About Blocklist Buddy for Twitch Streamers

"Blocklist Buddy" is an automated Bot Blocking system, for people who currently use
(or want to use) CommanderRoot's Blocklist Manager but without the hassle.

Block the known bot accounts before they attack.

Currently blocking 50,860,135 known bots.
Last update started (dd/mm/yy) 18/03/25 07:50 GMT

Updates your blocklist DAILY 👍

BUT maybe I'd better start at the beginning !

The Problem:

If you have been using Twitch for a while, you have most likely seen what are called "Followbot Attacks" or "Spambot Attacks" either on your own channel or on one you have been watching.

Followbot Attacks are where a streamer suddenly has hundreds or even thousands of FAKE Twitch accounts follow the channel, often in just a few seconds. If the streamer has sound alerts turned on for instance, this creates a lot of unwanted noise and distraction on the stream.
Spambot Attacks are where a large number of spambots send messages in a streamer's channel, often at the same time, making it impossible to monitor chat. These messages may be advertising a website (e.g. pornography), or even simply throwing abuse at the streamer.

Neither are very nice for the streamer or their viewers !

CommanderRoot (who you may have seen in the viewer list on MANY channels), has identified literally MILLIONS of bot accounts used for these purposes. At the time the last Blocklist Buddy update was started, there were 50,860,135 KNOWN BOT ACCOUNTS on Twitch. CommanderRoot has very kindly created a system where you can BLOCK these bots before they have the chance to disrupt your stream, for FREE. You can find his website at https://twitch-tools.rootonline.de/ .

This was great when his system only took about half an hour to an hour, to run, but due to the sheer volume of bot accounts now on Twitch, it now actually takes about 1177 hours with your computer running 24/7, to block them all. Unfortunately this is due to Twitch limiting the number of blocks anyone can do, to only 12 per second, and because there are millions of them, it takes a long time. Once you have the initial blocking done, it then takes several hours to update your block list each time you want to, to add new bots that have been discovered.

I will point out now that the time it takes is not the fault of CommanderRoot whatsoever. He has written a fantastic system that helps many streamers for FREE, throughout the world and all credit to him for a fantastic job.

You can find instructions how to check out how many follow bots you currently have HERE.

The Solution:

This is where Blocklist Buddy comes in.

Instead of needing to have CommanderRoot's software running on your own computer for hours or even days on end, Blocklist Buddy does it all for you, SERVER SIDE ! If you were to run CommanderRoot's updates yourself on your own computer, it would take approximately 1177 hours of processing for the initial blocking run, PLUS in excess of 837 hours of processing per month if you want to do daily updates. With Blocklist Buddy, it's all done automatically on the server for you.

However Blocklist Buddy also goes a little further than CommanderRoot. As you probably know, sometimes legitimate users can have their accounts hacked, which can then be used by the hackers for botting purposes. It's unfortunate, but it can happen, although thankfully very rarely. This can occasionally lead to a hacked account being listed as a bot. Blocklist Buddy will "whitelist" your Moderators, Subscribers, VIPs and people you follow from being blocked, so even if they were to appear on his blocklist, those accounts would be safe. They would not be blocked from your channel.

It also automatically removes the blocks from accounts that have been removed from CommanderRoot's list but does NOT remove people who are also "banned" from your channel. If you are unsure of the difference between Blocking and Banning an account, please see https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/how-to-manage-harassment-in-chat

Updates to your blocks are normally done at least once per day (if not more), so your list stays as up to date as possible, minimising the impact of any attacks. Please note: If there is a particularly large update, it may take longer than 1 day to block all the new accounts identified as bots, e.g. on a number of occasions in the past, there have been over 600,000 new bot accounts in just 1 update.

Unfortunately, all this takes a lot of processing and time on the server, therefore I cannot offer Blocklist Buddy for free. However, the cost is only £5.00 GBP per month for Blocklist Buddy to do all this for you, so for people with a busy schedule or who cannot leave their computers on for long periods time, Blocklist Buddy may well be the ideal solution. It can also be Gifted to your favourite streamer, if they choose to accept it. See FAQs below.

How to Sign Up:

Step 1: Click on the link below or the "Login" button at the top of this page to login and give authorisation for Blocklist Buddy to access your account. You will be giving access to do the following:

• Get a list of all users on your block list.
• Read your list of follows.    (To be whitelisted).
• Add and remove users from your block list.
• Read the list of VIPs in your channel.    (To be whitelisted).
• Get a list of all subscribers to your channel and check if a user is subscribed to your channel.    (To be whitelisted).
• View your channel's moderation data including Moderators, Bans, Timeouts and Automod settings.    (To whitelist Mods and blacklist Bans).
• Read the list of followers in channels where you are a moderator.    (To check how many bots, if any, would be removed).
• View your channel's public twitch account information.

>>>>>   CLICK HERE TO LOGIN WITH TWITCH AND ALLOW AUTHORISATION   <<<<<

DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO ALLOW AUTHORISATION
Blocklist Buddy costs just £5.00 GBP per month via Paypal and can
even be Gifted to your favourite streamer - See FAQs below

Step 2: After authorisation, you will see your Blocklist Buddy user panel:

and a button to set up your monthly Paypal subscription for £5.00 GBP per month. Updates to your blocklist will start after the payment has been confirmed and your current blocklist has been downloaded, on the following scheduled run. Remember that the full effect of the blocklist will NOT be noticed immediately. It will initially take a couple of weeks if you have not used CommanderRoot's Blocklist before. Please be patient. Blocklist Buddy is NOT an "instant fix".

You can cancel your subscription at any time from your Paypal account. If you do cancel, updates to your blocklist will cease immediately, unless there were an update currently in progress, in which case the current update would complete first.

Step 3: You can check up on the status of your account at any time, by clicking on the link above. On the page you will see the progress on how many bot accounts are blocked etc.

System Support:

If you need help at any time, whisper me on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/blocklistbuddy . I will reply as soon as possible.
A follow would also be appreciated 😊

Q1. I would like to gift a Blocklist Buddy Subscription to a friend of mine who streams, who gets followbotted a lot. Is that possible ?

A. Yes it is ! First or all, ask them to read this page thoroughly so they fully understand about the system. Then they should login to Blocklist Buddy using the link above or the login button at the top of the page. Once they have done that, whisper me at https://www.twitch.tv/blocklistbuddy and I will send you the details you will need and the link of the page to make payment. Updates would commence once the payment has been verified. 😊
 

Q2. Can I tell how many of my current followers are bots ? Would Blocklist Buddy remove those followers ?

A. Yes you can. You will find instructions at https://zoeballz.uk/_Blocklist_Buddy/#botcheck. Any accounts showing in the list would be the known bots you currently have. In answer to your second question, yes they would. Once you have subscribed to Blocklist Buddy, those known bots would be removed unless they were also in your Mods, Subs, VIPs or Follows lists.
 

Q3. I had an attack last night with 10 bots following my channel. Is the system working ?

A. The blocklist only has KNOWN bots. Unfortunately, it's not possible to identify every single bot in advance, BUT look at it this way: If you weren't using the blocklist, you would have probably had around 100-200 followbots (or more). The ones that did manage to follow you will most likely be added to the list very soon.
 

Q4. Why does it take so long to block the bots ? I have a problem on my stream right now.

A. Sheer numbers and Twitch's limitations. 11.5 million bots to block right this moment. Twitch only allow a maximum of 12 blocks per second on your account. That equates to a minimum of 266 HOURS of processing. This is why £5.00 per month is good value for money !
 

Q5. Why is the system needed ? Doesn't Twitch ban the bot accounts anyway ?

A. While it is true that Twitch do ban some bot accounts, they can take a VERY long time to do it. Many of the known bots have existed for years, and yet they still exist, even though they have been reported to Twitch.
 

Q6. What happens if a legitimate user gets is listed as a bot and get's blocked from my channel ? I think his account was hacked a few months ago.

A. First of all, type "/unblock [their username]" in your channel to immediately unblock them. Then tell them to visit:
https://twitch-tools.rootonline.de/followerlist_viewer.php and look up their own channel. Under "Account Info" there is a line which says "Is known bot (Yes or No)". If it says "Yes" then they should click on "Report" link to request delisting. Under normal circumstances, they would be delisted before the next Blocklist Buddy update.
 

Q7. Why is my blocklist getting SMALLER ? I have just signed up but I used CommanderRoot before. Is something is going wrong ?

A. Blocklist Buddy starts off by downloading your current blocklist from Twitch (which can take several hours). Normally the system would then start adding the blocks to your blocklist, so you start getting the benefits immediately, and afterwards remove unnecessary and obsolete blocks (as long as they are not also on your BAN list). Sometimes however, it is necessary to delete the obsolete blocks first, to keep your blocklist from being bigger than is needed and also speed up the processes on the server. Depending on the size of your current list, this may take just a few hours or in some cases (if your list is very out of date) a day or two.
 

Q8. Why does the User Panel say I only have 375 followers when I have over 5k ? Are they being blocked ?

A. It actually says "Follows" and not "Followers". It is the number of channels which you have followed and not the number of people who follow your channel !! That number is shown as people that you follow will not be blocked, even if they are listed on CommanderRoot's blocklist. In effect, it is used as a whitelist.
 

Q9. When I first started streaming, I paid for a few hundred viewerbots to get my channel started. Will they be blocked ?

A. Most likely, YES. Firstly, using Viewerbots is against Twitch's Terms of Service. I do NOT recommend anyone using them as it can get your account banned permanently. If those bots are "known bots", then Blocklist Buddy WILL block them from following your channel any longer. This is a GOOD thing.
 

Q10. I had a about 15 trolls blocked before I used Blocklist Buddy but a few are now unblocked. Why is that ?

A. Blocklist Buddy will unblock any accounts NOT on CommanderRoot's list, UNLESS you also ban them from your channel. If they are banned as well, they will not be removed.

Testimonials:

Blocklist Buddy also has a Custom API for StreamElements, Nightbot, Streamlabs and MixItUp, which tells you if a new follower (or any Twitch user for that matter) is a known bot account on CommanderRoot's list or a known lurker bot on TwitchInsights.

Create a new command - !bot .

For Nightbot, set the message to:
$(urlfetch https://zoeballz.uk/_Blocklist_Buddy/known_bot.php?user=$(user)&bot=$(1)&channel=$(channel))
Click for screenshot of setup

For Streamelements, set the message to:
$(customapi.https://zoeballz.uk/_Blocklist_Buddy/known_bot.php?user=$(sender)&bot=$(1)&channel=$(channel))
Click for screenshot of setup

 
For Streamlabs Chatbot application, set the message to:
$readapi(https://zoeballz.uk/_Blocklist_Buddy/known_bot.php?user=$username&bot=$arg1&channel=$mychannel)
NOTE: The code for Streamlabs Chatbot is untested. If you try it, please let me know if it does or doesn't work !
Click for screenshot of setup

For Streamlabs Cloudbot, set the message to:
{readapi.https://zoeballz.uk/_Blocklist_Buddy/known_bot.php?user={user.name}&bot={target.name}&channel={channel.name}}
Click for screenshot of setup

 
For MixItUp, set the message to:
https://zoeballz.uk/_Blocklist_Buddy/known_bot.php?user=$username&bot=$targetusername&channel=$streamerusername
Click for screenshot of setup
Or you can download the command from MixItUp's community command pages at::
https://mixitupapp.com/community/command/396e4b0f-14a0-4f0b-aa6a-bcfbea119227

In your channel chat, type:
!bot [suspected bot's username]

If the account is on CommanderRoot's "Known Bot List", it will return:
@[your username] - @BlocklistBuddy says [suspected bot] is listed as a KNOWN BOT on CommanderRoot's Known Bot List.

If the account is on TwitchInsights' "Known Bot List", it will return:
@[your username] - @BlocklistBuddy says [suspected bot] is listed as a KNOWN BOT on TwitchInsights.net's Known Bot List (bots which LURK in your channel).

If the account is on BOTH lists, it will return:
@[your username] - @BlocklistBuddy says [suspected bot] is listed as a KNOWN BOT on CommanderRoot's Known Bot List and also on TwitchInsights.net's Known Bot List.

If the account is NOT on either list, it will return:
@[your username] - @BlocklistBuddy says [suspected bot] is NOT currently listed as a Known Bot.

Blocklist Buddy is currently working on methods to help identify Follow and Spam Bots, in channels across Twitch. To do that, it needs to watch out for bot type chat messages and learn from them.

The Chatbot won't do much in your channel apart from scan the messages for malicious bot activity, but if someone were to actually mention the bot's name in chat (e.g. by typing @BlocklistBuddy), it WILL reply in chat (occasionally (10 min cooldown)) explaining what it's doing there. It is not a moderator bot. It will not ban or block anyone from your channel and requires no special permissions.

If you would like to help and have the BBBot in your own channel, type !BBJOIN in the BlocklistBuddy channel chat on Twitch (at https://twitch.tv/blocklistbuddy) and you'll be added, most likely within 24hrs. If you then decide you don't want it any more, type !BBLEAVE, either in the BlocklistBuddy channel chat, or in your own, and the Blocklist Buddy Bot should be removed within 24hrs.

If you have the BBBot in your channel, the !BBJOIN command will work there too, for any others streamers who might like to help and have BBBot in their own channel as well.

NOTE: You will not see any response to these commands in your own channel, just in case you have a command of your own with the same name,, but if you have any issues, feel free to whisper BlocklistBuddy. Whispers are checked regularly.

List Inclusion/Exclusion: Blocklist Buddy is not "responsible for" and has no "control over" who is listed or not listed on CommanderRoot's list. If you find you are listed and feel this is incorrect, you can request delisting by going to https://twitch-tools.rootonline.de/followerlist_viewer.php and entering your username in the box provided. In the "Account Info" section, the line marked "Is Known Bot" tells you whether you are currently listed as a bot, or not. If you are listed and wish to request delisting, click on the link on that line.

Reduction in Followers: (Does not apply to the CustomAPI). Subscribing to the Blocklist Buddy system may initially reduce your number of followers, if those followers are listed as known bots. In rare circumstances, even by a fair number. This is not a bad thing because they are not real viewers, so this will not slow your growth as a Twitch Streamer. You can check how many would be affected, by following the instructions listed below this section. Blocklist Buddy accepts no responsibility whatsoever for "follower loss" nor any possible consequential financial loss, for example, if blocking the bots delays your being accepted as a Twitch Affiliate, because your followers were bots and had been removed. If you use Blocklist Buddy and CommanderRoot's Known Bot List, you do so ENTIRELY at your own risk.

CustomAPI: Information supplied to your channel via the CustomAPI, is supplied "in good faith", i.e. Blocklist Buddy only supplies the information it has been given. Blocklist Buddy accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any incorrect information given, however if anything wrong is noticed by anyone, Blocklist Buddy WILL do it's absolute best to rectify the situation and/or correct any inaccuracies in the system.

Firstly go to to this link: https://twitch-tools.rootonline.de/followerlist_viewer.php

You will be asked to login with your Twitch account and allow CommanderRoot access to get your Follower List. This is fine as CommanderRoot is a trusted site and is used by thousands of Twitch streamers.

Once on the page, enter your Twitch channel name into the box provided and click on "Show Followers". This may take a few minutes to load, depending on how many followers you have.

Under the "Filter Results" section, you will see a line which says "Is Known Bot". Change the dropdown selection from "Any" to "Yes", and then click on the blue "Apply Filters" button.

You will then see how many of your followers are known bot accounts.