Inconsistent data retrieval from Twitch streaming API

I’m working with VB.NET to fetch streamer data from Twitch’s API but running into weird issues. Most of the time everything works perfectly, but sometimes I only get partial information back from the API call.

Here’s my current code:

Dim apiResponse As String = FetchWebContent(New Uri("https://api.twitch.tv/kraken/streams?channel=" & streamers & "&limit=1000"))
Dim jsonData As JObject = JObject.Parse(apiResponse)
Dim streamList As JToken = jsonData("streams")

For Each stream_info As JToken In streamList
    Dim streamerName As String = stream_info("channel")("display_name").ToString()
    Dim viewerCount As String = stream_info("viewers")
    
    Dim isPartner As String = "False"
    Dim streamTitle As String = "Unknown"
    Dim gameImage As String = "http://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/Unknown-92x128.jpg"
    
    'Workaround for the missing data problem
    If stream_info("channel")("partner") Then
        isPartner = stream_info("channel")("partner").ToString()
        streamTitle = stream_info("channel")("status").ToString()
        gameImage = "http://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/" & stream_info("channel")("game").ToString() & "-92x128.jpg"
    End If
    
    'Process the retrieved data
Next

The problem is that sometimes the API returns incomplete channel data. When it works correctly, I get the full channel object with all properties like partner status, game info, and stream title. But randomly, some channels return minimal data that looks like it’s coming from a different endpoint entirely. It’s not consistent - the same channel might work fine one request and fail the next. Has anyone experienced similar issues with Twitch API responses being inconsistent?

Had this exact problem building a stream monitoring tool last year. The inconsistent data you’re seeing happens because Twitch handles different channel types weirdly - some channels restrict data access based on privacy settings or partnership status, so the API returns different response structures.

Here’s what fixed it for me: ditch the partner status check and add proper null-checking for each property instead. Wrap each property access in try-catch blocks or verify tokens exist before accessing them. Also throw in a small delay between API calls - rapid requests hit inconsistent cache states more often.

Kraken API’s full of these quirks since they’re phasing it out, but if you’re stuck with it, defensive programming is your only option.

This inconsistent data thing is super common with streaming APIs. I’ve dealt with similar issues - it’s usually because of caching layers and CDN differences across Twitch’s infrastructure. Some requests grab fresh data, others pull from stale cached responses that might be incomplete.

Here’s what worked for me: set up a retry mechanism with exponential backoff when you detect incomplete responses. Also, don’t just check if partner is true - add null checks for each nested property individually. I noticed your code assumes properties exist when partner is true, but they can still be null or missing even in complete responses. Validating each field separately before accessing them fixed most of my parsing errors with flaky API responses.

yep, that’s likely due to the Kraken API being outdated. try switching to the Helix API for better reliability. make sure to check your endpoints and manage errors well.