What Discord does and does not do
Discord lets you link your Twitch or YouTube account to the server to give a role to your subscribers or members. That rewards the people who support you, but it does not post alerts when you go live. For that you need a tool that watches your channel and writes the message in Discord.
The options for posting the alert
There are three main paths:
- 1A public alerts bot, which installs in minutes and covers the basics.
- 2An external service that posts to a webhook of your channel, with no bot of your own.
- 3A custom bot, which uses your own text, your brand and rules to your taste.
How to set the channel up well
A good alert system rests on four decisions:
- 1A channel dedicated to streams, where only the bot can write.
- 2A "Live notifications" role that each member takes if they want the alert.
- 3A clear message with the stream title, the category or game and the link.
- 4A separate chat channel, so comments do not bury the alert.
How to avoid spam and duplicates
The most common mistake is pinging the whole server on every alert: people end up muting the channel. With an optional role, only whoever asked finds out. It also pays to test the alert with a short stream, check that it does not post twice if you disconnect and come back, and check that the link leads to the right place.
What a custom bot brings
With a bot of your own you decide the alert text, the design, which streams are announced, and you can tie it to the rest of the server. For example, opening a giveaway when a stream starts or giving coins to whoever takes the alerts role. For YouTube, new videos are announced the same way.
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