How to Add Emotes on Twitch (File Rules and Steps)

Emotes are the little pictures that turn a chat into a community. A well-drawn one becomes an in-joke, a logo, a reaction everyone reaches for. If you run a creator channel or a brand on Twitch, your own emotes are a small bit of branding that viewers will carry around for you.

Before you open your artwork, though, there's one thing to know: adding emotes to your own channel is tied to Twitch's Affiliate and Partner programmes. Here's what Twitch's help pages say about where to upload, what the files need to look like, and why your first emote might sit in a queue.

Who can add emotes to a Twitch channel

Twitch's help describes emote upload as a feature for Affiliates and Partners. It's one of the things that opens up once your channel joins one of those programmes. If your channel isn't in either programme yet, the upload option won't be there, so that's the first thing to check.

New Affiliates get immediate access to 5 emote slots, according to Twitch's help. A slot is a place to put one emote, so the number tells you how many you can have live at once. Plan your first batch around that limit rather than drawing a dozen and having to choose.

If you want to know what Twitch asks of channels before they qualify, my guide to the Twitch Partner programme requirements explains the bigger picture.

Uploading emotes to Twitch from the Creator Dashboard

The upload happens in the dashboard on the website. Twitch's emote guidelines give this route:

1. Open your Creator Dashboard on Twitch.
2. On the left, click Viewer Rewards.
3. Choose Emotes.
4. Follow the on-page instructions to choose your image file and give the emote a name.
5. Submit it, then check the status on the same page.

Menus vary a little as Twitch changes the dashboard, but Viewer Rewards and Emotes are the names the help pages use.

Twitch emote file rules: size, format and animation

Most rejected emotes fail on the file, not the idea. Twitch's formatting guidelines spell out what it wants:

• Standard emotes must be PNG files.
• Upload one PNG between 112 x 112px and 4096 x 4096px, or supply the three sizes yourself.
• The file size must stay under 1MB.
• Animated emotes must be GIF files, and they can't have more than 60 frames.

Twitch also asks for a transparent background, so the emote sits cleanly on dark and light chat themes. Draw it big, keep the shape bold and simple, and test how it looks when shrunk down. A detailed illustration turns to mush at chat size.

Why your Twitch emote shows as pending approval

Twitch's help also notes that, while it waits, a new emote is greyed out and marked as Pending Approval. Don't panic if your new emote appears greyed out. Twitch's help says that without Instant Upload eligibility, emotes are manually checked by humans, which can sometimes take a few days.

Instant upload is the faster route. Twitch's help says Affiliates become eligible by streaming at least 60 unique days over a rolling-year period, and the days don't have to be in a row. A warning or suspension loses the feature, so keep your channel on the right side of the rules.

Question	What Twitch's help says
Where do I upload?	Creator Dashboard, Viewer Rewards, Emotes
Standard emote format?	PNG
Animated emote format?	GIF, no more than 60 frames
Size limit?	Under 1MB
Why is mine pending?	Without Instant Upload eligibility, humans check it

Follower Emotes on Twitch for Affiliates and Partners

Twitch's Follower Emotes page says both Partners and Affiliates can upload them, and you can choose up to five emotes from the Emotes page of your Creator Dashboard. They're designed for people who follow your channel, so they're a gentle way to give followers something for hitting the follow button.

Designing Twitch emotes that fit your brand

For a business or creator brand, emotes are tiny logos with personality. A few habits help:

• Use your own artwork or work from an illustrator who has agreed in writing that you can use it.
• Never copy another brand's character or a well-known meme image. Twitch has content rules, and it's not worth the risk.
• Stick to your brand colours so the emotes feel like part of the same family.
• Start with a few clear emotions: a laugh, a cheer, a heart, a facepalm.
• Make each one readable at a glance, because chat moves fast.

If you're deciding which tools to use alongside Twitch for your content, my comparison of live streaming tools is a good next read.

If you can't upload an emote on Twitch

• Check your channel is an Affiliate or Partner channel. The upload option belongs to those programmes.
• Check the file: PNG for standard, GIF for animated, and under the 1MB limit.
• Make sure the image is square and within the allowed pixel range.
• If an emote is pending, wait for the review rather than uploading it again.
• Still stuck? Ask through Twitch's help centre, because it can see your account status.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add emotes on Twitch?

Open your Creator Dashboard, click Viewer Rewards, choose Emotes and follow the on-page instructions to upload your image. Your channel needs to be an Affiliate or Partner channel.

What file type do Twitch emotes need to be?

Twitch's help says standard emotes must be PNG files and animated emotes must be GIF files with no more than 60 frames. Files must be under 1MB.

Why is my Twitch emote pending approval?

Without Instant Upload eligibility, Twitch's help says emotes are manually checked by humans, which can sometimes take a few days.

How do I get instant emote upload on Twitch?

Twitch's help says Affiliates become eligible by streaming at least 60 unique days over a rolling-year period. A warning or suspension loses the feature.

How many emote slots does a new Affiliate get?

Twitch's help says Affiliates get immediate access to 5 emote slots.