Raiding isn't just a button you click. It’s basically the digital equivalent of a chaotic after-party where you drag all your friends to someone else's house without calling first. On Kick, the stakes feel a bit different than they did on Twitch or Mixer. The community is still finding its feet, and honestly, the culture is way more raw. If you're trying to figure out how to raid on kick, you aren’t just looking for the command. You're looking for the etiquette that keeps you from looking like a total amateur in front of a potential new networking partner.
People get this wrong constantly. They treat a raid like a dump—just dropping viewers and dipping out to go grab a sandwich. That’s how you get ignored.
The Literal Mechanics of a Kick Raid
Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way first because if you mess up the syntax, nothing else matters. Kick uses a command system that feels very familiar if you've spent even five minutes in a streaming chat over the last decade. To start the process, you just need to type /raid [username] into your own chat.
You don't need to include the brackets. Just the name.
Once you hit enter, a countdown begins. This is your window. This is where you actually talk to your community and tell them why you’re sending them to this specific person. If you just sit there in silence while the bar fills up, you're losing the momentum. Kick's interface will show a "Raid Now" button once the timer ends. If you don't click it, the raid won't actually trigger automatically in some browser versions, so keep your mouse ready.
It's worth noting that Kick's backend can be a bit finicky compared to legacy platforms. Sometimes the "Raid Now" button stays grayed out for a few extra seconds. Don't panic. It’s just the site catching up. If it fails entirely, which happens maybe one out of twenty times during high-traffic events, you’ll have to manually tell your viewers to head over. But usually, the /raid command handles the heavy lifting.
Why Your Raid Strategy Probably Sucks Right Now
Most streamers raid up. They see someone with 500 viewers and think, "Hey, if I raid them with my 10 viewers, they'll surely notice me and we'll become best friends."
Spoiler: They won't.
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Raiding up is fine occasionally, but it rarely builds a connection. The real magic of knowing how to raid on kick is raiding "sideways." You find someone with a similar viewer count, similar vibe, and a similar schedule. When you raid someone at your level, you aren't just a number in their activity feed. You're a peer.
Think about the psychology here. If a streamer with 2,000 viewers gets a raid of 15 people, it’s a nice gesture, but it doesn’t change their night. If a streamer with 12 viewers gets a raid of 15 people, you just doubled their audience. You just made their entire week. That person is going to remember your name, they’re going to shout you out, and they’re likely going to return the favor next time they wrap up.
Also, stop raiding people who are playing completely different genres. If you've been playing Escape from Tarkov for six hours and you raid a streamer who is currently doing a cozy "Just Chatting" stream about crochet, your viewers are going to leave immediately. There is zero "viewer retention" in that move. You want to bridge the gap. Send your tactical shooter fans to another shooter fan. Send your slots viewers to another slots streamer. Keep the energy consistent or you’re just raiding an empty room.
Setting Up Your "Raid Call"
You need a brand. Not a corporate brand, but a "we’re here" signal. Before you click that final button, tell your chat what to post.
On Twitch, people have "Global Emotes." On Kick, things are a bit more localized and wild. You want a specific phrase or a custom emote that your community spams the second they land in the new chat. Something like "[YourName] Crew is Here!" or a specific inside joke. This creates a "wall of text" effect that alerts the host that a raid has actually happened.
Kick’s notification system for raids is, let’s be real, a little inconsistent. Sometimes the alert doesn't pop up on the streamer’s OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) immediately. If your chat doesn't spam, the host might not even realize you’re there for a good three or four minutes. That’s dead air. That kills the vibe.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Raiding and Ghosting: Don't just send the raid and turn off your PC. Stay in the target chat for at least ten minutes. Talk. Engage. Be a human being.
- The "Check Me Out" Raid: Never, ever raid someone and then immediately mention that you're close to a follower goal or that you're streaming again tomorrow. It’s tacky. It’s "self-promo" disguised as a gift.
- Ignoring the Vibe Check: Look at the target stream for thirty seconds before you send the raid. Are they crying? Are they in the middle of a serious vent session? Are they AFK? Raiding someone who is currently in a heated argument with their moderator is a recipe for disaster.
The Ethics of Receiving a Raid
Knowing how to raid on kick also involves knowing how to receive one. When that notification hits, your job is to pivot. Stop what you’re doing. Even if you're in the middle of a 1v1 in Warzone, acknowledge the raider as soon as humanly possible.
The first thing you should do is shout out the streamer. Kick doesn't have a native "Shout Out" command that creates a fancy pop-up for everyone yet (though some third-party bots like BotRix do). You should manually thank the streamer by name. "Yo, [Name], thank you so much for the 40 people! How was the stream? What were you guys playing?"
This is the "Social Contract" of streaming. They gave you their audience; you give them a moment of your spotlight. If you have a moderator, they should be dropping a link to the raider’s channel immediately.
Using Bots to Automate the Process
If you want to be professional about this, you shouldn't rely on Kick's bare-bones native tools. Most serious Kick streamers use BotRix. It’s pretty much the industry standard for the platform right now.
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Within BotRix, you can set up "Raid Alerts" that play a specific video or sound when someone raids you. This is crucial because, as mentioned, Kick's native notifications can be buggy. A loud, custom alert ensures you never miss a raid, even if you’re focused on your game.
You can also set up a "Thank You" message that the bot automatically posts in chat. However, don't let the bot do all the work. A bot saying "Thanks for the raid!" is cold. You saying it with actual enthusiasm is what gets those new viewers to hit the follow button.
Survival of the Funniest
Kick is a younger, more "Wild West" version of the streaming world. The humor is edgier, the interactions are more direct, and the growth can be explosive if you play your cards right. Raiding is your primary tool for networking on this platform. Since there isn't a massive "Discovery" feed that works as well as TikTok's, you have to find your own audience by tapping into others.
I've seen streamers go from 5 average viewers to 50 in a month just by being the "best raider" in their category. They weren't the best players. They weren't the most beautiful people. They were just the ones who consistently brought good energy to other people's chats.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Stream
Don't just read this and forget it. Next time you go live, have a plan for the "Outro."
- Shortlist three targets: Before you even start your stream, find three people who are likely to be live when you finish. Check their viewer counts. Make sure they aren't "Viewbotting" (if their chat is dead but they have 500 viewers, skip them).
- Prep your chat: Five minutes before you end, tell your viewers who you're raiding and why. "We're going to see Sarah, she's trying to beat this boss for the third hour straight, let's go give her some hype."
- Execute the command:
/raid [username]. - The 10-Minute Rule: Once the raid lands, stay. Participate in their chat. Use your emotes. Be the hype man you want others to be for you.
- Follow Up: The next day, send that streamer a quick DM on Discord or X (Twitter). "Hey, loved the vibe last night, catch you later!"
That’s how you actually grow. It isn't about the technology; it's about the relationship. Kick gives you the platform, but the raid is the handshake. Make it count.