How to make Twitch clips
How to create Twitch clips while watching live, from a VOD, or as the streamer, plus the formatting choices that make clips work on socials.
By Soulstack · Video, Editing & Posting · 3 min read · Published , updated
In this guide
A Twitch clip captures one moment from a live stream or available past broadcast. The clip editor lets you choose a segment up to 60 seconds and give it a title. Whether you can clip depends on the channel's clip settings. Twitch's clip guide (opens in a new tab)
Clip a live moment
Use the player's Clip button to open the editor. Review the captured window, trim it to the part you want, add a clear title and publish. Check the preview rather than assuming a fixed amount of footage before or after the click.
A useful clip should make sense to someone who missed the stream. Include enough context to understand the reaction or achievement, but cut the waiting around it.
Clip a past broadcast
Open an available VOD, move to the moment and use the clip tool. Past broadcasts do not remain available indefinitely: standard retention is 7 days, 14 days for Affiliates, and 60 days for Partners and qualifying Prime or Turbo users. Check the account's storage settings and entitlement. Twitch VOD guidance (opens in a new tab)
Clips and Highlights are different formats. You do not turn a clip into a Highlight to preserve it after its source VOD expires. Keep your own authorised recordings if you need a reliable archive rather than treating a platform as your backup.
Edit for a phone screen
Twitch supports portrait clip layouts alongside landscape clips. Channel owners and editors can revisit titles, trimming and portrait layout in Clips Manager. Twitch's portrait editing update (opens in a new tab)
Preview the face camera, game action and captions at the size someone will actually watch. If the built-in layout cannot tell the story clearly, export through the available sharing tools and use an editor for a more deliberate cut.
Manage clips from your channel
Review who can create clips in your channel settings and check published clips in Creator Dashboard. Remove clips that disclose private information or present a moment misleadingly. Do not rely on a vague title to provide context that is missing from the video.
Before sharing elsewhere
Check the destination's current format requirements. A clip that fits Twitch's limit does not need shortening simply to fit the current three-minute Shorts limit, but it may still benefit from a tighter edit.
Review music and other third-party content before reposting. Copyright enforcement can differ by platform; a clip being available on Twitch does not mean you have rights to publish every part of it elsewhere.
Choose a publishing rhythm you can sustain and compare results across your own clips. A clear moment and accurate title are better starting points than a promise that every short edit will outperform a longer one.
Platform facts checked on 1 November 2026.