Nightbot setup is the entry-tier chatbot configuration that gives a new streamer the basic moderation and command functionality without the configuration complexity of advanced bots. Nightbot is free, cloud-hosted, and reliable across years.

The setup: sign up at nightbot.tv with your Twitch (or YouTube) account, click "Join Channel" to add Nightbot as a moderator, and the bot is now active in your chat. Configure the basic commands through the Nightbot dashboard.

The starter command set: !commands (lists all your commands), !discord (your Discord invite link), !social (your social media handles), !uptime (how long the stream has been live), !lurk (acknowledges a viewer who is lurking quietly). Each command is configured through the dashboard with the response message you want.

The auto-moderation: enable spam protection, link filtering for non-subs, banned-words list (use the platform's recommended starter list). The auto-mod runs automatically once configured.

The 30 minutes of Nightbot setup pays back every stream for the rest of your career. Configure once. Run forever.