How to Delete Past Broadcasts on Twitch: Complete Guide

Managing your past broadcasts on Twitch is a critical part of maintaining a professional streaming presence. Whether you are cleaning up outdated content, addressing a mistake, or preparing for a new series, knowing how to delete past broadcasts ensures you keep your channel polished and relevant. While VODs (Video on Demand) are saved automatically by Twitch for highlights, past broadcasts are the live streams you aired previously and must be handled with specific steps.

Understanding Past Broadcasts vs. VODs

Before diving into the deletion process, it is essential to distinguish between past broadcasts and VODs to avoid accidentally removing valuable content. Past broadcasts are streams you went live with while not in Schedule Mode, which are not automatically saved and exist only for a short window unless manually saved. In contrast, VODs are automatically created for any past broadcast you enabled saving for, or for scheduled streams, and they remain available until you manually delete them or they hit the storage limit. Confusing these two can lead to losing highlights, so always verify which version of the stream you are looking at in your past broadcasts archive.

Accessing Your Broadcasts Page

To begin the deletion process, you must navigate to your dashboard and locate the correct menu. The interface is designed to organize your content, but it requires careful navigation to find the specific broadcast you want to remove. Follow these steps to access the management panel where deletion is possible.

Steps to open the menu

• Log in to your Twitch account and ensure you are the channel owner or have Manager permissions.
• Click on your profile icon in the top right corner of the dashboard.
• Select "Creator Dashboard" from the dropdown menu to load the main control panel.

Navigation path

• Once the dashboard loads, look for the "Content" section in the left-hand sidebar.
• Click on "Past Broadcasts" rather than "Highlights" or "Videos" to filter specifically for your live broadcast history.

The Deletion Process Step-by-Step

Once you are inside the Past Broadcasts menu, you will see a list of your available streams. Deleting a broadcast is irreversible, so Twitch requires you to confirm multiple steps to ensure you intend to remove the data. This security measure prevents accidental loss of content.

Locate the broadcast you wish to delete from the list. Note that the list usually defaults to showing the most recent broadcasts first. If you do not see the specific broadcast you are looking for, ensure the date range filter is set correctly or check the "All Broadcasts" option if available. The interface displays the title, date, and duration of each stream to help you identify the correct one.

Initiating the delete command

To delete a past broadcast, click on the three-dot menu icon (often represented as "⋮" or "More") adjacent to the specific stream entry. A dropdown menu will appear with options related to that broadcast. Select "Delete Past Broadcast" to proceed. Twitch will typically require you to confirm this action by typing the name of the broadcast or confirming a popup, emphasizing the permanence of the action.

Best Practices and Considerations

Deleting content should not be done on a whim, as it affects your channel's history and potential revisit value. Before you click delete, consider if a backup or edit is a better option. If the broadcast contains moments you want to keep, creating a highlight is a smarter move than permanent deletion. This preserves the positive content while removing the negative or outdated segments.

Additionally, be aware of your community's expectations. If a past broadcast is part of a notable event or collaboration, deleting it might confuse viewers who are trying to find that specific content. Use the deletion feature judiciously and primarily for personal archiving cleanup rather than erasing significant community milestones unless absolutely necessary.