How To Get Featured on Twitch: Promoting Your Stream

Your goal on Twitch is to earn more viewers and grow as a channel. If you get on the site’s front page, you’ll get a strong boost that carries you far. Even non-partners can get results this way. In this post, we’ll show you how to get featured on Twitch and set up your featured content.

A person playing a video game on their desktop computer.

How To Get Featured on Twitch via the Front Page

Twitch’s front page is perhaps the biggest way to get people’s eyes on your profile. Everyone on the site sees different popular streamers on the front page’s “carousel.” This is a rotating series of promoted or recommended streams.

What a person sees here depends on their viewing preferences. For example, it usually takes a user’s recent activity into account. If you watch a certain game, it will promote other streamers in that niche.

Twitch Partners can directly apply for the site’s front page carousel. They will have to fit several requirements, however, such as:

  • No recent Twitch Terms of Service violations
  • At least 15 streaming hours in the past month
  • An average viewer count of 50 in the past month

You can also only apply via the site’s official Partner Discord Server. The invite to this will be in a Partner’s dashboard once they link their Discord profile.

If successful, you can pick an eight-hour window, usually around a month in advance. You must also be live during this time to show up.

A GoRead.io screenshot of Twitch’s front page.

How To Get a Featured Channel on Twitch Without Being a Partner

Even without formally applying (and without being a partner), you can get on the front page. You will miss out on the carousel, however. Here’s how to boost your chances:

  • Stream various games: If you always play the same games, you’ll only show up for the same audience. Mix this up, and you’ll end up on more people’s front pages.
  • Build a schedule: Have a clear stream schedule that you stick to. This should be about 3–5 times each week. Make sure this is at a suitable time for your audience.
  • Don’t stream restricted content: Try to avoid games that are especially graphic. If your stream has a Content Classification Label, this limits who sees it on the front page.
  • Engage with your community: If you talk to your viewers, they’ll talk back. This is how you show Twitch your stream is worth showing to as many people as possible.
  • Optimize your profile: Your channel and the site itself need to look interesting to viewers. Make sure your Twitch profile has a full description and channel banner.
  • Don’t use bots: Bots add views to your stream, but they can’t lead to effective long-term growth. This brings down the quality of your stream and can endanger your account.

Twitch’s Discovery Feed

The Discovery Feed is a mobile-exclusive feature that helps users find streams they’ll like. This takes the form of two personalized, scrollable feeds. One is for short clips, while the other loads ongoing livestreams.

This feature uses the same channels list and recommendations as the website. Once you find a streamer you like, click on the stream to start watching. 

Any stream or clip could be in a user’s feed. As with their front page, this depends on their preferences and watch history. This also means that streams with Content Classification Labels aren’t always eligible. An offline channel also won’t show up.

According to TwitchTracker, the site has 40-140,000 concurrent streamers. This is a lot of competition for anyone. Twitch’s algorithm aims to help this by making sure your streams always find the right people.

A GoRead.io screenshot of Twitch’s featured clips for League of Legends.

How To Get Clips Featured on Twitch

Clips also show up on the Twitch desktop site. In today’s short-form content boom, they’re ideal for giving people a taste of your streams. 

You can select a special Featured Clip that Twitch will prioritize while promoting your channel. In fact, you can feature several clips at once. Here’s how:

  1. Click your profile picture in the top right.
  2. Tap the Creator Dashboard option.
  3. Once this loads, click Content on the left.
  4. Press Clips.
  5. Tap the checkboxes next to the clips you want to feature.
  6. Click Feature Selected.

When making a clip in Twitch’s editor, you can also click the Feature This Clip box. Your editors and moderators can also feature your clips if you give them permission.

These clips get their own Featured label in your analytics. This lets you track their performance over time more easily.

A streaming setup, including a desktop computer, headphones, and a microphone.

Making the Most of the Twitch Front Page

Once you’re on Twitch’s front page, there are certain rules you need to follow. This lets you stay on there for longer and handle the influx of live viewers. Here’s what you can do:

  • Check the time: If you got on the front page by applying, make sure you’re streaming at that time. Double-check your emails and consider being active for the full eight hours.
  • Set stream tags: Knowing how to get featured on the Twitch front page is only one part of the puzzle. Choose accurate yet compelling tags that will make people want to watch.
  • Be ready to moderate: Being on the front page means your stream reaches beyond its usual audience. Make sure you’re able to deal with people who might ruin the fun.
  • Use copyright-free music: Only use music you have the right to broadcast. Otherwise, your stream will leave the front page very quickly. Look online for royalty-free tracks.
  • Talk about your next stream: People want to follow creators with regular streams. You can keep the front page momentum going by advertising when you’ll next be live.
  • Edit your notifications: As you’ll be getting more traffic than usual, it might help to shut off your notifications. However, this is also a chance to thank anyone who follows you.

Your Channel’s Featured Content

You decide what shows up on your profile. This means that, even when you’re offline, users can see what your streams are usually about. For example, you could add Featured Clips that show off particularly fun moments.

You can also build a Suggested Channels list. This includes streamers similar to you and whose content you want to share with others. The site also gives you the option to show or hide certain stream labels. This helps when the labels that show up don’t necessarily reflect your style.

Finally, there’s an option to change your channel’s “shelf” of suggestions. Instead of just a list of accounts you recommend, you can display channels that are on your team.

A GoRead.io screenshot of Twitch’s Suggested Channels feature.

Choosing Your Twitch Account’s Suggested Channels

You have to think carefully about which channels you want to spotlight. They could be friends of yours or just people you enjoy watching yourself. If one of them is live, they’ll show up on your channel’s video player. Here’s how to choose your suggested channels on Twitch:

  1. Click your profile picture in the top right.
  2. Tap Creator Dashboard.
  3. Click Settings on the left, then Channel.
  4. Select the Featured Content tab.
  5. Click the Suggested Channels toggle.
  6. Tap Suggested Channels further down.
  7. Type a channel name, then click Add.

This channel feature also lets you change the list’s order. You can choose between an order that fits each viewer or one that you specifically select. 

A person speaking into a microphone while addressing the camera.

Making a Trailer for Your Twitch Channel

A Twitch channel trailer lets you show off your streams even while offline. This could cover more ground than two or three clips. You’ll also have more of an opportunity to tell your story. Above all else, you should try to be yourself. It’s also worth sharing your schedule if you have one.

These trailers are only available to Twitch Affiliates and Partners. If you fit the bill, there are also a number of other requirements and limits. For example, it will have to be 60 seconds or less.

Twitch also only accepts trailers in certain file formats, specifically AVI, FLV, MOV, and MP4. On top of this, any video that goes beyond 1080p, 60fps, or a 10Mbps bitrate won’t work. 

If you’re eligible, you can upload these trailers in the dashboard’s Featured Content tab. It’s as easy as clicking Choose Video, then Upload. Once this is complete, tap the three vertical dots and select Set as Trailer.

Boost Your Twitch Profile’s Engagement

If you’re wondering how to get featured on Twitch, engagement is always the answer. The more love a stream gets, the more Twitch will want to promote it. GoRead.io can help you promote your Twitch channel through your other social media profiles.

Our team will make sure you increase your likes, views, and comments on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, hence diverting your fans’ attention back to Twitch. Try out GoRead.io, and you might soon be eligible for Partner status.

A phone showing the Twitch app’s stream recommendations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get my Twitch noticed?

As with any platform, making great content that gets consistent engagement is the key. Stick to your schedule, and stream several times a week. It’s also worth promoting the streams on other platforms.

Can anyone get on Twitch’s front page?

Anyone can end up on someone’s front page. It’s important to remember that this is different for every user. However, Twitch Partners are more likely to be on many people’s front pages.

What if I don’t want to be on the front page?

To opt out of the front page, add a “nofrontpage” tag via your Stream Manager. If you want to be less visible because of problems with other users, contact Twitch Support.

Are featured clips on Twitch’s front page?

Currently, the desktop front page is only for live broadcasts. Tap Browse in the top left, then pick a game. In the Clips tab, you’ll see clips for that category. These aren’t just featured ones, though they do take priority.