Introduction:

In our previous article, we outlined how to download and setup Chatty, a useful tool for moderators on Twitch. This article will go deeper into the program so that users can become more effective in their moderation roles.

Here are two tips to know before moving on:

1. Keep in mind that context matters! Using some of these tools will help to moderate but doesn’t eliminate the need to read the surrounding text.
2. We use an example that may trigger readers. It is an abbreviation that has been used negatively against gamers, and we have included it as an example of how highlights work.

Setting up Chatty for You:

Step One – Set up Time out variables by Clicking Click “Main > Settings > Commands”.

Time out variables are the preset lengths of time you can time a chatter out with. They appear as buttons on the chatter’s user interface screen:

1. In the bottom section of this screen, click “Edit” next to “User Dialog Buttons”. Displayed on this screen is the timeout variables. The number in the square brackets is the hotkey used. Mine looks like this:
2. We can define values in seconds, minutes, or hours. 5s = 5 seconds (my purge), 5m = minutes, 5h = hours. We can do these in seconds like 600s = 10 minutes or 1440 minutes is 24 hours.
3. Timeout variables are used in cases where Twitch users are being offensive, promoting themselves without permission, or spamming the chat. Each stream has their own set of rules which users need to follow, otherwise moderators have been trusted with dealing with problem users.
4. Most moderators operate on a three strike rule. The first is a purge or deleted message. The second strike is a 10 minute timeout where users cannot type anything in chat until it has concluded. Finally, the third strike is a ban from talking in the channel. Of course, the exceptions to this three strike rule garner an immediate ban, and that is with malicious botting or spoiling a game through their username.

Step Two – Set up highlights by clicking on “Main > Settings”

1. On the left-hand side of the window click “Highlight” under the “Chat” category.
2. Moderators can define potential problem words like “viewbot” or “follow4follow”.
3. After these values are defined, and if you have multiple channels to moderate, click “View > Highlights.”

What are highlight words?

1. This is a collection of words or phrases that can lead to problematic conversations in Twitch chat. Highlight words operate as an early warning system to a potentially harmful topic. They can also get a moderators attention if the others are away from their keyboard.
2. Identifying problem words will vary from channel to channel, but they help moderators keep a chat civil.
3. Examples of highlight words that users could add to their list are: politics, profanity, slang terms, or religion.
4. Sometimes streamers can be creative with their highlighted word list to include entries that are NOT offensive. Specific keywords can be added to the list to alert a moderator that the streamer feels threatened.

Keep in mind a few things when defining highlight words:

1. Context matters. The word “streaming” is used for answering a streamer’s question. It can also advertise malicious links or inflating a person’s viewership.
2. Chatty will find all instances of the words we add even if that combination is present in spelling a word. For example, ‘kys’ will also highlight instances of ‘skyscraper’.
3. To be notified of “kys” without being part of another word, type in “w:kys.” This instructs Chatty to look for the word on its own. 
4. Sometimes there are false positives. For example, take the nickname ‘Jag’. Chatty will highlight every instance of that word, including during Swedish streams where the word ‘jag’ translates to ‘I’ in English.

Step Three – Activate the Pause Mode by clicking “Main > Settings”

Click on the meta category “Chat” then use the checkbox next to the pause chat feature. Effectively, this allows you to put the brakes on chat instantly just by moving your mouse over chat.

This allows users to read messages in busy chats and makes moderation easier for picking out specific messages.

Two Effective Tools

Having your highlights set up and pause chat enabled are two powerful tools that work together as a moderator.

Being able to quickly pause the chat by mousing over it will let you catch messages and accurately click on them to moderate. Also, if you have your highlights set up, they will appear automatically in the highlight window separately.

The highlight window will highlight your chosen words in ALL channels you have open in Chatty, so keep this in mind. This includes channels you follow that you don’t moderate for. Chatty will not grant permission to use moderation commands when the user isn’t a moderator!

Alternatively, users can pop out the individual chat windows and organize them with the pause feature to moderate multiple streams at the same time. It is cleaner to open up the highlight window on its own.

Step Four – Discover context through the User Dialogue Box by clicking on a person’s name!

After moderators set up their highlight list, enabling pause mode, and customizing their UI, vital information is shown in the user dialogue box. To access this window, click a username in the chat.

From the new window, moderators see the following pieces of information:

• If a user is following the channel
• How long a user has had the account
• Timeout variables activated by hotkeys
• How many messages a user has typed
• How many followers their channel has (easier to determine if they are new to Twitch OR a bot)

Step Five – Use Automod in Chatty by clicking “Extra > Automod”

Twitch added a lovely moderation feature known as automod, which filters out content based on pre-defined filter levels. Chatty can detect these settings in a channel you mod for and display them. Messages that are filtered will only be seen by moderators in chat.

In Chatty these messages appear in a separate place. The automod window has to be actively open for moderators to filter out those messages.

As long as this window is open, anytime there is a message that needs attention, users of Chatty must click on the user’s name in the chat to bring up the ‘Context Menu.’ From that screen, a message can be approved or denied.

Step Six – Changing a Stream Title and Game by clicking “View > Channel Admin”

Once the channel admin screen is open, moderators that have access to change a stream title or game can update the information. In this screen, we can use pre-defined titles, games, and a list of commonly used tags! Simply edit all the relevant parameters and click ‘Update.’

Conclusion

Chatty is an extremely powerful tool that we recommend every moderator uses, especially for those that collect swords. There are many other useful features for moderators of many channels, so browse its inner workings! 

Happy moderating!