How To Tell if Someone Is Viewbotting on Twitch With Ease

If you want to make it big on Twitch, it hurts to see someone else using bots. However, can this even help them? Or will everyone be able to tell? The site itself might also ban them for trying to game their algorithm. In this guide, we’ll show how to tell if someone is viewbotting on Twitch.

A group of four white robots using laptops.

What Is Viewbotting and Is It Banned?

Viewbotting is when someone uses bots to make their stream look better. This adds hundreds, if not thousands, of fake views. It’s possible that these bots are just incidental. Everyone gets bots at one point, after all. However, viewbotting is when someone buys bots to boost their streams.

Bots and fake accounts won’t help streamers, but this doesn’t stop them from trying. However, Twitch takes action against these profiles. If they suspect you’re using them for your own gain, you’ll be in trouble, too. They might even shut down your account for breaching Twitch’s guidelines.

If you want to keep building your brand, avoid these bots at all costs. Make sure you block the ones that show up on your page. Viewbotting might be tempting, but this could end with you restarting your channel from scratch.

A person playing a video game on their PC.

How To Tell if Someone Is Viewbotting on Twitch Streams

Only the streamers themselves can see the full list of users viewing their broadcast. But there are still ways to see if someone’s using botting services to boost their Twitch. Here are the signs you should always watch out for.

1. Low Engagement

Any stream has its fair share of lurkers. Broadcasts with a lot of viewers, however, will still have regular comments. Streamers who buy viewbots might not buy comments. If this is the case, the lack of engagement will be obvious.

2. Sudden Viewer Spikes

You can go back and look at an account’s previous streams. If they jumped from a few hundred to tens of thousands overnight, they might have used viewbots. However, it’s also possible they just managed to go viral.

3. Bot-Like Chat Activity

Keep an eye on the chat, even if it is active. Are they actually adding anything? Does it look like they’re responding to what’s happening on-screen? When it comes to chat activity, bots usually repeat the same generic comments.

4. Suspicious Usernames

Some bots are better at blending in. Their comments may not be enough to tell if they’re bots or human users. However, Twitch bots usually don’t have “realistic” usernames. They might just be a mix of numbers and letters.

5. Low Follower Count

Streamers with a lot of viewers typically have the followers to match. Artificial inflation of viewers on a channel with barely any followers is instantly clear. They also won’t see much growth due to a lack of organic engagement.

Does Viewbotting Work on Twitch?

No, viewbotting doesn’t work. If anything, it could end with the account in question closing down. Even if they manage to fly under the radar, they won’t see real growth. Views alone could help a stream grow, but only if they’re real users. Twitch could wipe the viewbots out in a single purge.

If this happens to you, you’ll be back to square one. You also likely won’t be able to get a refund, or a refill on your order. People who use viewbots also rarely put a ton of effort into the streams themselves. New viewers who come in will be harder to retain, especially if they notice the bots.

Twitch has over 2.5 million viewers at a time, according to the platform’s own statistics. It’s best to spend your time and money working out how to appeal to them. Bots are simply a waste. You should only buy Twitch viewers if they’re real accounts.

A large computer monitor showing many lines of code.

Why Do People Learn How To Viewbot on Twitch?

Viewbots are good for little beyond faking a high number of concurrent viewers. But people keep using them despite how obvious they often are. Here’s why these streamers decide to buy and use viewbots:

  • Boosting visibility: Streams with more viewers are more likely to hit Twitch’s front page. This will then help the streamers find real users, even if they don’t stick around.
  • Social proof: Users with a lot of viewers and chatbots can convince others that they’re a big name. Bots help them give off the illusion of being a leader in their niche.
  • Impressing friends: There are also streamers who simply buy viewbots to show off to a friend. It may be a way of saving face after lying about being a popular account.
  • Thinking nobody will notice: There’s no longer a working Twitch viewbot checker. As a result, some streamers freely use viewbots and believe it isn’t obvious to others.
  • Becoming a partner: Twitch saves many useful features for its partners. However, only users with 75+ average viewers on each stream are able to join the site’s program.
  • Competing with others: Some people use illegitimate scripts to keep up with their rivals on the site. This may be the only way they feel they can get ahead of other streamers.
  • Getting sponsors: Brands are always looking for people with big networks to promote their products. However, they’re sure to notice if a channel isn’t as big as it seems.
A GoRead.io screenshot of the Twitch Insights viewbot list.

What Is a Twitch Viewbot Checker?

There are tools online that claim to use Twitch’s API to detect viewbotting. However, the few still available no longer work. The Twitch team is always changing the site’s back-end code. A small change from years ago may have made it impossible to measure engagement this way.

However, there are 3rd-party tools that claim to offer a full list of active bots. Twitch Insights is a website that lets a user check their Twitch account’s complete stats. It also has a bot list page. If you recognize any of the accounts on it, they might be bots who’ve invaded your channel.

You yourself can also serve as a bot checker. Anyone with a high viewer count but low authentic engagement could be using bots. But there’s currently no foolproof way of finding out for sure.

A phone showing a Twitch chat that’s full of comments.

Twitch Bots and Comments

It’s possible for viewbots to leave comments. The streamer likely paid extra for this. But this isn’t the same as having a real user post comments. Real users can leave authentic comments to fit what’s happening on the stream. This is how all good Twitch conversations start.

Fake engagement through bot comments, however, will only give canned responses. Bots can’t respond to what’s happening in a game. They can’t answer questions the streamer poses. They might say the stream is good or even ask a few basic questions. But this is all they can do.

Streamers mainly learn how to viewbot on Twitch to build their engagement and find more fans. However, these users could easily turn away when they spot the lack of real comments. On top of this, viewbots are expensive — especially when the streamer pays for fake comments.

A GoRead.io screenshot of Twitch’s options for reporting chat messages.

Dealing With Viewbots on Your Profile

Not everyone with viewbots has them on purpose. In fact, some Twitch accounts just get a lot of fake viewers over time. Virtually all online streaming platforms have these bots. This is why you can’t assume someone with bot viewers is trying to mislead people.

Someone may also target you with bots for the purpose of harming your reputation. They will be counting on people to recognize viewbotting’s telltale signs. Twitch offers three steps for dealing with bots if they swarm your page. These are:

  • Report them: File a user report. This alerts Twitch to the bots and lets them carry out an investigation. They might even uncover the other bots lurking on your channel.
  • Stay calm: While viewbots are stressful, try to carry on as normal. Somebody targeting or trolling you might be doing it specifically for a reaction. Don’t give them one.
  • Be civil: Similarly, people might question your viewership. Calmly explain that these bots aren’t yours. They’ll understand that bots attack the odd video stream at random.

You will usually only be able to notice bots if you check who’s viewing your stream. If they follow you, you can also check your Twitch follower list. If you or someone else notices that things are amiss, look out for suspicious accounts.

It’s the responsibility of video platforms to keep their sites safe. But this all starts with filing your own report against the bots.

A person using their laptop and holding a bank card.

Can You Buy Real Stream Viewers?

Absolutely! If you want to boost your channel’s growth, you can’t use bots. Your real viewers will notice this right away, and it’ll damage how they see you. Real paid viewers provide better (and more organic) Twitch engagement.

Streamers are always looking for ways to get an advantage. But what is viewbotting good for on the platform? Only alienating your fans and putting your channel at risk. Buying fake fans isn’t a substitute for putting together great, fun streams.

In fact, even when you buy real views, you can’t rely on these. They’ll give your channel a lot of new traffic. However, it’s up to you to keep these first-time viewers around. Buying views alone only offers an inflation of channel statistics, one you need to capitalize on.

Mixing real, organic viewers with a genuinely great stream will help your channel grow. This will take more time than simply buying new fans, but it’s worth every second.

Frequently Asked Questions

[FAQ] Can Twitch detect viewbots?

Yes, Twitch can tell when an account is using bots. If you do buy stream viewers, these need to be real accounts. This way, Twitch (and your fans) won’t be able to tell you bought them.

[FAQ] Is viewbotting worth it?

Not at all. You’ll end up damaging your own reputation. If Twitch closes your account, you’ll then have to restart your streaming from scratch. Video content creators need to avoid bots on any platform.

[FAQ] How can you tell if someone uses viewbots?

Uneven viewers and engagement are the main signs that someone is using viewbots. However, it’s still possible they didn’t buy these. Sometimes, these bots simply swarm any active stream without them paying.

[FAQ] What is the difference between Viewer Count and Users in Chat?

Your View Count is how many people are watching the stream. Users in Chat shows the number (and names) of signed-in users. They don’t need to send a chat to show up here.

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Get Real Online Viewers and Fans With GoRead.io

Learning how to tell if someone is viewbotting on Twitch shows you how obvious it is. You’ll only be able to get ahead with real viewers and followers. With GoRead.io, you can get engagement from organic followers on Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and more.

Our team can boost your account in no time, giving you the growth it needs. Try GoRead.io now, and your posts and streams will find their audience.