You are able to moderate the chat for certain destinations from right within the StreamYard studio! These include StreamYard On-Air, Facebook (Meta), and YouTube. We’ll explore the different options for each in this article.
Note: Please note that it is not possible to do this within StreamYard for other destinations at this time. You would be required to manage the chat and viewership directly on the platforms.
Blocking Users
Available for StreamYard On-Air, YouTube, and Facebook (Meta).
- From within the Studio, click on the three dots next to the comment.
- Select “Block user”.
That’s it! You’ll see a small confirmation that they’ve been blocked.
How blocking works on each platform:
- StreamYard On-Air: Blocked people will still be able to send messages on their end, but they will no longer show up in the chat for anyone else to see. Also, a blocked viewer cannot be unblocked for the particular stream that they were blocked from at this time.
- YouTube: Blocking a viewer that is watching on YouTube will prevent their comments from showing up, however, they’ll still be able to watch the live.
- Facebook (Meta): Blocking someone that is watching from Facebook will prevent them from being able to watch the live any further.
Additionally, you can block them through StreamYard directly on Facebook and unblock them here as well.
Deleting Comments
Available for StreamYard On-Air and Facebook (Meta).
Before you proceed, make sure you absolutely want to delete the particular comment before clicking it as it cannot be recovered.
Here’s how:
- From within the studio, click on the three dots next to the comment.
- Select “Delete comment”.
Banning Studio Guests
There may be instances where you need to ban/block a studio guest.
The guest must authenticate feature needs to be enabled for this to work which requires all guests to authenticate by logging into a valid Facebook or YouTube account to be able to enter the studio.
- Enter the studio while logged in with your host account.
- Click on the three dots to the top right of the guest's window.
- Select "Ban from studio".
- Click on "Ban guest" to finish the process.
They will be kicked from the studio and will be presented with the message, "You've been blocked. The host has blocked you from entering this broadcast" if they try to rejoin using the same account.
Note: If you click on the "Ban from studio" button before enabling the guest authentication feature, you'll have the option to enable it after which they will be kicked from the studio and can rejoin after authenticating.
FAQs
Q: I see the option "Put user in timeout" for YouTube comments. What does this mean?
A: This option allows the host to prevent the viewer from commenting for 5 minutes. The viewer will be notified that they are on a "time out". Learn more about it here.
Q: Can I moderate comments that come through from my guest's destinations?
A: No. It is not possible to delete comments from guest destinations, block them, or put them in a time-out. The guest would be responsible for moderating their own live stream from within the studio or on the platform itself depending on the destination.
Q: Where can I learn more about moderating the chat and my viewership on the other destination platforms?
A: Great question! Here are some useful resources:
- LinkedIn: Block members, moderate chat
- Hopin
- Twitch
Q: Can banned guests rejoin the studio?
A: A banned person might rejoin with a different YouTube/Facebook account. You'll just need to ban that account as well. We'll do what we can to prevent this.
Q: Can I remove a banned guest from the banned guest list?
A: Yes. To do this enter the studio > Click on "Settings" and click on the x on their name to remove them.