk command shares their intended presence without actual chat interaction. Lurk commands allow viewers to easily indicate they are present but plan to refrain from chatting. Streamers actively encourage their use as a way to showcase overall audience size beyond only chatter metrics. The motivations above represent just a sample of the myriad reasons both new and veteran viewers choose to lurk.

Let‘s talk about nudging lurkers into increased activity over time. With that user preference context established, now let‘s examine the lurker experience itself. Another major lurker category prefers passive viewing because they treat streams as supplemental entertainment rather than primary focus. Gamify, monetize, and improve livestream engagement with Voicemod Bits, then. Finally, there’s nothing stopping a lurker from subscribing or donating to you. Even if they’re too shy to come out into the spotlight, Twitch now has anonymity tools to keep people’s generous actions a secret from everyone.

When looking for new streamers, most viewers keep to themselves and don’t engage with chat right away. Some lurkers have multiple Twitch streams open for reasons that they simply cannot commit to a single stream(er). These types of lurkers often stick to one game category but don’t want to watch just one streamer. This is the type of lurker that is really into the streamer they watch but prefers not to talk or engage with chat.

For instance, many players like having Twitch open in the background while gaming themselves. The stream serves as ambient entertainment without demanding interaction. Lurking as a viewer is 100% allowed on Twitch and does not break any rules. ⚠️ This command only works if the streamer has it set up. Lurking on Twitch is a passive activity that does not require any interaction with the streamer.

If you want to make lurkers feel welcome in your stream, there are some things you can do to give them a warm reception. Of course, the power of clipping wholly depends on people actually clipping your content. The more people in your stream, the higher the chances that your finest moments are captured for all to see. And while lurkers may not interact with you or your stream, they can still clip and share content from it. Hopefully, this article has taught you everything you needed to know about lurking on Twitch.

These commands are usually coded into chatbots, and basically tells everyone that the person is still here… just lurking. Regular chatters also use the lurk command as a way to say they’re going to stop chatting for a bit. Once again, lurkers are simply people who don’t want to chat. Remember to never call them out and don’t pressure them to chat. If you are a streamer who wants to show that you are okay with lurking, you can set up the ! Lurk command is very common amongst smaller streamers.

And finally, you have lurkers who are introverted (like myself) and don’t feel the need to chat on Twitch. A lurker is a viewer who is watching a stream but doesn’t chat. They might also have the streamer muted or have multiple streams open at the same time. Understanding what lurk means on Twitch is crucial for both aspiring and experienced streamers. Lurking provides numerous benefits such as increased viewer count, social proof, and a supportive presence.

Chances are that you utilize one of these popular chatbots. I like lurking for support for my other fellow streamer friends but I’ve always been confused wether or not to say ! I don’t want them to feel like I don’t care enough to stay in chat.

When lurkers watch your stream without chatting, it still contributes to your viewer count. This higher viewer count can attract more attention from other users browsing through streams, potentially leading to increased visibility for your channel. Join the channel that you’d like to lurk in, and don’t do anything! Leave the stream running, but at no point chat with over viewers or the streamer. Lurk command if you’d like everyone to know that you’re there lurking in the shadows. There are no specific rules on Twitch that require users to always interact with other people while enjoying Twitch content.

As previously mentioned, there are no Twitch rules that oblige viewers to interact with streamers or other viewers all the time. As when normally viewing Twitch, lurkers first select one or more streams to join based on factors like game titles, streamer personalities or current view counts. For these viewers, lurking lifts the pressure to perform or interact.

Twitch defined lurking as watching a stream but not interacting with the chat whatsoever. There are a couple of different reasons why viewers lurk. But usually, it’s because they’re busy with something else while having the stream running in the background. The path to lucrative streaming success requires incorporating lurkers as assets rather than afterthoughts.

Many streamers consider lurkers to be the ‘backbone’ of Twitch. They are the foundation of your twitch channel and they are part of your community. By constantly going from stream to stream, they are considered lurkers. They most likely won’t engage with chat and divide their attention amongst multiple streams. You can set up your lurk command in just a few simple steps.

For creators with Affiliate or Partner status access, leveraging Channel Points features provides addition avenues to increase participation. The key lies in leveraging tools and techniques guaranteed not to pressure or shame those preferring to lurk. Instead, https://chat.openai.com/ the goal focuses on organically enticing increased – but still voluntary – participation. Popular options include Nightbot, StreamElements and Streamlabs Cloudbot among many others. VR might be flashy, but it still feels like a novelty than a necessity to me.

This isn’t surprising, as the bots add fake views to the stream, which ultimately dupes advertisers. There are a lot of reasons why people are lurking on Twitch. It’s probably because some people just don’t like talking but want to consume the content. So they choose to not interact with anyone in the same boat. Warmly welcoming first-time posters changes how veterans perceive chat receptiveness.

Having a high viewer count gives your stream social proof, indicating that people find your content interesting and worth watching. This can encourage other viewers to join the conversation and participate actively. Twitch lurker is a term given to a passive viewer who is watching a stream but not contributing to the channel’s chat. People who are lurking in chat are often assumed to be bot traffic when in reality lurkers make up the vast majority of viewers on the platform. Lurking on twitch means to be in a twitch channel, but without interacting or chatting. Lurkers passively watch or sit in a twitch channel without chatting or engaging with the streamer or other viewers.

These longtime lurkers may have favorite streamers that they’ve been watching for years, but never talked with. Many people assume that viewers who aren’t talking are view bots, but this isn’t always the case. The majority of twitch viewers could be classified as lurkers, because they want to enjoy the channel without having to interact with the channel. While there are bots that crawl through channels you should never assume that a viewer who isn’t talking is a bot. Make no mistake however – even without direct chatter engagement, lurkers still provide streamers value through viewership.

So that’s what lurk means on Twitch and everything you should know about it. Based on the explanation, lurkers are not a bad thing (unless they’re bots). Some of your viewers might be lurkers, but with some strategies, you can transform them into chatters over time. As viewers accumulate higher Point balances through consistent viewership and chat, they feel a greater sense of investment in supporting the community. That leads even devoted lurkers to test chatting based on accumulated visibility. Channel Points programs allow viewers to collect and spend points earned by watching streams.

Now that you know about the lurk meaning, you might start wondering about the Lurk command. Well, this is basically a command that allows non-active audiences or lurkers to announce that they’re present and supporting the stream despite their inactivity. Another reason to be a Twitch lurker is that they might want something on the screen or some background noise while doing other tasks. They can occasionally watch the stream when they finished their work. According to the literal definition, lurking on Twitch is when a viewer passively sits on a Twitch channel, enjoying the content without engaging with the streamer or other viewers. One easy way to pull in lurkers occurs when brand new viewers decide to tentatively test chatting for the first time.

Create a Dedicated Lurk Command

What viewers choose to “purchase” using points also motivates engagement. Popular spends include triggering custom stream animations, unlocking exclusive emotes or entering giveaways. This unwritten rule is a pitfall for newer streamers who keep an eye on who’s what does lurk command do on twitch coming or going via the viewer list. When they see someone enter, they may call out the new viewer’s name and welcome them in. However, doing so before the viewer has properly interacted with the streamer means the streamer has “called out the lurk.”

Twitch only has a problem with view-botters, which are not the same thing as lurkers. This is a Twitch command to announce that you are lurking. You don’t need to do anything special to lurk on Twitch. Just visit a stream, pop it on a second monitor and hide the chat.

Following this process allows lurkers to increase channel view metrics without ever making their presence known through chat, tipping or follow actions. Now let‘s talk about making their presence subtly known to streamers. Calling out lurkers puts the viewer in an uncomfortable position where they feel pressured to talk to the streamer. At best, the lurker breaks their silence to talk to the streamer when they didn’t feel comfortable doing so.

Affiliate status requires an average of three viewers over 30 days, while partnership requires an average of 75 viewers over 30 days. However, Twitch does have a system in place that combats fake engagement in the form of artificial viewers (view bots). This system will remove any views that Twitch considers to be fake. View-botting is commonly used by small streamers to increase their viewercount so that they appear higher in the Twitch directory.

It is never a bad thing to have lurkers on your stream. While they might not be chatting, they are still helping you get to the next level as a streamer. Since these lurkers are busy working or studying, they cannot engage in chat and are therefore considered lurkers. In reality, the majority of viewers on Twitch are considered lurkers.

Are Lurkers Good for Streamers?

Lurkers may not be actively talking in the chat, but that doesn’t mean they don’t count as a viewer. Every lurker you have watching your stream boosts your viewer count, which in turn raises you in the ranks in your streaming category. Within every large Twitch stream is a group of people who don’t chat or interact with the streamer whatsoever. These people are called “lurkers,” and while they may sound sinister, they’re actually a positive force for streamers, and utilizing them is the key to building a viewer base. This system will almost never consider a real lurker to be fake as real lurkers are just people who don’t chat.

Though less visible by definition than active chat participants, recognizing lurkers‘ ongoing value and motivations allows streamers to cultivate this critical audience segment. Lurkers crucially contribute to stream vitality through view metrics. However, most streamers understandably aim to transition silent watchers into more active chat participants. This gradual conversion retains their viewership while adding valuable chat feedback. Optional lurk commands illustrate streamers welcoming all engagement styles, from active chat to quiet background consumption.

This could be a result of having an off day, or they might be introverted and prefer to enjoy streams in silence. Some smaller streamers are bothered by lurkers as this keeps their chat empty and makes it difficult for them to talk on stream. But also because this could make them feel lonely or even result in them getting accused of view botting. As a streamer, seeing a high viewer count even with minimal chat activity can be motivating.

How to add a lurk command on Twitch

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Whether you prefer silent lurkers or encourage viewers to use the “! Ultimately, fostering a welcoming community where viewers feel comfortable choosing how they engage with your content is key. Lurking on Twitch is simply watching a stream without interacting with the chat. This includes having the stream open a separate tab which is common practice for gamers. A large majority of most communities is made up of lurkers, who range from people at work or studying to viewers juggling multiple streams they enjoy that share the same time slot. Some viewers don’t like talking with streamers or other viewers, but prefer to watch the stream without ever chatting.

I have work to do, but I like to pull up a stream on my second monitor to listen in and occasionally watch as I complete the day’s tasks. Now whenever a Twitch lurker types in the designated lurk command, the custom message that you set will pop up. However, lurkers on Twitch sometimes can be assumed to view bots. Twitch can identify which one is the real person, and which one is a bot.

• Hiding chat removes that temptation element altogether.
• Some people are anxious about chatting in an online chatroom, and some people just don’t want to talk at all.
• By using separate IP addresses, it tricks Twitch into thinking that every single browser is a different viewer.
• Plainly speaking, it’s rude and is just not Twitch etiquette.
• From my experience, Nightbots and Streamlabs are 2 of the best choices out there.

You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. Crucially, they avoid muting the stream since audible volume confirms an attentive viewer rather than just an inflating tab. Muted streams fail to register as verified viewership. Hopefully, you now realize that lurkers aren’t parasitic and will help you and your community grow.

As I said, you won’t get in trouble for lurking, but you will get banned for viewbots. Twitch’s whole reasoning behind this is that they inflate viewership. Whenever Chat GPT a user wants you to know that they’re not actively watching the stream, they have to type the StreamElements command for the message that you made to send.

Point balances rise faster through active chat, creating built-in participation incentives. Beyond greeting first-time chatters, streamers invested in shifting lurkers into active chat concentrate on constructing a uniquely welcoming community. Recent data indicates lurkers make up well over half of all stream watchers. Some surveys suggest almost 70% of viewers characterize themselves as “passive” rather than active chatters.

• On that same note, the lurker might really like the streamer and have tuned into them to only add to their viewcount (and have the browser tab muted).
• These types of lurkers often have Twitch on a second monitor or even their TV screen.
• A lurker is a viewer who is watching a stream but doesn’t chat.
• After all, some of the lurkers may have you as background noise, so your words won’t land on deaf ears.

It lets you know that people are interested in your content and willing to dedicate their time to watch it. While not every chatter may be able to actively engage with the stream at all times, a large majority still want to show their support. A lurk command is a simple addition to your stream that you can add on any streaming software of your choice. The command allows non-active audience members, often called lurkers, a way to show they are still supporting the stream despite their inactivity. Keep in mind if you’re trying to support a streamer by lurking in the channel your view will only count if you’re watching two or less streamers. You can’t open up 30 streams and have all of them recognize you as a viewer number.

Their silent viewership provides rocket fuel powering channels upwards in terms of exposure, visibility and affiliate qualifications. While lurkers by definition stay quiet, some enjoy subtly signaling their silent support to streamers. They’re happy to watch all the streamer’s content, but they don’t want to talk, interact, or add anything to the community.

As a hardcore lurker myself with hundreds of hours watched on Twitch, I feel like I have something to say about this subject. You can customise this message to have a little bit of personality too rather than just a standard “Thank you for the lurk”. Have fun with it and show off your personality to your community. Small touches like keeping moderation equitable, learning and remembering regulars‘ names, and setting an overall positive tone promotes chat participation across the board.

It allows focusing solely on the stream rather than dividing attention between watching and community engagement. Appreciating lurkers represents an important mindset shift even among experienced streamers. For those accustomed to using chat engagement as their key metric of stream health and audience interest, lurkers can seem almost invisible. While some lurkers don’t want to interact whatsoever, some of them want to give a brief “hello” to make their presence known. Other streamers have accommodated this need with a lurk command. The community has some unwritten rules about how lurkers are handled.

Doing so may result in a lurker being offended or feeling pressured into talking which could then result in that viewer leaving your stream. As a streamer, you just need to set up a command in whichever chat bot you use, like Nightbot, that outputs a chat message when someone types in the ! A lurk bot isn’t a necessity, but it’s a great way to let the person you’re watching know that you’re there and supporting them, but you won’t be engaging in the chat. Streamers can see the number of viewers in their stream, but they cannot see who is lurking or actively watching. If you’ve ever spent any time on Twitch, then you’ll definitely have experienced the streamer thanking someone for Lurking.

Lurking is when viewers watch the stream but don’t chat or interact. It isn’t just a Twitch term, as it’s used on a bunch of different sites whenever someone doesn’t interact whatsoever. If you’re a newbie streamer, you’d want your chat to be as interactive as possible. So, lurking is definitely something that you wouldn’t want. I especially struggled with it when I first started out. However, I eventually got smart with it by having polls and asking my audience to answer questions on my chat.

Whether you are a lurker, a regular viewer or a streamer. One case where I could see Twitch’s system pick up on a lurker (or even a chatter) is if that lurker/chatter is using a VPN. In this case, Twitch might mistakingly consider that person to be a viewbot because they are using a commonly used IP address (as VPNs constantly recycle IP addresses).

They might be new to Twitch (yes, people discover Twitch every day) or none of their usual streamers are online and they decided to watch a new streamer instead. Lurkers can include other streamers who are looking to support their fellow creators. They may be watching your stream while working or unable to actively participate but still want to show their support. This presents potential networking opportunities and collaborations in the future. Lurkers are lurking for a reason, and for the streamer to call them out (especially by name) is considered to be extremely rude.

Some streamers also use it to get access to Twitch Affiliate or even Twitch Partner (if they can remain undetected for that long). However, there will always be streamers that are not okay with lurkers. A very small percentage of streamers believe lurkers are harming their stream by not talking. My name is Peter and I’ve been a streamer on both Twitch and Youtube for a number of years.

Finally, all you have to do is hit confirm and the settings will be saved and ready to use in chat. When the changes are applied, anytime a chatter types “! This can also be used to inform other viewers they may have been chatting with at the time. Lurkers will always be part of streaming, and they’re not a bad thing in the slightest. Some of your biggest fans may be lurkers, and to dissuade people from lurking in your channel would be a huge mistake. Personally I lurk in channels while working throughout the day.

The key throughout focuses on providing incentives and environments free from external chat pressures. Servicing viewers across the participation spectrum future-proofs channel growth. But distracting chat motion inevitably draws some to start participating against their viewing preferences. Hiding chat removes that temptation element altogether. Veteran lurkers consciously keep chat windows out of sight to avoid accidental engagement. Most collapse the chat column entirely or cover it with another browser tab.

The unifying theme however centers on viewing rather than visible interaction. At first, lurkers on Twitch sound like people who want to take more than they give. However, lurkers can really help out a stream, whether they’re boosting a view count, subscribing, or recommending the streamer to all their friends. The rules also state that streamers should not call out a lurker if they see one. The streamer must wait until the lurker interacts with the stream before they can talk to the viewer. You should never call out lurkers and force them to chat.

Some streamers prefer silent lurkers who quietly watch their streams without using the “! These streamers appreciate the viewer count and supportive presence without feeling pressured to respond or acknowledge every viewer. Lurk command with whatever chatbot they choose to allow lurkers to make their presence known, but just want to stay a more silent viewer. I hope this article helped you understand lurking on Twitch! If you’re looking for more content like this join the Streamer Growth School email. It’s chock full of news, advice, strategies, and tips to grow your channel in a healthy way.

On the other hand, some streamers appreciate when viewers use the “! Lurk” command in chat as it allows them to know who is actively supporting their stream, even if they’re not engaged in conversation. This helps create a sense of community and connection. Often viewers just want to watch the stream and not engage with the chat or the streamer directly. While it may be exciting to have people in your chat it can be very annoying to a viewer who simply wants to enjoy the broadcast without typing. Lurkers undeniably make up a significant viewership component on Twitch.