What Is a Raid on Twitch? How to Send One and the Etiquette Around It
Raid レイド · Sending your viewers to another stream
The streamer said “we’re going to raid” as the stream ended, and suddenly you were in another channel. Here is what a raid is, how it differs from a redirect, and the etiquette that senders, receivers and viewers should know.
What a Raid Means
In streaming culture, a raid is a feature that, when you finish your live stream, sends your viewers all at once to another channel that’s live. It works as an introduction between streamers and gives viewers a chance to meet the stream they’ll watch next.
The name is best known as a Twitch feature, and YouTube has a similar mechanism, such as live redirects. Conditions and settings differ by platform, so not every version is called a raid.
- 01Stream endsThe sender wraps up
- 02Choose a destinationAnother live channel
- 03Viewers moveAll at once
- 04GreetNewcomers meet the stream
A raid works as an introduction between streamers.
Conventions for advance contact and announcements also change depending on whether the destination is an independent or an agency streamer. Even the same feature runs with a different temperature in each kaiwai, or fandom sphere.
Where the Word Comes From
Raid is an English word for a sudden attack, and in online games it is also used for a group of players taking on a powerful enemy. Twitch built it into an official feature for sending viewers to another stream, and its meaning widened into a positive word that links streaming communities. The current controls and safety settings can be checked in the Twitch official help (in Japanese).
Examples
- “We got a raid from ○○! Welcome, newcomers. I’m streaming a new game right now.”
- “50 people came in my first raid! The chat suddenly got lively and I’m so happy.”
- “At the end of the stream I raided a streamer friend. We’re all going to visit!”
- “The vibe of the raided channel didn’t suit me, so I quietly closed it and went to bed.”
- “Thanks for the raid, I came from ○○. I’ll just watch quietly from here.” (a message in stream chat)
How It Differs From Redirects and Hate Raids
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Raid | Twitch’s official feature for sending viewers to another live stream |
| Live redirect | A mechanism, on YouTube and elsewhere, for specifying where viewers go after a stream |
| Host | The older feature and name for showing another channel’s stream on your own page |
| Hate raid | The act of concentrating aggressive viewers or posts on a channel for harassment |
| Concurrent viewers (dousetsu) | The number of viewers watching at the same time at a given moment |
A friendly raid and harassment are clearly different. The streamer can adjust safety settings such as acceptance conditions, minimum viewer counts and follow periods. If the two get talked about as the same act just because the names are similar, the feature itself ends up avoided, so telling them apart has practical value.
Raid
- Sends viewers to another live stream
- An introduction between streamers
Live redirect
- Specifies where viewers go after a stream
- Used on YouTube and elsewhere
Hate raid
- Concentrates aggressive viewers or posts
- Controlled by safety settings
Telling them apart has practical value.
Etiquette for Senders, Receivers and Viewers
Each role has its own things to watch for.
- Senders look at the other side’s situation first — Check whether the other person is live, whether they accept raids, and whether their audience and subject matter aren’t too far apart. If they ask for advance contact, follow that
- Receivers don’t make welcoming an obligation — You don’t need to interrupt a segment in progress to respond. If trolls are mixed in, use moderation, reporting and blocking
- Viewers greet once and stop there — If everyone repeats “I came from ○○,” chat fills up. After that, follow the conversation at the destination
- Don’t bring too much of the original streamer along — Going on about the sender’s name or what was happening there pushes aside the content of the stream you’re in
A good raidEveryone keeps the mood gentle
- SenderCheck the other side first
- ReceiverWelcoming is not an obligation
- ViewerOne greeting, then follow the chat
- EveryoneDo not bring too much of the sender along
Each role has different things to watch for.
If the receiver prepares a one-line template in advance, first-time visitors can tell where the stream stands. This short explanation helps most on a channel right after its debut stream.
Don’t Tie a Sudden Spike in Numbers Directly to an Evaluation of Ability
The concurrent viewer count right after a raid is the sender’s viewers temporarily joining. Don’t demand retention on the spot or press everyone to follow; prepare a short explanation that lets first-timers understand the content. Keep regular streams from the next day on at the same pace.
Whether new fans put down roots depends less on the momentum of that day than on the path to the next stream. If clips and the stream archive are well organized, someone who dropped in once through a raid has a way back. Chase only the numbers of the moment and make a segment too flashy, and the gap with regular streams can drive people away.
- 01Raid arrivesA burst of new viewers
- 02Short explanationFirst-timers understand the stream
- 03Regular paceNext-day streams stay steady
- 04Clips and archiveA path back later
- 05Come backSome viewers return
New fans put down roots along the path to the next stream, not in the momentum of one day.
Not Moving Is Perfectly Normal
Declining a raid’s automatic move isn’t rude. The reasons vary: going to sleep, moving on to other plans, avoiding intense content. Don’t ask people to join as a show of loyalty to the sender, and check the destination’s age restrictions and content labels yourself.
Notes From The Oshi Lab: A Structure Where the Introducer’s Reputation Is on the Line
A raid doesn’t hand viewers over as numbers; it introduces them along with the trust attached. Choose the destination with care and respect the atmosphere after the move, and small communities can connect safely. Forcing no one to take part, including those who choose not to move, keeps the practice healthy.
From a community-management point of view, what’s interesting is that a raid has a structure where the introducer’s reputation is on the line. If the destination is rowdy, the trust of the streamer who sent people there is damaged too. So senders naturally become selective, and a loose net of quality forms within the kaiwai. Much the same dynamic is at work when companies choose sponsorship and collaboration partners. The structure also has a bias, though: streamers with no one to exchange introductions with get left behind. How a platform designs its recommendation slots and exchange projects changes how easy it is for newcomers to get in, and seen this way, raids start to look like more than a routing feature.
Related Terms
Dousetsu (concurrent viewers) / Clips (kirinuki) / Stream archives / Kaiwai
FAQ
What is a stream raid?
It is a feature that guides the viewers you have, all at once, to another live channel when your stream ends. It is widely used on Twitch.
Is it the same as a raid in games?
The English word raid is the same origin, but in streaming it means a feature that sends viewers to another stream, while in games it refers to things like a large group taking on a battle.
What should I do at the raided channel?
Read the rules of the channel you've landed in, and keep your greeting to one. Don't repeat the original streamer's name, and respect what the destination is doing.
Do I have to follow a raid?
No. Even if a screen appears to move you automatically, you can just close it. Time of day, health and taste in content differ from person to person, and whether you follow isn't a measure of how strongly you support someone.
What should I do if I get a hate raid?
The basic response is for the streamer to review their settings for accepting raids and follow periods, and to work with moderators using reports and blocks. The settings are updated by each platform, so check the official help for the latest steps.
