What Nightbot does and why streamers use it
Nightbot is a chatbot that runs in your Twitch chat and handles repetitive tasks — answering the same questions over and over, removing spam, timing out users who break your rules, and posting announcements on a schedule. You connect it to your channel once, and it works in the background without you typing commands yourself.
The trade-off is straightforward: Nightbot sees every message in your chat, including usernames, what people say, and when they say it. The company stores that data to make the bot work and to show you chat logs and statistics. If you stream to hundreds of people, that's hundreds of conversations Nightbot records. You control what Nightbot does with moderation and filtering, but you don't control what data it collects — that's set by Nightbot's terms of service.
Streamers use Nightbot because it saves time and keeps chat readable. The question is whether the convenience is worth what you're sharing. That's a choice only you can make for your channel.
Key Takeaways
- Connecting Nightbot takes five minutes: you visit the Nightbot website, sign in with your Twitch account, and click authorize.
- Nightbot reads and stores every message in your chat, including usernames and timestamps, to function and provide you with statistics.
- You set the rules for what Nightbot filters or removes, but you cannot prevent it from collecting the data in the first place.
- Nightbot is free, but the company makes money by offering paid features like custom commands and song requests to streamers who want more control.
The step-by-step process to connect Nightbot
Go to nightbot.tv in your browser. You will see a blue "Login with Twitch" button in the top right. Click it.
Twitch will ask you to confirm that you want to let Nightbot access your account. The permission screen will list what Nightbot can do: read your channel information, read chat messages, send chat messages, and manage moderators. Click "Authorize" to proceed. This is the moment you are giving Nightbot permission to see your chat.
After authorization, you will land on the Nightbot dashboard. Click the blue "Join Channel" button. Nightbot will now appear in your chat as a user named "Nightbot" and will start moderating according to the default settings.
That's the connection. Nightbot is now active in your channel. You can close the browser tab and stream normally — the bot keeps working.
What data Nightbot collects and stores
Nightbot stores the content of every chat message sent in your channel, along with the username of the person who sent it and the exact time it was sent. It also records which messages were deleted, timed out, or banned, and why. This data is used to power the statistics dashboard you see when you log into Nightbot — things like "most active chatters" or "most common words."
Nightbot's privacy policy states that it keeps this data indefinitely unless you manually delete your channel from Nightbot's system. If you stream regularly, that means months or years of chat history is stored on Nightbot's servers. The company says it does not sell this data to third parties, but it does use it to improve the service and to show you reports about your chat.
You cannot turn off data collection. You can only choose what Nightbot does with the data — whether it filters certain words, removes links, or times out repeat offenders. The collection itself happens whether you use those features or not.
Controlling what Nightbot filters and removes
Log into the Nightbot dashboard and click "Moderation" in the left menu. Here you can set rules for spam, links, caps, and banned words. For example, you can tell Nightbot to remove any message with more than three links, or to time out anyone who types in all caps more than once.
The "Blacklist" section lets you list specific words or phrases that Nightbot will remove automatically. The "Spam Protection" section removes messages that look like spam — repeated text, rapid-fire messages, or suspicious links. You can adjust how strict these rules are.
If you want Nightbot to respond to specific commands — like !discord to post your Discord link, or !schedule to post your streaming schedule — you add those in the "Commands" section. You write the command name and the message Nightbot should send when someone types it.
All of these settings are optional. If you do nothing, Nightbot will still collect chat data but will only remove messages that violate Twitch's own terms of service.
The difference between free and paid Nightbot
The free version of Nightbot includes basic moderation, custom commands, and a chat log you can search. Most streamers use only the free version and never need to pay.
Nightbot offers a paid tier called Nightbot Plus that costs money per month. It adds features like song requests (letting viewers request music to play on stream), custom alerts, and more advanced filtering. You do not need Plus to run a functional chat — it is for streamers who want extra features beyond basic moderation.
The free version is fully functional. The paid version is optional.
How to remove Nightbot if you change your mind
Log into the Nightbot dashboard and click your username in the top right, then select "Manage Account." Scroll down and click "Disconnect." Nightbot will leave your chat when ready and stop moderating.
Removing Nightbot does not delete the chat data it collected while it was active. If you want Nightbot to delete your stored chat history, you need to contact Nightbot support directly through their website and request data deletion. Response times vary.
If you straightforward want Nightbot to stop moderating but keep it connected, you can disable individual moderation features in the dashboard instead of disconnecting entirely. This gives you flexibility if you want to turn the bot back on later without re-authorizing.
Privacy considerations before you connect
Connecting Nightbot means you are sharing your entire chat history with a third-party company. That company is not Twitch — it is a separate business. If you stream sensitive conversations, or if your viewers expect privacy, this is worth thinking about before you authorize.
Nightbot's servers are in the United States. If you or your viewers are in the European Union, the UK, or other regions with strict data protection laws, those laws may not explore to data stored outside your region. Nightbot does have a privacy policy that covers GDPR, but the practical effect is that your chat data is stored by a company outside your jurisdiction.
You can always choose not to use Nightbot. Twitch has built-in moderation tools, and you can manually moderate chat yourself or use other bots. Nightbot is convenient, but it is not required to stream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my viewers see that Nightbot is in my chat?
Yes. Nightbot appears as a user in your chat list, and viewers can see when it removes messages or times out users. Some streamers mention Nightbot in their channel description or welcome message so viewers know a bot is moderating. Others do not mention it. It is your choice.
Does Nightbot cost money?
The basic version is free. Nightbot Plus, which adds song requests and advanced features, costs money per month, but you do not need it to use the bot. Most streamers use the free version.
What happens to my chat data if Nightbot shuts down?
Nightbot has been operating since 2014 and is owned by a company called Paladin. If the service shut down, your stored chat data would likely be deleted, but Nightbot has not announced any plans to close. You can request your data be deleted at any time by contacting support.
Can I use Nightbot on multiple channels?
Yes. You can connect Nightbot to as many channels as you moderate or own. Each channel has its own settings and moderation rules in the Nightbot dashboard.
Does Nightbot work on mobile or only on desktop?
Nightbot runs on Twitch's servers, not on your device, so it works the same way whether you stream from a computer, console, or phone. You manage Nightbot's settings on the website, which works on mobile browsers, but most streamers use a desktop to adjust settings.