How to Find and Choose the Best Streamers to Raid on Twitch: A Complete 2025 Guide

Finding the right streamers to raid on Twitch means more than just picking a random channel.

The best raid targets are streamers whose content aligns with you & your community, who are welcoming, and who are likely to appreciate your support.

The secret is using the right tools to find them, checking them out beforehand, and raiding with good timing and etiquette. This is how you build real connections that help both you and the other streamer.

What Is a Twitch Raid and Why Does Raid Selection Matter?

A Twitch raid transfers your entire live audience to another streamer's channel, typically when ending your broadcast. Unlike the discontinued hosting feature, raids actively redirect viewers to the target channel where they can jump into chat right away and engage with the new community.

Recent platform changes have made raiding even more valuable. Viewers who join via raids now count toward the 75 average concurrent viewer requirement for Twitch Partner status, making raids more important than ever for streamers on the Partner path.

Choosing the wrong raid target can seriously backfire. Sending your community to channels with toxic environments, technical issues, or incompatible content reflects poorly on your judgment. It can even drive away your own viewers.

But a great raid can lead to return support, new collaborations, and stronger communities for everyone.

How to Discover Potential Raid Targets

Native Twitch Discovery Tools

Twitch provides several built-in tools for finding raid candidates:

Raid Browser: Access this through the /raidbrowser command or the "Raid Channel" quick action in Creator Dashboard. The browser displays essential information including channel name, stream title, current game, viewer count, video thumbnail, uptime, and applied tags.

Key filters include:

• For You: Personalized algorithmic recommendations
• Same Category: Streamers in your current game/topic
• Following: Creators you already follow
• Raided You: Channels that raided you within 30 days
• Similar Size: Peer-level streamers

The 'Raided You' and 'Similar Size' filters are Twitch’s way of encouraging you to network with streamers at your level, rather than just trying to 'raid up' to massive channels.

Community Suggestions: Ask your chat for raid recommendations during your stream's conclusion. This gets your viewers involved, and they'll often suggest great streamers they already know and enjoy.

Third-Party Discovery Platforms

Streams Charts Raid Finder: Provides historical raid data and network analysis. Most effective for streamers averaging 500+ viewers, as smaller channels may have incomplete data.

Specialized Tools: Platforms like FrostyTools' Vibe Raider enable semantic search based on community identity and content style rather than just game categories. You can input the names of streamers who have vibes you like (including yourself), and you can input descriptive terms like "cozy," "competitive," or specific community values to find streamers with compatible vibes.

This solves a common problem. Making sure your community feels welcome is about matching a channel’s vibe, not just their game category.

Essential Criteria for Evaluating Raid Candidates

Before raiding any channel, take a few moments to vet a potential channel using these criteria:

Content and Community Alignment

Technical and Production Quality

Good audio is the most important technical piece. Viewers tolerate poor video quality far better than poor audio. Look for clear microphone audio, proper mixing (microphone > gameplay > music), and stable stream connection without frequent drops or technical issues.

Good presentation shows they're serious about streaming. Well-designed channel panels, informative bio sections, and a posted streaming schedule show that a creator takes their channel seriously.

Community Health Assessment

The chat is a direct window into their community’s culture. Healthy communities welcome newcomers, maintain positive sentiment, and have active moderation (as seen by green sword icons next to moderator names).

Warning signs include:

• Follower-only or subscriber-only chat modes that prevent raiders from participating
• Toxic chat behavior or unmoderated harassment
• Closed-off communities that ignore new viewers
• Streamer entitlement or expectation of reciprocal raids

Red Flags to Avoid When Choosing Raid Targets

Some things are instant deal-breakers. If you see any of these, it's best to move on:

Definite No-Gos:

• Streamer about to end their broadcast
• Extended AFK or "BRB" status
• Obvious Twitch Guidelines violations
• Chat restricted to followers/subscribers only

Community Red Flags:

• Hate speech or harassment in chat
• Toxic chat environment
• Excessive negativity or complaints
• Absence of active moderation
• Aggressive self-promotion or raid begging

Content & Quality Concerns:

• Inappropriate content for your audience
• Technical issues (poor audio, constant disconnections)
• Streamer is ignoring their chat
• Backseating or spoiler-heavy discussions (if inappropriate for the game)

Tools and Resources for Finding Great Streamers to Raid

A Strong Discovery Strategy

Effective raid discovery combines multiple approaches:

1. Start with Twitch's Raid Browser for immediate, peer-level discovery
2. Use specialized tools like Vibe Raider for values-based matching
3. Tap into your network of known streamers and community connections
4. Ask your chat for suggestions, prioritizing recommendations from trusted community members

Creating Your Raid Target Shortlist

Keep a list of streamers you might want to raid by:

• Noting streamers who have raided you previously
• Following interesting channels you discover during off-stream browsing
• Networking with peers in your content category
• Participating in streamer communities and Discord servers

This way you'll always have good options ready to go.

Best Practices for Raid Execution and Etiquette

Pre-Raid Preparation

Hype Up the Raid: Announce you're planning to raid 5-10 minutes before you end. This keeps people from leaving early and gets more of them to join in.

Timing Strategy: Start the raid process before you typically would end. Many viewers leave at predictable times (top of the hour), so earlier execution captures more of your audience.

Craft Raid Messages: Coordinate your community's arrival with a planned message everyone can share when entering the new chat. Many streamers use static phrases like "[TEAMNAME] RAID!" with emotes which are a great starting point.

Even more effective messages reference what's actually happening on both streams. Tools like FrostyTools' Tailored Raid Messages automatically generate personalized messages that create natural bridges between your content and the target streamer's current activity.

Either way, showing up with a unified message adds to the excitement!

During the Raid

Start your raid with the /raid [ChannelName] command, then manually end your stream after the transfer completes. The raid command doesn't automatically end your broadcast.

What to Do After You Land:

• Stay in the raided channel for 10-15 minutes minimum (plan your stream end time accordingly)
• Introduce yourself respectfully without self-promotion
• Encourage your community to engage positively with the new streamer
• Follow the target channel's established rules and culture

Should You Raid Up, Down, or Sideways?

Raiding Smaller Streamers (High Impact)

Raiding streamers with fewer viewers than you makes the biggest impact. A raid can double or triple a smaller streamer's audience, generating genuine excitement and gratitude. These interactions often lead to reciprocal support and lasting professional relationships.

Raiding Peer-Level Streamers (Most Effective)

Most streamers agree that raiding channels with a similar viewer count is the most effective. This approach ensures your raid makes a meaningful impact while creating opportunities for mutual benefit and collaboration.

Raiding Larger Streamers (Use Sparingly)

While raiding significantly larger channels can provide exposure, it can be awkward. Large streamers might miss or ignore the raid, and it can come off as just leeching or seeking attention. Reserve this approach for channels where you're already a known, positive community member.

How to Increase Your Chances of Being Raided

Polish Your Channel

Streamers prefer raiding channels that will provide positive experiences for their communities. Invest in quality audio equipment, maintain professional channel presentation, and create an enticing environment that encourages viewers to stick around.

Build Genuine Community Connections

Being an active, positive member of other streamers' communities makes you more likely to get raided. Network authentically by contributing value to chats, joining Discord servers, and supporting fellow streamers without expecting anything in return.

Raid Others to Get Raided

Raiding other streamers is one of the best ways to get raided back. Many streamers remember who has raided them and prioritize returning the favor when possible.

Optimize Your Raid Reception

• Maintain welcoming raid settings: Allow raids from all channels unless specifically avoiding harassment
• Respond enthusiastically to incoming raids: Always acknowledge and thank raiders by name
• Keep chat accessible: Avoid follower-only modes that prevent raiders from participating
• Stream during peak raid times: Be online when other streamers in your network typically end their broadcasts

Receiving Raids Effectively

When receiving raids, what you do in the first 30-60 seconds decides how many raiders will stick around. Your response should include:

1. Immediate acknowledgment of the raid and specific thanks to the raiding streamer
2. Brief elevator pitch about your channel and current content
3. Engagement with raiders through questions about their previous stream experience

Consider using tools that enhance the raid reception experience. FrostyTools' full-scope shoutouts can provide detailed, personalized responses when raiders arrive, creating memorable first impressions that increase follow-through rates.

Building Long-Term Raid Networks

The 4 Ds of Great Raid Habits

1. Discovery: Use multiple tools and approaches to identify potential targets
2. Due Diligence: Use the same checklist every time to protect your community
3. Deploy: Execute raids with proper etiquette and timing
4. Develop: Manage relationships and build connections

Measuring Raid Success

You'll see success in more ways than just immediate viewer numbers. These are some great ways to know you're making progress:

• Increased raids from streamers you've supported
• New followers gained from raid participation
• Collaborative opportunities that develop from raid connections
• Community feedback about your raids

Staying Ahead of the Game

The way we find streamers is changing. It's moving toward advanced tools and AI-powered mechanisms that focus on things like matching a community's values and vibe. Tools that analyze content style, community culture, and creator values represent the future of effective raid finding.

Platforms like FrostyTools' Vibe Raider demonstrate this trend, enabling searches based on community identity rather than just game categories. As these tools become more sophisticated, streamers who use these newer tools will have an edge in building strong network connections.

Ready to Transform Your Raid Strategy?

When done right, raiding is a powerful tool that creates lasting value for everyone involved. By combining effective discovery tools, thorough vetting processes, and proper etiquette, you can build a network of supportive creators while providing your community with consistently positive experiences.

The most successful streamers treat raiding as relationship-building rather than one-time gestures. Discover how FrostyTools can streamline your raid strategy with AI-powered discovery and personalized messaging features designed specifically for Twitch creators who want to build stronger community connections.