New chat and role management API endpoints are now in open beta

[jbulava]

As we head into TwitchCon Amsterdam this weekend, we’re excited to announce that 10 new chat and role management Twitch API endpoints are now in open beta. These endpoints are the direct result of your UserVoice feedback, such as one of the top requests to include VIPs. We look forward to seeing how our developer community will creatively incorporate this information into streaming tools for broadcasters.

To learn more about the expectations of products while in an open beta, please see our Product Lifecycle Classifications.

New Twitch API Endpoints

• Send Chat Announcement - Sends an announcement to the broadcaster’s chat room
• Delete Chat Messages - Removes a single chat message or all chat messages from the broadcaster’s chat room
• Update User Chat Color - Updates the color used for the user’s name in chat
• Get User Chat Color - Gets the color used for the user’s name in chat
• Add Channel Moderator - Adds a moderator to the broadcaster’s chat room
• Remove Channel Moderator - Removes a moderator from the broadcaster’s chat room
• Get VIPs - Gets a list of the channel’s VIPs
• Add Channel VIP - Adds a VIP to the broadcaster’s chat room
• Remove Channel VIP - Removes a VIP from the broadcaster’s chat room
• Send Whisper - Sends a whisper message to the specified user

New Scopes

• moderator:manage:announcements
• moderator:manage:chat_messages
• user:manage:chat_color
• channel:manage:moderators
• channel:read:vips
• channel:manage:vips
• user:manage:whispers

We Welcome Your Feedback

We encourage you to try out these endpoints during the open beta period. We are looking for your feedback to make sure there are no bugs and the endpoints function as expected. To provide feedback, please add new suggestions to the API category on UserVoice.

How Do I Get Started?

The new endpoints are publicly available in an open beta. Visit the documentation links above for the endpoints that may be of interest and you can start making requests immediately! Once we have implemented any updates from UserVoice, the endpoints will be categorized as “generally available.” At that point, no further updates or changes can be expected unless formally announced here on the forums.

If you have any questions or want to share how you’ll use these endpoints, please feel free to comment below!

[serycodes]

Are the whisper API and IRC whisper rate limits shared (assuming that I send from the same account)?

[Marenthyu]

I would expect that to be the case - the /w command has been deprecated for a while and the endpoint does list limitations of whispers explicitly as well.

In general, the consensus has been that Bots are discouraged from using Whispers due to the system’s heavy filtering and limitations, so if you can, use a different communication channel (like an Extension or external website with login)

[serycodes]

Yeah, I expect that too.

[matwalsh]

@serycodes

Are the whisper API and IRC whisper rate limits shared (assuming that I send from the same account)?

Yes.

[bakkerhenk]

Ah a new whisper endpoint. That explains all the whisper spam from the last couple of days.

[BarryCarlyon]

@bakkerhenk

That explains all the whisper spam from the last couple of days.

The new API feeds into the same pipeline as “existing” whispers. So the new API doesn’t make it easier to spam.

You just rolled the bad luck on being a target of those whispers.

Make sure to report those accounts sending spam to help train the spam defences!

[prod]

that spam started before this helix endpoint; they just use gql