Twitch banned words can sometimes feel like a limitation on freedom of speech, but as a Twitch streamer, having them can make a world of difference when someone with ill intentions targets you. Harassment, toxicity and otherwise needless written abuse are prevalent online, and doing what you can to prevent it is a step in the right direction for maintaining the peace.
Twitch bans derogatory, discriminatory, racist, homophobic and other offensive terms as part of their terms of service. These words can also include slang, such as incel, simp, and terms like virgin, alongside other violent speech targeted towards gender identity, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs.
Twitch doesn’t actively create a “default” ban list for you, despite many words within their terms of service (TOS) falling under a bannable offence. Streamers, therefore, have to take action themselves and manually add words and phrases to their banned words list.
I’ve added a significant amount of these throughout streaming, and they’re included below in a handy Google Sheets if you wish to copy and paste them for use. Yet, even with these banned words, the company you keep while you stream could land you in hot water should they choose not to adhere to Twitch’s TOS.
If you’ve got some viewers hurling explicit words at you and you just need a quick rundown of this post, check out the FAQ at the end.
Why Does Twitch Ban These Words?
Twitch’s implementation of banned phrases within their TOS is to not only protect streamers from toxicity and, generally speaking, a negative experience while using their platform, but it also protects viewers from encountering the same experience while watching.
No one enjoys being attacked, especially in what is supposed to be a safe online space. While Twitch’s TOS may not be perfect, it does help to weed out those actively partaking in spreading negativity or hate bandwagons.
Similarly, Twitch’s zero-tolerance stance on acts of violence, including those done to oneself, means they can retain the same level of control over harmful actions. Dellor, for example, found this out the hard way after receiving an indefinite ban for self-harming following another ban for sexist comments.
For Twitch, and many businesses, it’s about staying neutral. Twitch’s banned words are a means to cover themselves from unjust criticism and a necessary measure to protect its users at every step of the Twitch experience.
In reality, there are few instances, if any, in which these banned words or phrases wouldn’t be used in a negative connotation, to which it makes sense that they’re just blocked.
More recently, with the uprising of Kick’s popularity as a streaming platform, we can see firsthand how a lack of concrete banned words can impact the viewing experience for the worse.
Do Your Friends Have to Know Twitch Banned Words/TOS?
Accountability is king, especially when dealing with brands or as a personal brand. I’ve experienced firsthand the lack of accountability from streamers when inviting their friends onto their stream or playing a game with them in the background.
There are plenty of misconceptions around this topic, but as a streamer, you need to know that you can get banned for something a friend says while you’re streaming.
Whether this is them using the aforementioned banned words, or something different and violent, the case remains that it can impact your stream security, including your ability to become partner in the future.
To some, this may seem unfair; after all, you can’t control what a friend says. However, a viewer will not always be able to tell whether something said was in jest. Your viewers aren’t a part of your social circle and won’t be able to distinguish social cues that might be obvious to you.
If you have a friend that can go off the rails sometimes, it may be a good idea not to stream while playing with them.
How to Protect Your Stream With Twitch’s Banned Words
An interesting result of enforcing banned words is that, in general, the online space becomes cleaner, if only by a little bit. Acknowledging these banned words means that if you’re an avid user of one of these terms, you have two options:
- Continue to say the banned word and hope Twitch doesn’t ban you
- Adapt your vocabulary to avoid saying the banned word
It’s safer to do the second, and I am sure that in doing so, you make your stream a more welcoming place for others. The language used attracts a specific audience, and if you built your audience on go-with-the-flow bursts of rage, anguish or anger, then it may be challenging to adapt.
Yet, you work to ensure your stream can avoid the inevitable ban hammer.
Similarly, a crucial part of protecting your stream is taking quick action when the time calls for it. You will inevitably encounter a troll during your time streaming. Whether this is a legitimate viewer or not doesn’t matter; your ability to react to their messages in a way that protects your regular viewer base doesn’t matter.
Leveraging great mods and the banned words list makes this a breeze, as you can ban the specific words or phrases that you believe they are using in an attempt to cause harm or discomfort for those in the stream. This also works with synonyms of other words you have banned that you may not have thought about.
Staying alert and on your toes will help make your stream a welcoming place for all.
Is There a Complete List of Words You Should Ban on Twitch?
Twitch does a decent job of outlining what constitutes a bannable offence in their terms of service. They don’t, however, provide a list of bannable words or phrases for streamers to use. While unfortunate, this is typically the case, as failure to include a term may cause backlash.
As a result, Twitch streamers have to fend for themselves. In the past, Reddit users have done an excellent job at compiling a list of phrases they’ve found helpful to include.
While we need to adhere to Twitch’s “banned words”, there is also a significant subjective component; words you don’t want being used on your stream that may not fall within Twitch’s definition of bannable words.
Throughout streaming, I’ve always referred back to a core list of bannable words that, simply put, have no place being typed in chat. I’ve compiled these in a handy copy/paste sheet.
You can grab that here: Twitch Crucial Banned Words Sheet.
This is a reminder that the above sheet comes with a trigger warning due to the subject.
A great benefit of using these is that it will time them out when someone uses them in your chat, giving you ample time to see what they have said and to determine if this is a user you want to ban outright before they can cause trouble in your community.
Still, banning words and phrases is an ongoing effort. You can delegate some of this responsibility to your mods. If you choose to leverage mods, give them clear instructions on what type of words, phrases or psudolinks you want banning. Psudolinks, in this case, are broken links bots use to push their website – an everyday bot spam activity.
How to Add Banned Words to Your Twitch Channel
Adding Twitch’s banned words to your channel is simple.
While doing so, open the above spreadsheet to copy and paste the words and phrases you want to ban on your channel.
First, you need to access your creator dashboard. To do so, select your profile image in the top-right corner of Twitch’s homepage, then select “Creator Dashboard“.
Alternatively, you can enter this into your search bar: https://dashboard.twitch.tv/. Just note that this will only work if you’re already logged in.
From here, go to Settings -> Moderation.
Once loaded, select the “Blocked terms and phrases” drop-down under “AutoMod Controls”.
Finally, you can paste or type the words and phrases to add to your Twitch banned words list.
Once you’ve added a word or phrase, hit enter, and Twitch will add it to your master list of banned words. Repeat as necessary with the complete list or words you want to include.
How to Add Banned Words to a Twitch Channel as a Mod
If you’re looking after your favourite streamer and want to add words to this list while they’re streaming on the fly, then here’s how to do it. Open mod view and look for this section:
Once clicked, you can add any banned word or phrase you like, just as if you were adding it as the channel owner.
Moving Forward With Your Streaming Career
There are many pitfalls and obstacles to overcome while streaming, and banned words are just one of them.
Fortunately, by reading this post, you should be more self-aware of what words you can and can’t say, including a helpful sheet to make life easier. In doing so, you’ve ensured that you can identify when situations call for a stern hand and more words to be added to your banned words list.
Staying in line with Twitch’s TOS can be a challenge for the best of us, but adhering helps create a more enjoyable space for your viewers.
FAQ
Why Does Twitch Ban Specific Words?
Twitch identifies what words are banned to protect streamers and viewers against discrimination, sexism, racism and more. This helps Twitch prevent abuse, toxicity and more on their platform while facilitating a positive and encouraging experience.
Do My Friends Have to Abide by Twitch TOS if They Don’t Stream?
Yes. If you are playing with your friends on a game where your viewers can hear or see their messages, you are responsible for ensuring they understand what they can and can’t say while you’re streaming. You may get suspended or worse if they actively break TOS while you’re streaming.
How Can I Protect My Stream With Banned Words?
The first step is to understand what words are banned and add them to your prohibited words and phrases list. Understanding these words also ensures you don’t accidentally say them in a heated moment or casually while streaming. Having trusted moderators for your channel also helps, as they can add new words on the fly if a viewer manages to slip something past your already-banned words.
Is There a List of Banned Twitch Words I Can Use?
There is! I’ve compiled a helpful list that includes the words on Twitch’s banned list, including others that are best not used. You can grab that list here.
How Do I Add Banned Words to My Twitch Channel?
In your Twitch creator dashboard, click the settings drop-down and then click moderation. You can now access the “blocked terms and phrases” option. Select that. You can now enter new words and phrases into your list.
How Do I Add Banned Words to a Twitch Channel I Moderate?
Open up your mod view for the channel to which you want to add the words. The channel does not need to be live for you to do this. In your mod view, select the “blocked terms” button. You can now add new words or phrases to the list.
