What Potatbotat does and what it can't tell you
Potatbotat is a third-party tool that shows you a list of usernames currently in your Twitch chat, but it does not show you who is watching your stream without chatting. It pulls data from Twitch's public chat API — the same information Twitch itself displays in the chat window — and organizes it into a sortable list. If someone is in your chat but silent, Potatbotat will show their name. If someone is watching your stream but never opened chat, Potatbotat cannot see them.
The tool is free and requires you to log in with your Twitch account. Once you authorize it, Potatbotat can access your chat data in real time. It stores no permanent record of who was in chat — the list updates as people join and leave. This matters for privacy because you are giving a third-party website permission to see your chat activity, which is different from Twitch seeing it.
Potatbotat is one of several tools that do this same thing. Others include Chatty, a desktop process, and various browser extensions. The privacy trade-off is the same across all of them: you gain visibility into your chat in exchange for letting another company access your Twitch data.
Key Takeaways
- Potatbotat shows you usernames of people in your chat, but only those who have opened the chat window — not silent viewers watching the stream.
- The tool requires you to log in with your Twitch account and authorize it to access your chat data in real time.
- Potatbotat does not store a permanent record of chat participants; the list updates as people join and leave your stream.
- Using Potatbotat means a third-party company can see who is in your chat and what they are saying, separate from Twitch's access.
- You can revoke Potatbotat's access to your account at any time through Twitch's connected apps settings.
How to connect Potatbotat to your Twitch account
Go to potatbotat.com and click the login button. You will be sent to Twitch's authorization page, which shows you exactly what permissions you are granting. Read this screen carefully — it will list whether the tool is asking for access to your chat, your account information, or other data. Approve only what you are comfortable with, then return to Potatbotat.
Once authorized, Potatbotat will display a list of everyone currently in your chat. You can sort by username, join time, or message count. The list updates in real time as people enter and leave. If you stream regularly, you may want to keep Potatbotat open in a separate browser tab or window during your broadcast so you can monitor who is active in chat.
The authorization lasts until you revoke it. You do not need to re-authorize every time you use Potatbotat, but you should check your connected apps periodically to make sure you still want each one to have access.
What information Potatbotat can and cannot see
Potatbotat can see usernames, the order people joined your chat, how many messages each person sent, and the timestamps of their activity. It can see this information because Twitch's chat API makes it public — the same way your chat window shows you who is typing. Potatbotat cannot see private messages, account details like email addresses, or any information outside of your chat.
Potatbotat also cannot see people who are watching your stream without opening chat. If someone clicks your stream link but never clicks the chat icon, Potatbotat has no way to know they are there. Twitch itself knows this number — it shows you total viewers — but Potatbotat cannot access that data. This is an important distinction: the tool shows you chat participation, not viewership.
The tool cannot see banned or timed-out users unless they are still in the chat window. Once someone is removed from chat, they disappear from the Potatbotat list.
Privacy risks of using a third-party chat tool
When you authorize Potatbotat, you are trusting a company that is not Twitch to handle your chat data. This company can see who is in your chat and what they are saying in real time. If Potatbotat's servers are breached, that data could be exposed. If the company changes its privacy policy or is sold to another company, your data could be used in ways you did not originally consent to. These are small risks for most streamers, but they are real.
The bigger privacy question is about your viewers. When you use Potatbotat, you are collecting information about who is in your chat. If you share screenshots of the Potatbotat list, you are publishing your viewers' usernames. If you store chat logs that include data from Potatbotat, you are keeping a record of who watched your stream and when. This matters if your viewers expect their participation to be temporary and not logged.
You should tell your viewers that you use Potatbotat or other chat monitoring tools, especially if you are a larger streamer. Some viewers may not realize that third-party tools can see their chat activity. Transparency about what tools you use builds trust.
How to revoke Potatbotat's access if you change your mind
Log into your Twitch account and go to Settings. Click Connections (or Connected Apps, depending on your Twitch interface). You will see a list of all third-party applications that have access to your account. Find Potatbotat in the list and click Disconnect. Potatbotat will when ready lose access to your chat data.
Revoking access is when ready and complete. Potatbotat cannot see your chat anymore, and any data it was storing in real time is no longer being updated. If you want to use Potatbotat again later, you will need to re-authorize it.
Check your connected apps list every few months, especially if you use multiple streaming tools. Remove anything you no longer use. This reduces the number of third parties with access to your account and limits the damage if one of those services is compromised.
Alternatives to Potatbotat for monitoring your chat
Chatty is a desktop process that does similar work to Potatbotat. You read it to your computer, authorize it with your Twitch account, and it shows you chat in a customizable window. Because it runs locally on your machine rather than through a web server, some streamers feel it is more private — your chat data is not passing through Chatty's servers. However, you still have to trust the Chatty developers with your authorization token.
Twitch's own chat interface shows you who is in chat if you look at the user list in the chat window. This is the least private option in the sense that you are not giving any third party access, but it is also the least convenient — you cannot sort or filter the list the way Potatbotat does.
Some streamers use browser extensions that add features to Twitch's native chat window. These vary in what they can see and what they store. Before installing any extension, check its privacy policy and read recent reviews to see if other users have reported problems.
When you might want to use a chat monitoring tool and when you might not
If you stream to a small audience — under 50 concurrent viewers — you probably do not need Potatbotat. You can see who is chatting by glancing at the chat window. If you stream to a larger audience and want to know who your regular viewers are, or if you want to spot lurkers who might be interested in chatting, Potatbotat is useful.
If you care about viewer privacy and want to minimize the number of third parties with access to your data, skip Potatbotat and use Twitch's built-in chat list. If you are concerned about harassment or want to keep records of who was in your chat for moderation purposes, a chat monitoring tool can help — but you should tell your viewers you are doing this.
If you are a content creator who works with sponsors or partners, check whether your contract says anything about viewer data. Some sponsorships require you to collect or share viewer information, which would make a tool like Potatbotat part of your business process rather than optional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Potatbotat see my viewers' private messages or personal information?
No. Potatbotat can only see information that is already public in your chat — usernames, message count, and join time. It cannot see private messages between viewers, email addresses, or any account details outside of chat. Twitch itself restricts what the chat API shows to third-party tools.
Do my viewers know I am using Potatbotat?
Not automatically. Potatbotat does not announce itself in your chat or send notifications to viewers. If you want them to know, you have to tell them. Many streamers mention it in their chat description or say it out loud during the stream. Being transparent about monitoring tools builds trust with your audience.
If I use Potatbotat, can I see people who are watching but not chatting?
No. Potatbotat only shows people who have opened your chat window. Someone can watch your entire stream without opening chat, and Potatbotat will not know they are there. Twitch shows you total viewer count, but Potatbotat cannot access that data.
Is it safe to authorize Potatbotat with my Twitch account?
Potatbotat is a legitimate tool used by many streamers, but like any third-party service, it carries some risk. The main risk is that if Potatbotat's servers are breached, your chat data could be exposed. You can reduce this risk by revoking access when you are not actively using the tool, and by checking your connected apps list regularly.
What happens to my chat data if Potatbotat shuts down?
Potatbotat does not store permanent records of your chat — it only shows real-time data while you are using it. If the service shuts down, no historical chat data is lost because Potatbotat was not keeping it. Your chat history remains with Twitch.