I’m building a Twitch bot using Java with pIRC library for IRC connections and running into a weird problem.
My bot can only post messages in its own channel. There’s one strange exception though - my main Twitch account somehow works in all channels.
When I connect any bot account to Twitch, I get these server responses:
1625704200190 :tmi.twitch.tv 375 BOTNAME :-
1625704200191 :tmi.twitch.tv 372 BOTNAME :You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike.
1625704200191 :tmi.twitch.tv 376 BOTNAME :>
Joining a channel shows:
1625704227005 >>>JOIN #targetstream
1625704227227 :[email protected] JOIN #targetstream
1625704227461 :BOTNAME.tmi.twitch.tv 353 BOTNAME = #targetstream :BOTNAME
1625704227461 :BOTNAME.tmi.twitch.tv 366 BOTNAME #targetstream:End of /NAMES list
Sending messages appears identical whether it works or fails:
1625704638354 >>>PRIVMSG #targetstream :hello world
No errors or exceptions get thrown. The logs look exactly the same for successful and failed message attempts.
What’s really confusing is that initially all my test accounts worked fine, then suddenly this restriction appeared. Only my personal Twitch account still has universal messaging permissions.
Has anyone encountered similar behavior with Twitch IRC bots? What could cause this selective channel restriction?
This behavior typically stems from Twitch’s chat restrictions for bot accounts. When you create new accounts specifically for bot purposes, Twitch often applies limitations that prevent them from messaging in channels other than their own. The restriction you’re experiencing is likely related to account verification status and trust metrics that Twitch uses internally. Your main account works everywhere because it has established credibility through normal usage patterns. I’ve seen this resolved by having the bot accounts participate in chat naturally for a period before automation, or by ensuring they have verified email addresses and phone numbers. The silent failure is frustrating but normal - Twitch simply drops the messages without notification when accounts hit these restrictions.
Check if your bot accounts have the correct OAuth scopes enabled in your Twitch application settings. I ran into this exact issue last year and discovered that accounts need the chat:edit scope specifically granted through the proper OAuth flow rather than just connecting via IRC. Your personal account likely has these permissions already established from previous authentications. Also verify that your bot accounts aren’t hitting any rate limits - Twitch has stricter message frequency restrictions for newer accounts. The silent message dropping without error responses is characteristic of scope permission issues rather than traditional rate limiting. Make sure you’re using the current Twitch API authentication method instead of older IRC-only connections.
It seems you’ve encountered Twitch’s anti-spam measures, which can restrict messaging abilities for newer or less active accounts. These restrictions are designed to minimize spam and often cause issues for bot accounts that haven’t established a significant presence. Your main account may have the freedom to send messages anywhere due to its age and verified status. I faced a similar situation with my bots; some accounts were limited while older ones communicated freely. You might need to give your bot accounts time to mature and ensure they are fully verified on Twitch to lift these limits.
twitch has been cracking down on bot accounts lately and theres like invisible shadowban type restrictions now. sounds like your bot accounts got flagged as suspicious while your main stayed clean. try using oauth tokens with proper scopes instead of just basic irc - that sometimes helps bypass the restrictions.