Add custom Twitch panels from your channel page, or install interactive panel extensions through the Extension Manager in your Creator Dashboard. Choose the type based on whether you want to share information and links or add an interactive application.
The short version
- Custom panels: Your channel page is the place to add panels linking to your other content.
- Extensions: Browse and install interactive applications from your dashboard’s Extension Manager.
- Limits: You can activate up to three panel extensions at once.
- Artwork: A panel image maker creates graphics rather than installing Twitch extensions.
Choose a panel type
Twitch is a live video platform whose roots are in gaming. Amazon announced its agreement to acquire Twitch Interactive in August 2014, but channel setup does not depend on audience size or a traffic ranking.
Custom panels can link visitors to your website, merchandise store, or streaming music. Interactive extensions serve a different purpose: they can display information, add games, or let viewers influence what happens during a stream.
Add custom channel panels
Open your own channel page on Twitch to add custom panels. Prepare the information or artwork you want visitors to see and choose the destination for each link, such as your website or music page.
Keep each panel’s purpose clear: a website panel should lead to your website, while a merchandise panel should lead to your store. Twitch’s channel setup advice for creators also recommends adding a schedule so viewers know when to return.
Install panel extensions
Open your Creator Dashboard and select Extensions to browse applications that integrate with your channel. Use the Extension Manager to choose and install an extension, then activate the one you want to use.
Twitch allows up to six active extensions: three panel extensions, two component extensions, and one overlay extension. A panel extension appears below the video player and remains active when your channel is offline, so consider what it offers visitors between broadcasts.
Match extensions to your stream
For audience participation, look for engagement extensions that add sounds, on-screen effects, or interactions with your game. Game extensions can show information such as statistics, builds, and match history, while schedule and countdown extensions tell viewers when you plan to stream.
Choose applications that answer a real viewer need rather than filling every available slot. Twitch cautions that too many moving parts can distract viewers, so a schedule and one relevant interactive panel may be enough for your channel.
Create panel artwork
Nerd or Die’s panel maker, as its page read in March 2026, offered a free tool with choices for colors, icons, font size, and panel text. Its design tool was intended to create panel graphics without separate image-editing software.
Treat that March 2026 offering as an artwork option, separate from the Extension Manager. The panel maker described image downloads; a downloaded graphic still serves as panel artwork rather than an interactive extension.
Updated October 2026: Separated custom panels from extensions, corrected extension limits, and dated the panel maker information. The original article was published in August 2020.
