How to Mark Spoilers in Twitch Chat and Protect Your Playthrough

Marking and preventing are two different tasks

You can mark a spoiler in chat, but marking only works on people who have already agreed to follow it. So in practice you have to tackle both tasks at once: give your audience a clear format for discussion while also building protection against those who never read the format. Twitch chat has no built-in "hide spoiler" tag — moderation and channel settings are what work.

Channel settings for a story-driven playthrough

Everything listed here is enabled in the channel dashboard on the Twitch website (not in the mobile app): the channel settings section, "Moderation" tab. Changes apply immediately; you don't need to restart the stream.

• Chat delay: the "Chat delay" field in the channel settings section. The value is set in seconds; a typical working range is 3–10 seconds. The streamer doesn't see the message right away, and the moderator has time to delete it first. The downside: chat stops matching the picture, and live reactions lag.
• Subscribers-only mode: same place, in the chat restrictions block. You can choose the subscription length required to post. On new games and small channels, this mode noticeably cuts activity.
• Link blocking: a setting in the "Moderation" section — a ban on posting links in chat. Wikis and guides in chat are a common cause of spoilers.
• Restrictions for new accounts: a filter by Twitch account age. Useful in the first days after a game's release.

These settings don't hide a spoiler; they reduce the chance it reaches the streamer in time. You shouldn't rely on them entirely.

Blocked terms: a ready-made list

The blocklist is edited in the "Moderation" section of channel settings (the "Blocked terms" field). Add character names, location, chapter, and ending names, plus derivatives — surnames, nicknames, abbreviations. Below is a template you can copy and adapt to your game.

• the names of all characters from the credits and trailers
• character nicknames and abbreviations used by the community
• the names of key locations, bosses, and chapters
• the words "finale," "ending," "dies," "traitor," "the truth about"
• the names of sequels and DLC if they reveal the story

Add to the list after every stream: chat will tell you which words you missed. The downside of blocked terms is that they also hit innocent messages — a character's name can come up in a discussion of mechanics or builds.

The channel rule and a command for it

The rule should be short and unambiguous. "No spoilers" doesn't work: the viewer doesn't understand what counts as a spoiler. A workable version: all story details beyond the segment already played are only allowed upon the streamer's direct request. Banned topics include endings, character deaths, plot twists, and DLC endings. Separately state that discussing mechanics and builds is allowed — otherwise chat goes completely silent.

To make the rule appear in chat via a command, set up a channel command. It's configured in the streamer dashboard: the "Channel Commands" section → "Add Command." In the command field, enter, for example, !spoilers, and in the response field, the text of the rule from the paragraph above. Set permissions to "everyone" so both viewers and moderators can trigger it. Once saved, the command works in chat like a regular message when you type "!spoilers."

A format for those who want to discuss

Agree with chat on a marking system: a message starts with an agreed word, and everyone else decides whether to read it. The format doesn't protect against leaks, but it defuses conflict with those who have already finished the game and want to talk about it in chat. It only works in an established community: a newcomer doesn't know the rules and will post a spoiler anyway. So the agreement complements moderation rather than replacing it.

What bots can and can't do

Moderation bots like Nightbot, StreamElements, or Fossabot handle the mechanics, not the meaning. They can filter messages by a list of banned words, delete links, issue timeouts on a moderator's command, and keep their own blocklist — often more flexible than the built-in one. What they can't do: recognize a plot summary in someone's own words or spot a spoiler hidden in a paraphrase or a hint. On a story-driven game without a human moderator, automation fails exactly where it matters most.

Moderators at work in the moment

• Give moderators the right to delete messages and issue timeouts without checking with the streamer.
• Set up a separate communication channel where a moderator messages the streamer if a spoiler slips through.
• Make it clear that deletions should be done quietly, without a public breakdown.

One moderator can't cover chat at peak load: on a large channel, split shifts across the stream's duration.

If a spoiler is already in chat

Delete the message immediately and don't read it aloud. A public reaction from the streamer is the worst option: the spoiler gets broadcast. A timeout settles the matter faster than a debate about the rules. If many people saw the spoiler, briefly acknowledge it and move on — without details.