If you’ve ever spent any time on Twitch, then you’ll definitely have experienced the streamer thanking someone for Lurking. Usually after seeing someone type a command in chat !lurk.
In this article, we’re going to give you the lowdown on what a Lurk is, how it’s beneficial for the streamer and if you are a streamer, how you can go about setting up the !lurk command.
What is Lurking on Twitch?
Lurking is a term used to describe the act of watching a Twitch stream without actively participating in chat or engaging with the streamer.
Viewers who lurk are often referred to as lurkers.
They may be watching a stream for entertainment, to learn new skills, or to simply show support for their favorite streamer, but they dont want to get involved in the chat.
Lurking is not a new concept; it has been around since the early days of the internet.
However, Twitch has popularized the term, and it has become an integral part of the Twitch community.
How does Lurking work?
Lurking on Twitch is a passive activity that does not require any interaction with the streamer.
A viewer can simply join a stream and watch without typing anything in chat.
Streamers can see the number of viewers in their stream, but they cannot see who is lurking or actively watching.
The act of lurking is great for a growing streamer as it doesn’t require you to do anything other than open their stream and it will help count towards the targets that they’re trying to hit to reach affiliate or partner.
The more viewers a streamer has, the higher their channel will appear in Twitch’s directory, making it easier for new viewers to discover them too.
Setting up Lurk Bots
A lurk bot isn’t a necessity, but it’s a great way to let the person you’re watching know that you’re there and supporting them, but you won’t be engaging in the chat.
Usually this is through a simple command !lurk.
As a streamer, you just need to set up a command in whichever chat bot you use, like Nightbot, that outputs a chat message when someone types in the !lurk command to your chat.
This can also be personalised to include the viewers username.
You can customise this message to have a little bit of personality too rather than just a standard “Thank you for the lurk”. Have fun with it and show off your personality to your community.
