Animated emotes on Twitch and how to create them

Twitch emotes are iconic symbols of community and fun, integral to the streaming platform's chat culture. These small, expressive images range from standard offerings to unique, channel-specific creations, allowing users to communicate feelings, reactions, and memes instantly across the global Twitch community.

Creating animated Twitch emotes

Creating animated emotes on Twitch adds a dynamic flair to your channel, engaging your audience with visually appealing graphics that capture attention and emotion. To make animated Twitch emotes, start by brainstorming ideas that reflect your channel's personality and themes. Use animation software like Adobe After Effects or free alternatives like Blender to craft your animations. Each animated emote must adhere to Twitch's specifications: file formats in GIF or WEBP, dimensions of 112x112, 56x56, and 28x28 pixels, and a maximum file size of 1MB.

Design process of Twitch emotes

When designing animated emotes on Twitch, focus on simple, loop-friendly animations that convey emotions or actions clearly even at small sizes. The animation should be smooth and not overly complex, ensuring it remains clear and compelling across various devices. After creating your emote, upload it through the Twitch dashboard under the 'Emote' section for approval. As Twitch reviews the emote to ensure it meets community standards, consider engaging with your audience to generate excitement and anticipation for the upcoming emotes. Once approved, these animated emotes will serve as a vibrant tool for interaction, allowing your viewers to express themselves uniquely and vividly in chat.

How to add animated emotes on Twitch

Adding animated emotes to Twitch is a straightforward process once you have your designs ready and meet the necessary Twitch Affiliate or Partner status requirements. First, create your animated emotes following Twitch’s guidelines, which stipulate specific dimensions and file sizes. Once your emotes are designed and properly formatted, log into your Twitch account and navigate to the Creator Dashboard. From there, select "Viewer Rewards" and then "Emotes." Here, you can manage and upload your new animated emotes under the specific slots allocated for animated graphics. Upload each file, ensuring they meet the technical specifications required by Twitch. After submission, Twitch will review your animated emotes to ensure they comply with community standards and guidelines. This review process usually takes a few days. Once approved, your animated emotes will be live and available for your subscribers to use in chat, enhancing the interactive experience of your stream.

Turn on system on Twitch for animation

Enabling animated emotes on Twitch is exclusive to users who have reached Affiliate or Partner status. Once you have your animated emotes ready, visit the Creator Dashboard on Twitch. Navigate to "Viewer Rewards," and then select "Emotes." Here, you can upload your animated emotes by choosing the appropriate slots designated for animation. Ensure each emote complies with the specific format and size requirements: GIF or WEBP files, and dimensions of 112x112, 56x56, and 28x28 pixels. After uploading, Twitch will review the emotes for compliance with their community standards. Upon approval, they'll be activated on your channel, ready for subscribers to use.