# Every reason a raid gets refused, and who controls it
Twitch's documentation splits the reasons between the channel you raid, your own account and Twitch itself. The table puts all of them in one place. Each row is explained further down.[1][2][3]
| Reason | Who controls it | What you can check |
|---|---|---|
| Your viewer count is outside the range the other channel accepts | The other channel | Nothing directly. Only its owner can view the setting |
| Your account is newer than the other channel's account age setting | The other channel | Your own account age, not their threshold |
| You are not in any of the groups the other channel selected | The other channel | Nothing directly |
| The other channel blocked you | The other channel | Nothing. Twitch shows an error instead of starting the raid |
| The other channel banned you after an earlier raid | The other channel | Nothing directly |
| The other channel paused incoming raids for up to an hour | The other channel | Try again later |
| You are a moderator without the editor role | The broadcaster | Type a forward slash in chat and see whether /raid is in your list |
| The target is not live, or the name is wrong | You | The channel page and the name in its URL |
| A raid is already pending, or your tool hit the API limit | You or your tool | Wait for the countdown, or cancel with /unraid |
| Your raiding party is larger than Twitch supports | Twitch | Nothing. Twitch publishes no number |
# The other channel's raid settings: the usual cause
Twitch added these controls in September 2022, when its support account announced that streamers could edit raid criteria by minimum and maximum viewer thresholds, account age thresholds and more user groups.[4] Twitch's raids article describes each one:[1]
- Viewer count range. "When another channel raids you, they must have a viewer count that falls into the range you have listed." Twitch counts "the total number of viewers they have at the time they select you to raid, and not the total number of viewers who will ultimately participate in the raid."[1] A raid can be refused for being too small for a channel, or too large.
- Account age. The raiding account "must have been created x number of days ago, where x is the number of days you select in your settings."[1]
- Groups. The owner can tick optional groups. If any are ticked, "any incoming raid must meet only one of the chosen requirements, not all," and the raiding channel still has to meet the viewer and account age thresholds.[1] The article names one group, My teammates, and says a creator in several teams who picks it "will only receive raids from members of their main team."[1]
- Offline raiders. "If you edit the minimum or maximum number of viewers, offline channels will not be able to raid you."[1] If your stream has already ended when you start the raid, this is one to rule out.
You cannot look these settings up. Twitch says: "Only the channel owner has permissions to view and edit these settings," and it advises owners not to share their selections.[1] Twitch's API reference has no endpoint that reads another channel's raid settings either.[3] Asked in 2022 whether such an endpoint existed, a regular answerer on Twitch's developer forum replied "No there isn't" and added: "So you can't see you can't raid a channel till you try to raid."[5] The refused raid is the check.
# Blocks, bans and the one-hour pause
Three more refusals come from the other channel, and none of them depends on your size.
- A block. "You may not attempt to raid a channel that has blocked yours. An error message will be shown instead."[1] Twitch's API reference lists the same case as "The raiding broadcaster is blocked from the targeted channel."[3]
- A ban after an earlier raid. Streamers can review recent raids from the chat settings and report or ban a raiding channel. Twitch says: "People that you have banned will not be able to raid your channel in the future."[1]
- A one-hour pause. A streamer can add the Stop Raids for 1 Hour quick action to their Stream Manager and use it to "temporarily deny all incoming raids for up to an hour."[1] The same channel may accept your raid once the timer runs out.
None of the Twitch pages cited here says whether the refusal notice tells you which of these applied. The raids FAQ gives only one explanation for a refused raid, the other channel's settings.[1] Of the Twitch pages cited here, only the API reference names a block as its own error.[3]
# Reasons on your side: role, target and timing
Moderators are not on the list. Twitch's chat command reference places /raid and /unraid under "Channel Editor and Broadcaster Commands".[2] The raids article, answering a question about mobile, names the same two roles: "As a streamer or editor, you can start or join raids as a viewer on mobile devices."[1] Neither page lists moderators. Twitch also says: "Commands you do not have permission to use will not appear when you try to enter them."[2] So if you are a moderator and /raid disappears when you send it, a missing permission is the likely reason. The broadcaster can give you the editor role in Roles Manager, under Community in the Creator Dashboard.[6] That page's list of editor actions does not mention raids, so the command list and the raids FAQ are the Twitch pages that tie raiding to editors. The guide to Twitch roles covers what else the editor role gives.
Check your own list. "Typing the forward slash (/) key will bring up a list of available commands."[2] If /raid is not in the list that appears in that channel's chat, your account does not have the permission there.
The target must be live and the name exact. Twitch describes /raid as: "This command will send the viewer to another live channel."[2] When the target does not exist, the API returns "The targeted channel was not found."[3] Open the channel page, confirm it is live, and copy the name from its URL rather than typing it.
One raid at a time. A started raid waits for a countdown. Twitch's help says that after 10 seconds, or when everyone is ready, you can click Raid Now, and that the raid starts on its own if you click neither Raid Now nor Cancel before the countdown bar runs out. Viewers can opt out before it begins.[1] Twitch's API reference puts that countdown at 90 seconds and refuses a new request while "The broadcaster is already in the process of raiding another channel."[3] To switch targets, cancel with /unraid first.[2]
Raiding from the app. "Raids can be started from mobile," but "The Raid Browser is not available in the Twitch mobile app."[1] On a phone, use the /raid command instead of looking for the browser.
Raiding while you are still live. This is not a refusal, but it can look like one. If you raid while online, your viewers are redirected, but Twitch says "any new viewers entering your page will see your stream, not the target raid channel."[1]
# The raid size limit Twitch does not publish
Twitch's API reference lists a refusal that its help article never mentions: "There are too many viewers in the raiding party."[3] The help article explains the viewer range each streamer sets for incoming raids, but says nothing about a limit that applies across the platform.[1]
The limit has been hit in public. In January 2021, GameRant reported that Shroud tried to end a stream by raiding a smaller creator and was told he had "more viewers than the maximum currently supported by raids right now." He had 89,000 concurrent viewers at the time, according to the report.[7] GameRant also noted that Twitch "doesn't state anything about a viewer cap on raids on the How To page".[7] That was still true of the How to Use Raids article when we read it on 27 September 2026.[1]
# What Twitch's API says when a raid request fails
If you raid through a chat bot or another tool that uses Twitch's API, the error it passes back comes from this list in Twitch's reference for starting a raid.[3] The wording in the middle column is Twitch's.
| Response | What Twitch's reference says | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| 400 Bad Request | The raiding broadcaster is blocked from the targeted channel | The other channel blocked you |
| 400 Bad Request | The targeted channel doesn't accept raids from this broadcaster | The other channel's incoming raid settings exclude your channel |
| 400 Bad Request | There are too many viewers in the raiding party | Your party is over a limit Twitch does not publish |
| 400 Bad Request | The IDs in from_broadcaster_id and to_broadcaster_id cannot be the same ID | The tool tried to raid your own channel |
| 404 Not Found | The targeted channel was not found | Wrong channel name, or the channel does not exist |
| 409 Conflict | The broadcaster is already in the process of raiding another channel | Cancel the pending raid first |
| 429 Too Many Requests | The limit is 10 requests within a 10-minute window | Wait before the tool tries again |
Two more points from the same reference. A successful request only starts the countdown. To know whether the raid actually happened, a tool has to listen for Twitch's Channel Raid event.[3] The request also has to come from the broadcaster's own account: the raiding channel's ID "must match the user ID in the user access token."[3]
# What to check, in order
Work down the list. The first four are on your side and take seconds to check.
- Your permission. Type a forward slash in the channel's chat and look for /raid. If it is missing, you need the broadcaster or editor role.[2]
- The target. Open the target's channel page, confirm it is live, and copy the name from the URL.[2]
- A pending raid. If a countdown is already running, let it finish or type /unraid.[3][2]
- Whether you are offline. Channels that edited their viewer range refuse raids from offline channels.[1]
- A second channel. Try raiding someone else. If that works, the first channel's settings, block list, ban list or a one-hour pause is the cause.[1]
- The streamer. If you know them, ask them to check their raid settings. Only they can see them.[1]
- The size limit. If every channel refuses you and your audience is very large, you may be over the limit Twitch does not publish.[3][7]
The channel you raid from
Raids share an audience, so they matter more once you have one. Streamrise delivers Twitch viewers over a window you set, from 30 minutes to a month, and needs only your channel link. Twitch says fake engagement and artificial inflation of channel statistics violate its policies. Read them and decide for yourself.
- 30 min to a month, you set the window
- No password
# If other streamers cannot raid you
The same settings can stop your friends from raiding you. Twitch's raids article links to them through a short link, which redirected to the stream settings section of the Creator Dashboard (dashboard.twitch.tv/settings/stream) on 27 September 2026.[1] Twitch's harassment guide describes the same controls: "Manage who can raid your channel with viewer count, account age, and other customizable settings."[9]
To accept every raid, Twitch says to "leave your minimum viewer count at 1 and maximum at “No max” (don’t enter anything) and drop the account age to zero", with none of the optional groups selected.[1]
- Changes apply at once. "Any changes you make will be enabled as soon as you save, even if you are live."[1]
- The one-hour pause needs raids switched on. Stop Raids for 1 Hour works only when raids are enabled in your raid settings, and it ends when the timer reaches zero or when you use the quick action to accept raids again.[1]
- Teams. If you selected My teammates and belong to several teams, only your main team can raid you.[1] The guide to Twitch Teams explains how teams work.
- Bans last. A channel you banned after a raid stays unable to raid you.[1]
Raid settings are one of several tools Twitch offers against unwanted raids. The guide to managing harassment in chat covers the others.
# The bottom line
When Twitch refuses a raid, start with your own side: check that /raid appears in your command list, that the target is live and spelled right, and that no raid is already pending.[2][3] If those are fine, the other channel's settings, block list, ban list or one-hour pause is the likely cause, and only that channel's owner can tell you which.[1]
Twitch spreads these rules across its raids article, its command list and its API reference, and the size limit appears only in the API reference, with no number.[3] Check the pages again before you rely on them. According to the page metadata, Twitch last published the raids article in March 2026 and the command list in May 2026.[1][2]
# FAQ
Why can't I raid on Twitch?
Most often the channel you picked has incoming raid settings that exclude you, such as a viewer range or an account age threshold. Other causes are a block, a ban after an earlier raid, a one-hour pause on incoming raids, a moderator account without the editor role, a raid already pending, or a raiding party larger than Twitch supports.
Why will Twitch not let me raid one specific channel?
That channel's settings, block list or ban list is the likely cause. Twitch's FAQ says the channel has enabled settings that do not allow you to raid it, and only its owner can view those settings. Try another channel to confirm, or ask the streamer.
Can moderators raid on Twitch?
Twitch's chat command list puts /raid under editor and broadcaster commands, and no moderator section lists it. A moderator who needs to raid for the channel needs the editor role, which the broadcaster assigns in Roles Manager.
Is there a minimum number of viewers to raid on Twitch?
Not from Twitch. Any creator can raid, whether or not they are an Affiliate or Partner. Individual channels can set a minimum for incoming raids, counted at the moment you select them, so a small channel can be refused by a channel with a higher minimum.
Is there a maximum raid size on Twitch?
Yes, but Twitch does not publish the number. Its API reference lists too many viewers in the raiding party as a reason a raid fails. In 2021 GameRant reported Shroud being refused with about 89,000 viewers.
Can I raid from the Twitch mobile app?
Yes. Twitch says raids can be started from mobile. The Raid Browser is not available in the app, so use the /raid command there. Incoming raid settings are managed on the web.
Can I raid after my stream has ended?
Twitch's raids article says that channels which have edited their minimum or maximum viewer count will not accept raids from offline channels. It gives no other detail on raiding while offline.
How do I cancel a raid on Twitch?
Type /unraid, or click Cancel before the countdown ends. Twitch's API reference says a raid can be cancelled until the broadcaster clicks Raid Now or the 90-second countdown expires.
How many times can I raid on Twitch?
Twitch's API allows 10 raid requests within a 10-minute window. The help pages do not state a limit for raiding from chat.