Animated emotes are one of the most popular subscriber perks on Twitch. They are also the easiest to get wrong: one GIF that's too heavy or too flashy and the uploader or reviewers will reject it. Here's how to make one that passes first time.
Animated emote requirements
According to Twitch's help pages, an animated emote must be:
- a GIF
- square (same width and height)
- no more than 60 frames
- free of rapid flashing: it must not flash or flicker more than 3 times in one second
File sizes depend on how you upload:
| Upload mode | What you upload | Max file size |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-resize | one GIF, 112×112 to 4096×4096 px | 1MB |
| Manual | three GIFs: 112, 56 and 28 px | 512KB each |
The first frame becomes the emote's still thumbnail. If your first frame doesn't work as a still, upload a custom static image instead (it follows the normal emote requirements).
The quick way: Easy Animate
If you already have a static emote, Twitch's Easy Animate can animate it for you. Upload a square, non-animated PNG between 112×112 and 4096×4096 pixels (up to 1MB), then pick an animation:
- Shake
- Rave
- Roll
- Spin
- Slide In
- Slide Out
It's a fast way to fill animated slots, but every channel gets the same six effects. For something unique, make your own GIF.
Make your own animated emote, step by step
- Design big. Draw frames at 512×512 pixels or more on a transparent background. You'll scale down later.
- Keep the loop short. Simple motions — a bounce, a blink, a wave — read best in chat and keep the frame count low. Stay well under 60 frames.
- Avoid flashing. Fast colour changes or strobing can break the 3-flashes-per-second rule. Keep motion smooth.
- Export as GIF. Use your drawing or animation app's GIF export with a transparent background.
- Resize to 112, 56 and 28 pixels. Drop the GIF into our Twitch Emote Resizer. It resizes every frame, keeps your original frame timing, and shows each size in a mock Twitch chat so you can check the motion at real size.
- Fix anything over 512KB. If a size is too heavy, the resizer flags it. One click reduces colours and drops frames until it fits.
- Upload in manual mode (see how to upload emotes to Twitch), or upload the largest GIF with auto-resize.
Tips for smooth, small GIFs
- Fewer colours, smaller file. GIFs store a palette of up to 256 colours; flat colours compress far better than gradients.
- Fewer frames, smaller file. Halving the frame count roughly halves the size. Many great emotes use 8–20 frames.
- Mind the edges. GIF transparency is on or off, so soft edges can look jagged on light chat. A solid outline hides this — use Outline in the resizer.
- Check at 28 pixels. Small, fast movements turn into flicker at chat size.
- Pixel art? Turn on Pixel art mode so scaling keeps hard pixel edges instead of blurring them.
Animated emote slots
Animated emotes use their own slots, which can't hold static emotes:
- Affiliates start with 5 animated emote slots and can unlock up to 20.
- Partners can earn up to 60 Tier 1 animated emote slots, plus 5 for Tier 2 and 5 for Tier 3.
- Using Twitch's Alerts on stream adds 2 extra Tier 1 animated slots for 60 days; the countdown resets each time you use them.
After upload, animated emotes go through the same review as static ones unless you're eligible for instant upload.
Sources
- Animated Emotes — Twitch Help
- Emote Formatting & Instant Emote Upload Requirements — Twitch Help
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for animated Twitch emotes?
A square GIF with no more than 60 frames that doesn't flash more than 3 times per second. Upload one GIF between 112×112 and 4096×4096 pixels (up to 1MB) for auto-resize, or three GIFs at 112, 56 and 28 pixels (up to 512KB each) in manual mode.
How many animated emote slots do I get?
Affiliates start with 5 animated emote slots and can unlock up to 20. Partners can earn up to 60 Tier 1 animated slots, plus 5 for Tier 2 and 5 for Tier 3. Using Twitch's Alerts adds 2 more Tier 1 animated slots for 60 days.
What is Easy Animate on Twitch?
Easy Animate applies a ready-made animation — Shake, Rave, Roll, Spin, Slide In or Slide Out — to a static PNG emote, so you can make an animated emote without creating a GIF.
How do I make my animated emote GIF smaller?
Use fewer frames, fewer colours and a smaller canvas. ImgWrench's resizer can automatically reduce colours and drop frames until each size fits Twitch's 512KB manual-mode limit.
Can viewers turn off animated emotes?
Yes. Viewers can switch off Emote Animations in their chat settings on the web or stream settings on Android.
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