- Making someone a Twitch mod from the Roles Manager
- Using the /mod chat command to mod someone on Twitch
- Twitch moderator, Lead Moderator, VIP and other roles compared
- How to choose who you mod on Twitch
- What a Twitch mod can do once you've modded them
- If you can't mod someone on Twitch
- Frequently asked questions
To mod someone on Twitch, open your Creator Dashboard, go to Community, then Roles Manager, click Add New, pick the person and choose Moderator. In your own chat you can type /mod and their username. The detail to know: only you can give out Lead Moderator.
The first time a stream gets busy, you find out fast that you can't play, talk and police chat all at once. That's when a moderator earns their badge. Whether you run a gaming channel, a weekly business live show or a community hangout for your customers, a couple of trusted mods keep the room friendly while you get on with the content.
Here's how Twitch's own help pages say to hand someone the moderator role, how to take it back, and how to choose the right person in the first place. You can do it from your dashboard or with a quick chat command, and I'll cover both.
Making someone a Twitch mod from the Roles Manager
The Roles Manager is the tidy route because you can see everyone who holds a role in one list. Twitch's help describes it like this:
- Open your Creator Dashboard on Twitch.
- Choose the Community menu, then Roles Manager.
- Click Add New and search for the person by their Twitch name.
- Select Moderator from the list of roles.
- Save your change.
Menus vary a little as Twitch updates the dashboard, but the Community menu and Roles Manager names have stayed the same in the help pages. To change or remove someone's role later, find them in the same list and adjust their role.
Using the /mod chat command to mod someone on Twitch
If you're already live and don't want to leave the stream, type the command straight into your own chat box. Twitch's help says to use /mod followed by the person's username on your channel page:
- /mod username gives that person the moderator role.
- /unmod username takes the role away again.
- /mods shows the full list of people who are currently modded.
Swap username for the real Twitch name and press Enter. It's the quickest way to promote a regular who has just proved themselves during a stream.
Twitch moderator, Lead Moderator, VIP and other roles compared
A moderator is only one of the roles you can hand out, and picking the right one saves awkward conversations later. Twitch lists six: Editor, Moderator, Lead Moderator, VIP, Artist and Business Manager. Each can give the person a chat badge beside their name.
| Role | What to know from Twitch's help |
|---|---|
| Moderator | Can be added with the Roles Manager or /mod |
| Lead Moderator | Only the channel owner can add or remove this role |
| Editor | Only the channel owner can add or remove this role |
| Artist | Only the channel owner can add or remove this role |
| VIP | A badge role you can give to regulars |
| Business Manager | Twitch says a channel can have at most 5 |
The Lead Moderator role carries extra powers, including looking after the rest of the mod team, so it's the one to think hardest about. The full list of what each role can do is in Twitch's Managing Roles article, and I'd read it before you give anyone more than the basic moderator role.
How to choose who you mod on Twitch
The platform's own advice is to pick someone trustworthy, because naming a moderator tells your community you trust them. I'd add a few practical tests from running online communities:
- Look for someone who's already in your chat most streams and treats other viewers kindly.
- Choose people in a time zone that overlaps with your usual broadcast hours.
- Avoid handing the role to a friend who is only there for you. A mod's job is the whole room.
- Start with one or two, then add more as the channel grows.
Brands and small businesses should treat this the way they would a community manager hire. A moderator speaks for your channel in public, so agree the tone you want before they start.
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What a Twitch mod can do once you've modded them
Twitch's moderation guidance says mods can use the mod-action and user-history tools in the Creator Dashboard to review past bans and timeouts before deciding what to do next. That context matters, because a person who was timed out last week is a different case from a first-time offender.
Day to day, mods use chat commands to keep things calm, and if the situation calls for it they can remove someone from chat altogether. Before you give anyone that power, agree a simple house rule set: what gets a warning, what gets a timeout and what gets a ban. A written list in your channel panels helps your mods act consistently and stops arguments in chat.
It also helps to tell new mods that the help centre is the final word on what each tool does. Twitch updates its moderation tools from time to time, so a quick look at the official page now and then keeps everyone current. If you've never run a team of volunteers, my advice is to keep the first week light, check in after each stream and ask what felt awkward.
If you can't mod someone on Twitch
- Check you're typing the exact Twitch username. A typo will return no match.
- Use the Roles Manager rather than the chat command if the command doesn't respond.
- Remember some roles, including Lead Moderator, can only be given by the channel owner.
- Make sure you're on your own channel page and logged in to the right account.
If you run a community off Twitch too, such as a Discord server, you'll often want the same people helping there. My short guide on joining a Discord server is useful when you're sending your mods an invite. And if you stream across more than one site, this list of live streaming tools shows what else is out there, while my look at other places to stream covers the wider picture.
Frequently asked questions
How do I mod someone on Twitch?
Open your Creator Dashboard, go to Community and Roles Manager, click Add New, search for the person, choose Moderator and save. You can also type /mod and their username in your chat.
How do I remove a mod on Twitch?
Type /unmod and their username in chat, or find them in the Roles Manager list and remove their role.
Can I see who my Twitch mods are?
Yes. Type /mods in your chat to see the full list of people who are modded, or check the Roles Manager in the Creator Dashboard.
Who can make someone a Lead Moderator?
Twitch's help says only the channel owner can add or remove the Lead Moderator, Editor and Artist roles.
Should I make a friend my Twitch moderator?
Twitch advises choosing someone trustworthy, because a moderator signals trust to your community. Pick people who look after the whole chat, not just you.
