What is viewbotting? And should streamers do it?

If you have ever dwelled within the universe of streaming on Twitch and YouTube, you have probably heard the infamous word: "Viewbotting." But what exactly is viewbotting? And is it something streamers should do?

Viewbotting has been around since the early days of streaming, as many streamers have been secretly using this tactic to gain more viewers when streaming on Twitch. So, what is viewbotting exactly?

Viewbotting is the practice of adding fake viewers to your stream to inflate your views, putting you higher up on streaming sites such as Twitch and YouTube. When streaming, the fewer viewers you have, the harder it is for someone to discover you. Viewbotting helps boost streamers in whatever category they are streaming.

The issue: It is against the terms of service (TOS).

Viewbotting is strictly against Twitch and YouTube's TOS, meaning it could result in a suspension or ban from the websites. However, many streamers are constantly getting away with it without anyone knowing.

The subject of viewbotting recently caused a storm in the world of streaming, when a small streamer, named QueenGloriaRP, was caught utilizing a viewbotting app on her stream.

The app showed just how many fake viewers she was adding to her stream, which was around 20.

This caused a spark within the streaming community, as many were beginning to speculate on how many other streamers have been doing this without us knowing.

Twitch quickly took action once the word was out and suspended QueenGloriaRP's account. While this may be seen as a win for many, it leaves you wondering just how easy it is to get away with viewbotting. Surely, this streamer was only caught because she left it up on her stream.

Sometimes, finding out if someone is viewbotting can be extremely hard. I mean, the streamer mentioned above was only caught due to her lack of awareness. Unfortunately, many streamers viewbot every single stream, and it is very tough for anyone to notice. However, there are ways you can detect viewbotting if you really pay attention.

For example, does the streamer have an abnormally high viewer count? If it is someone you have seen before and all of a sudden has a huge boost in viewers, this could be due to viewbotting.

Do not accuse the streamer of viewbotting right away, though. This could also be from a raid, too. The last thing you want is to be that person that comes at a streamer, accusing them of viewbotting, only to find out they actually got a raid.

Another way to detect viewbotting is to check out the streamer's chat. Does the amount of people talking match their viewer count? Obviously, not everyone who is watching a stream will be chatting. Many people like to just put streams up on the side or even on a TV where they cannot chat.

Still, though, if someone has an astronomically high amount of viewers, but only a few chatters, that could be a sign of viewbotting.

Viewbotting gets quite a bit of hate and rightfully so, too. Many view the act as cheating within the Twitch and YouTube space.

The simple fact is that many small streamers spend so much time working on their stream and content only to get surpassed by someone who is purchasing fake views.

Beware, though. If you are someone interested in viewbotting, it could only hurt your stream in the long run. Sponsorships and organizations will see this, and they may notice your high amount of viewers, making them want to check you out. The second they realize you have no chatters, they will immediately blacklist you from any further collaborations.

Overall, it's not worth it. It costs money, too, meaning you are just wasting your cash on views. People can spend anywhere from $20 to hundreds of dollars on them, but overall will get nothing in return.

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