PHP script for Twitch follower notifications: How to implement?

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1

Hey everyone! I’m working on a PHP project to create Twitch follower alerts. I’ve found the API endpoint to fetch recent followers, but I’m stuck on the next steps. How can I decode the JSON response and extract the username of the latest follower?

Here’s what I’ve got so far:

$channel = 'mychannel';
$url = "https://api.twitch.tv/kraken/channels/{$channel}/follows/?limit=1";

// Need help with:
// 1. Making the API request
// 2. Decoding the JSON
// 3. Extracting the username
// 4. Displaying the alert

$latestFollower = ''; // How do I get this?
echo "New follower: {$latestFollower}";

Any tips or code snippets would be super helpful! Thanks in advance!

2

I’ve implemented Twitch follower alerts in PHP before. Here’s what worked for me:

Use cURL for the API request. It’s more flexible than file_get_contents(). Set up your headers with your client ID and accept JSON.

After receiving the response, decode it with json_decode(). The follower information is typically found in $decoded_response->follows[0]->user.

For real-time notifications, consider using Twitch’s EventSub API instead of constant polling.

I handled alerts using a PHP endpoint called periodically by an AJAX call, which checked a database for new followers. Always remember to incorporate error handling and respect rate limits.

3

I’ve implemented something similar for my Twitch channel, so I can share some insights. Here’s how I approached it:

For the API request, you’ll need to use cURL. Make sure to include your client ID in the headers. Then, use json_decode() to parse the response.

To extract the username, you’ll need to navigate the JSON structure. The follower’s name is usually nested within the response.

For real-time alerts, consider using webhooks instead of polling the API. This way, Twitch notifies you when someone follows, reducing API calls and improving responsiveness.

Remember to handle rate limits and error responses. Twitch’s API can be temperamental, so robust error handling is crucial.

Lastly, for displaying alerts, I found using websockets with a bit of JavaScript on the front-end works well. It allows for smooth, real-time updates without constant page refreshes.

Hope this helps point you in the right direction!

4

hey mike, i’ve done this before. here’s a quick tip:

use file_get_contents() for the API request. then json_decode() the response. the username should be in $data->follows[0]->user->name.

don’t forget to add your client ID in the headers, or it won’t work. good luck with your project!