Guide · Social alerts
How to get Twitch live notifications on Discord (step by step)
Post a go-live alert in Discord when a Twitch stream starts — with title, game, viewers and an opt-in role ping — and turn it into a recap when the stream ends.
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To get Twitch notifications on Discord, you need a bot that watches the Twitch channel and posts a message in your server when the stream starts. Discord’s own Twitch integration doesn’t do that — it syncs Twitch subscribers into a role, but it never announces that you went live. With a notifications bot, you pick a channel (usually #stream-alerts), paste the Twitch login, choose who gets pinged, and the bot posts a go-live alert with the stream title, game and a link every time.
This guide covers both options, then walks through the setup with BotGG’s free Social alerts, and finishes with the habits that keep stream pings useful instead of annoying.
Discord’s Twitch integration vs. a notifications bot
Discord and Twitch are connected in two different ways, and they solve different problems.
Discord’s built-in Twitch integration. Under User Settings → Connections you can link your Twitch account. If you stream on Twitch and own the server, Server Settings → Integrations can then sync your Twitch subscribers into a subscriber role, so subs get access to sub-only channels or a special name color. You decide what happens when a subscription expires. That’s a perk system for subscribers — it doesn’t post anything when you go live.
A notifications bot. A bot checks Twitch on a schedule and posts an announcement in a channel of your choice: “Nova is live on Twitch!” with an embed, a ping and a Watch button. This is what most people mean by “Twitch notifications on Discord”, and it works for any streamer — yours, your team’s or creators your community follows. You don’t need to own the Twitch channel.
| Discord’s Twitch integration | Notifications bot (BotGG Social alerts) | |
|---|---|---|
| Go-live message in a channel | No | Yes, with title, game, viewers and a Watch button |
| Works for streamers you don’t own | No — it’s tied to your own Twitch account | Yes, any public Twitch channel |
| Sub roles for your Twitch subscribers | Yes | No — use the integration for that |
| Role ping when the stream starts | No | Yes: a role, @here, @everyone or nobody |
| What happens when the stream ends | — | The post is edited into a “was live” recap, kept or deleted |
Many streamer servers use both: the integration for subscriber perks, a bot for live alerts.
What you need
- A server where you have Manage Server (to use the console), with BotGG added (https://discord.com/oauth2/authorize?client_id=1553367772451446804&scope=bot%20applications.commands&permissions=282970448981207).
- The Twitch login or channel link of the streamer, for example
novaorhttps://twitch.tv/nova. - A channel for the alerts. If it’s read-only for members, that’s fine: BotGG needs View Channel, Send Messages and Embed Links there.
- The web console at https://console.botgg.app. Social alerts are free: the free plan includes 3 subscriptions per server and Pro raises that to 100.
One subscription = one account posting into one channel, so a server following three streamers uses three subscriptions.
Step 1: Create a stream-alerts channel
Give alerts their own channel instead of dropping them into #general. A dedicated channel keeps the history readable (“who streamed this week?”), lets members mute it without missing chat, and lets you control who can post there.
- Name it something obvious:
#stream-alerts,#live-nowor#twitch. - Make it read-only for @everyone (deny Send Messages) and allow BotGG’s role to post.
- If you use an announcement channel, other servers can follow it, and BotGG publishes each alert to them automatically.
Step 2: Enable Social alerts and set the defaults
Open https://console.botgg.app, choose your server and enable Social alerts (it’s off by default). In the Setup tab, set the defaults for new alerts: the channel and the role you usually ping. Every new subscription starts with these values, so adding the fifth streamer takes seconds.
The Setup tab also shows which platforms are ready. BotGG only uses official platform APIs — the Twitch API for Twitch — so if a platform isn’t available on the bot, the console says so instead of failing silently.
Step 3: Add the Twitch streamer
In the Subscriptions tab, click New alert and pick Twitch.
- Account — type the Twitch login or paste the channel URL. The console looks the account up and shows its name and avatar, so you know you’ve got the right person before saving.
- Channel — where the alert is posted (prefilled from your defaults).
- Ping — No ping, Role, @here or @everyone. Pick a role for anything but a tiny server (more on that below).
BotGG tracks the streamer by their Twitch user ID, not the login, so a renamed Twitch channel doesn’t break the subscription.
Step 4: Write the message and choose the look
Leave the text empty and the bot uses a default in your server’s language: “Nova is live on Twitch! https://twitch.tv/nova”. Or write your own with variables — click a chip in the editor to insert one:
| Variable | Becomes |
|---|---|
{streamer} | The streamer’s display name |
{title} | The stream title |
{game} | The game or category |
{url} | The link to the stream |
{viewers} | The current viewer count |
{platform} | “Twitch” |
For example: {streamer} is live with {game} — come say hi! {url}
Then choose the embed style:
- Full — a big stream preview image with the streamer’s avatar, plus the game and viewers as fields.
- Compact — the same information with a small thumbnail.
- Text only — no embed, just your message.
You can also change the embed color (Twitch purple by default) and switch the Watch stream link button on or off. A live preview next to the form shows exactly what BotGG will post, in the bot’s language.
Step 5: Decide what happens when the stream ends
The When the stream ends setting keeps the channel from filling with stale “live now” posts:
- Edit post — the alert turns into a grey “was live” recap with the stream duration, peak viewers, the game and a button to the channel. Nobody is pinged again.
- Keep as is — the alert stays unchanged.
- Delete post — the alert disappears when the stream is over.
While the stream is running, BotGG refreshes the post every ten minutes, or sooner when the title or game changes, so the viewer count stays current. If the stream drops and comes back within ten minutes, the same post continues — members don’t get a second ping for a reconnect.
Step 6: Test it, then go live
Save the subscription. To check the channel, ping and wording without waiting for a real stream, run /alerts test in Discord (requires Manage Server) and pick the subscription. BotGG posts a sample alert marked as a test, with the streamer’s real name and avatar and no pings.
From then on, BotGG checks Twitch about once a minute and posts as soon as it sees the stream online. /alerts list shows every subscription with its status and last check, and the console’s Activity tab lists recent alerts with links to the Discord messages.
Best practices for stream pings
Make the ping role opt-in
@everyone on every stream is the fastest way to get your server muted. Create a Stream pings role, select it as the subscription’s ping, and let members pick it themselves with a Role menu: a button menu in Toggle mode with “🔴 Stream pings” and maybe “🎬 Clips & videos” next to it. Members who want every stream get pinged; everyone else can still read #stream-alerts. The reaction roles guide shows the full setup.
One channel, one ping per stream
If you follow several creators, keep them in the same #stream-alerts channel, and give each its own ping role only when your community really splits by creator. BotGG never posts the same stream twice into the same channel, even if two subscriptions for the same streamer point there.
Keep the text short
The embed already shows the title, game and viewers. Your message only needs the hook: who is live and why to click. Avoid putting the full stream title in both the text and the embed.
Welcome the people the stream brings in
Streams bring new members. Make sure they land well: a welcome message that points them to #rules and the role menu does most of the work — see how to set up a welcome message.
Your setup checklist
- A dedicated, read-only #stream-alerts channel where BotGG can post and embed links
- Social alerts enabled, defaults set in the Setup tab
- One subscription per streamer, added while they’re offline
- An opt-in ping role handed out through a role menu
- A short custom message, or the default in your server’s language
- When the stream ends set to Edit post for a clean stream history
/alerts testrun once to check the channel and wording
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No alert when the stream started | The subscription is paused, or it was added during a stream that was already live | Check the status in the console; the next stream is announced |
| Status shows an error | BotGG can’t post in the channel (missing permission or deleted channel) | Give BotGG View Channel, Send Messages and Embed Links, or pick another channel |
| The role isn’t pinged | Ping is set to No ping, or the role was deleted | Edit the subscription and choose the role again |
| Twitch is marked as needing setup | The platform isn’t configured on the bot | The Setup tab shows what’s missing |
| Two alerts for one stream | Two subscriptions for the same streamer post into different channels | Delete one, or keep both on purpose for two channels |
FAQ
How do I get notified when someone goes live on Twitch in Discord?
Add a bot that posts go-live alerts. With BotGG: enable Social alerts in the console, click New alert, choose Twitch, paste the streamer’s login, pick a channel and a ping. The alert is posted when the stream starts.
Does Discord have Twitch notifications built in?
Not for go-live announcements. Discord’s Twitch integration links accounts and syncs subscribers into a role, but posting “X is live” in a channel needs a bot.
How fast are the alerts?
BotGG checks Twitch about once a minute, so an alert usually arrives within a minute or two of the stream starting.
Can I follow streamers I don’t own?
Yes. Any public Twitch channel works — a subscription only needs the login, not access to the Twitch account.
Are Twitch alerts free?
Yes. Social alerts are part of the free plan with 3 subscriptions per server; Pro raises the limit to 100. The same feature also covers Kick live streams, new YouTube videos and Shorts, and RSS feeds.