Hold Links for Review by Mods

Twitch has launched Hold Hyperlinks for Review feature for channels. Toggling it off (default) means all links are posted to chat, while toggling it on lets moderators verify the link before it is posted. There no longer appears to be a way to disable all links from being posted.

This is an updated version of the story I shared last week. You can check out the conversation about that on Twitter, Bluesky, or Threads.

Context:

For years, the only option to control links in chat was to add the URL to your blocked terms, or block ALL links in chat (except ones posted by you, moderators, admins, and VIPs). This new setting offers a better middle ground for communities, allowing links to be posted liberally - but hidden from the general public until reviewed (and allowed) by a channel moderator.

Third-party modbots have historically filled the middle ground here by allowing links to be shared in chat, but unless you were granted a !permit command from the streamer or moderator, your post was removed (and you were timed out for 1 second).

My Thoughts:

This is a good addition. It's been requested for a long time - now is better than never. If you're a creator, it's worth enabling this setting when it launches (and turning off the purge in your third-party modbots). Though I think it's a minor mistake to remove the option to block ALL links.