# Livestream Chat Moderation Checklist

A livestream's chat can make the stream — or derail it in thirty seconds. Spam floods, personal info leaks, and arguments escalate fast when nobody is prepared. This twenty-point checklist is the moderator's briefing before going live: slow mode, automod filters, the timeout ladder, private mod channels, and the post-stream debrief. It is written for streamers, community managers, and volunteer moderators on Twitch, YouTube Live, and TikTok Live.

## Resource

1. Set chat to slow mode (10–30 seconds) before going live
2. Pin the rules message at the top of chat
3. Assign at least one moderator per 100 expected viewers
4. Enable follower-only or subscriber-only mode if spam spikes
5. Prepare a blocklist of banned words and slurs in advance
6. Turn on automod filters at a medium level to start
7. Brief moderators on the timeout ladder: warn, 10-min timeout, ban
8. Keep a private moderator channel (Discord or group chat) open
9. Decide the policy on self-promotion links before the stream
10. Have a plan for raids: welcome message and mod watch
11. Hide personal info fast — timeout anyone posting addresses or phone numbers
12. Use nightbot-style commands for FAQs (!schedule, !links, !rules)
13. Never read hateful messages aloud — delete and move on
14. Log repeat offenders and share the list with all moderators
15. Take breaks on a schedule so moderators can rotate
16. After the stream, review flagged messages and update filters
17. Thank moderators publicly at the end of the stream
18. Keep the VOD chat rules consistent with the live rules
19. Document any ban appeals process in the channel rules
20. Do a post-stream debrief: what worked, what to change next time

## How to use

1. Pick the items that fit your situation and ignore the rest — a template pack works best when you use ten items well, not all of them once.
2. Replace every bracketed placeholder ([Business Name], [topic], [Name]) with your own details before publishing or sharing.
3. Save your customized version in one place so you can reuse it next time without starting over.
4. Review the result once in its real context — a listing, a page, or a reply — before moving on.