To set up channel points on Twitch, open your Creator Dashboard, click the hamburger icon top left, then go to Channel Points under Viewer Rewards. It's open to every monetized streamer, and from there you name your points, add an icon and switch rewards on or off.
I checked Twitch's own creator guide as of Nov 2026, and the setup is simpler than most people expect. The hard part isn't the switch, it's deciding what your rewards should be. So here's the order I'd work through it in, using only what Twitch itself says.
Before you start: a five-point checklist
- Check you're monetized. Twitch says Channel Points is available to all monetized streamers. If you're not there yet, start with the requirements for joining the Affiliate program.
- Know the cap. You can only set up 50 rewards at the moment, so don't burn slots on ideas you'll never fulfil.
- Pick a name. You can rename your points to suit your brand and community. It's a small thing, and it makes the feature feel like yours rather than Twitch's.
- Have an icon ready. You can upload a custom icon, and it shows on your channel page at the bottom of the chat window.
- Read the rules. Twitch points you to its Points Acceptable Use Policy for what can and can't be offered as a custom reward. Read it before you get creative.
One thing the guide makes clear: viewers earn points that are specific to your channel. They pile up automatically when they're logged in and watching, and Twitch lists watching, following and taking part in a raid as ways they earn. That's why channel points pair so well with raids. If you've never sent one, here's how raiding works.
Where the settings live in the Creator Dashboard
Everything sits in one place. Go to your Creator Dashboard, click the hamburger icon in the top left-hand corner, then choose Channel Points under the Viewer Rewards section. That page is where you change the name and upload the icon.
Rewards themselves are handled in the Manage Rewards section under Channel Points. That's where you add custom rewards, edit the default ones, and enable or disable any of them. And if you decide the whole thing isn't for your channel, you can switch it off completely with the Enable Channel Points toggle. My verdict: try it before you turn it off. It costs you nothing to run the defaults.
Default rewards versus custom rewards
This is the choice that decides how much work channel points will make for you. Twitch's creator guide splits rewards into two kinds:
| Default rewards | Custom rewards | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Predefined rewards, such as letting a viewer pick an emote or highlight a message in chat | Rewards you dream up and deliver yourself, like a shoutout, a seat in your next game, or choosing who you raid next |
| Who fulfils them | Twitch does it for you, with no extra work on your side | You do |
| How you add them | Already there; you modify or enable them in Manage Rewards | Click Add New Custom Reward in Manage Rewards |
| Look and feel | Upload a reward icon and set the background colour | Same icon and background colour options |
| Pricing | Twitch suggests costs, or you turn on Smart Costs to adjust them automatically | The guide doesn't describe Smart Costs for custom rewards |
| Extra options | None listed in the guide | Ask the viewer to enter text, add a cooldown, and cap redemptions per stream or per user |
Smart Costs is the bit I'd switch on first. Twitch says it adjusts your default reward costs based on the size of your audience and how often rewards get redeemed, so you're not constantly repricing as you grow. You can set your own cost or turn it off at any time.
For custom rewards, write a clear title and description so viewers know exactly what they're buying with their points. Vague rewards cause arguments in chat. If you want emotes to be part of the mix, it helps to get them in place first, so here's how to add emotes.
Setting limits and cooldowns on custom rewards
Custom rewards can get out of hand fast, and Twitch gives you three limits to stop that. You can set a cooldown between redemptions, with a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 7 days. You can limit redemptions per stream. And you can limit them per user. All three can be switched on together for any custom reward.
There's a catch: limits only work on rewards that can be redeemed while your channel is live. And if a reward asks the viewer to type something, such as their in-game name, the answer shows up in chat. Twitch's advice is blunt and right: don't ask for or share personal information that way.
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Running redemptions while you're live
When someone redeems a custom reward, it appears in the Activity Feed on your Live Dashboard, and it's tied into chat as well, so you can scan requests quickly. For anything more than a handful, use the rewards queue. You open it from the Activity Feed by selecting the pop-out icon.
- Mark as Complete once you've delivered the reward.
- Reject if you can't or won't do it. The viewer gets their points back.
- Pause redemptions if you're swamped or want a break while you're still live.
My honest view: pausing is underused. A streamer who pauses for ten minutes looks in control. A streamer who ignores a queue of unfulfilled rewards looks careless.
Getting mods to share the load
You don't have to do this alone. Mods can mark rewards as complete, reject them, refund points, report rewards as abusive and pause redemptions on the channels they moderate. They need to work from the rewards queue, which they can open in a new window in three ways: clicking the Channel Points reward balloon in chat, typing /requests in chat on desktop and web, or clicking the rewards queue in chat settings under tasks.
If you're still building the basics of your channel, my guide to streaming on Twitch covers the groundwork before rewards come into it.
Quick answers
Who can use Twitch channel points?
Twitch says Channel Points is available to all monetized streamers. You manage it from the Creator Dashboard.
How many channel point rewards can I set up?
Twitch currently lets you set up 50 rewards.
What happens when I reject a redemption?
The points go back to the viewer. You can also mark a request as complete or pause redemptions from the rewards queue.
Can I turn channel points off?
Yes. Toggle the Enable Channel Points option in your Creator Dashboard to disable the feature completely.
