- What Twitch chat icons mean at a glance
- Broadcaster and Moderator badges in Twitch chat
- Lead Moderator badges in Twitch chat
- VIP badges in Twitch chat
- Staff, Partner, Ambassador and DJ badges on Twitch
- Chat Bot and Artist badges on Twitch
- Watching without video or audio badges on Twitch
- Turbo, Prime, cheer and gifting badges on Twitch
- Choosing which Twitch badges show next to your name
- Fake or look-alike Twitch badges
- How to read Twitch chat icons quickly as a new viewer
- Twitch chat icons for creators building a community
- Frequently asked questions
Twitch chat icons are badges beside a username that show a role or a bit of identity, such as Broadcaster, Moderator, Lead Moderator, VIP, Partner, Staff, Chat Bot, Artist, Turbo or Prime. Twitch also says no other user type badges are officially sanctioned, so anything else is channel-specific or a look-alike.
You join a Twitch chat and see little pictures beside every name. A sword, a camera, a wrench, a diamond. If you're new, it's hard to tell who is the streamer, who's keeping order and who's just a regular. If you run a channel for your business, knowing what each badge means helps you build your team and your community.
I've worked from Twitch's own chat badges guide here. Twitch also runs limited-time event badges, so the pictures can change, but the roles below are the ones Twitch describes.
What Twitch chat icons mean at a glance
Twitch says chat badges let you showcase a part of your identity in channels. It lists the main types, from users to staff:
| Badge | What Twitch says it means |
|---|---|
| Broadcaster | The owner of the channel you're visiting |
| Moderator | Chosen by the channel owner to keep chat in order |
| Lead Moderator | A moderator with extra permissions, such as managing the mod team |
| VIP | A loyal community member recognised by the streamer |
| Partner | A Twitch Partner |
| Staff | A Twitch employee |
| Chat Bot | An approved chat bot in the channel |
| Artist | Someone recognised for creative work on the channel |
Broadcaster and Moderator badges in Twitch chat
The Broadcaster badge marks the person who owns the channel. Twitch says broadcasters can enforce chat rules and appoint or remove moderators.
The Moderator badge means the person was selected by the channel owner. According to Twitch, moderators can time out and ban people, and turn on slow or subscriber-only mode in that chat. If you want to set up your own team, see my guide to making someone a mod on Twitch.
Lead Moderator badges in Twitch chat
Twitch says Lead Moderators have all the abilities of regular moderators, plus extras such as managing the mod team, adding or removing VIPs and reaching all channel moderation settings. A lead moderator can choose to show either the lead mod badge or the regular mod badge, so the icon you see may not reveal their full role.
VIP badges in Twitch chat
VIPs are people streamers recognise as loyal members of their community. Twitch says VIPs are immune to chat and channel moderation settings, but a channel moderator can still moderate them directly. So VIP is a thank-you, not a free pass.
Staff, Partner, Ambassador and DJ badges on Twitch
- Staff: reserved for Twitch employees and can't be granted to community members.
- Partner: marks a Twitch Partner. Twitch says it uses the same global badge slot as Prime, Turbo, Bits or crate badges.
- Ambassador: someone in the Twitch Ambassador Program.
- DJ: someone in the Twitch DJ program.
Chat Bot and Artist badges on Twitch
A Chat Bot badge identifies messages from an approved bot in the channel, so you can tell automated replies from people. The Artist badge is for members of a streamer's community recognised for things like emotes, overlays and avatars. If you design for streamers, my guide to adding emotes on Twitch shows the other side of that work.
Watching without video or audio badges on Twitch
There are two badges for viewers who want to say how they're watching. One means participating in streams without video, and the other means watching with limited or no audio. They're useful for accessibility, because chat can see why you aren't reacting to what's on screen.
Turbo, Prime, cheer and gifting badges on Twitch
The guide names Turbo and Prime as badges tied to programs on Twitch. It also describes cheer badges and badges for supporting a channel with gifts. Twitch says your cheer badge lasts indefinitely but only shows in the channel where you earned it, and some badges come from limited-time events. Channels with leaderboards can also show Top Cheerer, Top Clipper and Top Gifter badges.
Choosing which Twitch badges show next to your name
Twitch's chat settings have an Identity menu with a Customizable Badge option. It lets you pick the channel badges that appear next to your name, both as a global default and for a specific channel. A badge set for one channel overrides your default there.
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Fake or look-alike Twitch badges
Twitch states that no other user type badges are officially sanctioned. If someone claims a role you can't see a badge for, ask the channel's moderators. If a chatter is harassing people, my guide to banning someone on Twitch explains what moderators can do. Report threats to Twitch and, if you're in danger, contact the police.
How to read Twitch chat icons quickly as a new viewer
You don't need to memorise every badge. Look for these first, because they tell you who can help you:
- Broadcaster: the person running the channel.
- Moderator or Lead Moderator: people who can answer rule questions and act on problems.
- VIP: trusted regulars who are good guides to channel culture.
- Chat Bot: automated replies, not a person.
If you're unsure whether a badge is real, compare it with the official list above or ask a moderator.
Twitch chat icons for creators building a community
If you run a channel for your business, badges are a quiet way to say thank you. VIP lets you recognise regulars, moderator lets you share the workload, and the Artist badge credits people who make emotes or overlays for you. Tell your community what each badge means in your channel rules so nobody feels left out.
Frequently asked questions
What do the icons next to names in Twitch chat mean?
They're chat badges. Twitch says they show a role or part of someone's identity, such as Broadcaster, Moderator, VIP or Staff.
What does the sword icon mean on Twitch?
That's commonly the Moderator badge. Twitch says the Moderator badge means the person was selected by the channel owner to help run chat.
What's the difference between a Moderator and a Lead Moderator?
Twitch says Lead Moderators have all moderator abilities plus extras like managing the mod team and adding or removing VIPs.
Can VIPs be moderated?
Yes. Twitch says VIPs are immune to chat and channel moderation settings but can still be moderated directly by a channel moderator.
How do I change my Twitch chat badges?
Open the chat settings, go to Identity and use Customizable Badge to choose which badges show for a channel or as your default.
Can anyone get a Staff badge?
No. Twitch says Staff badges are reserved for Twitch employees and can't be given to community members.
