What is a ping? Introducing fanping
TL;DR
A ping is a short announcement from a creator to their community through fanping, delivered to connected Discord channels, the fanping app, or both. Creators use pings before a stream, when they go live, and afterwards.
- Add a countdown so fans know when the stream starts.
- Include a poll, voucher drop or link to give fans something to act on.
- Connect Twitch, Kick or YouTube for automatic go-live pings.
- Share a recap or VOD after the stream.
I often discovered streams by chance, hours after they had started. That frustration was the starting point for fanping. A ping is a short announcement from a creator to their fans, sent through Discord, the fanping app, or both. With fanping, creators can send pings before a stream, at go-live and afterwards.
Why fanping exists
I kept missing streams I wanted to watch. Sometimes I found out someone was live by chance. By then, they had already been streaming for hours. I also noticed streams ending just as the audience seemed to have finally gathered.
I wanted to hear about a stream before I had already missed most of it.
A follow alone does not settle that. In its December 2025 notification update, Twitch explains that its "Personalized" setting selects notifications based on viewing activity and responses to earlier notifications. Viewers can choose "Always" instead. That setting is worth knowing about, even if you never use fanping.
Our mission is to help creators bring their fans together around a stream, before it starts, when it goes live, and after it ends, wherever their community follows them. With fanping, that means pings in connected Discord channels and the fanping app.
A ping before, at go-live and afterwards
A ping is a short announcement from a creator to their community through fanping. It can tell someone when to turn up, give them something to vote on, or point them to the recording they missed.
Imagine you are planning an evening stream. You send a ping with the start time and a countdown. A fan who sees it before dinner can decide whether to watch later. If your plans change, another ping can carry the new time.
When you go live, your connected Twitch, Kick or YouTube account triggers the automatic go-live ping. It carries the stream link to the destinations you have configured. You can get on with the broadcast.
Afterwards, send a recap with the VOD link. Someone who could not make the live session still has somewhere to go. You do not need to send all of these for every stream. A routine session might only need the automatic announcement.
What a ping can carry
The message can give fans something to do before the stream even starts.
Add a poll when you want the community to choose what to play next. Fans can vote in the app or on Discord, and you can see the result in your dashboard. You can use the result to plan the stream.
A voucher drop lets you attach codes for fans to claim. Use it when you have an actual offer to share; claims are counted. A countdown shows how long until the stream starts. Times written into a ping can be displayed in the viewer's local time, so fans do not have to translate your schedule themselves.
A saved link can take someone to your VOD, shop or Discord server. You can also attach a link or voucher drop to recurring automatic go-live pings, rather than preparing the same addition each time. Available interactions depend on where the ping is displayed.
Where your community gets the ping
If your community already gathers in Discord, start there. Connect your server and choose the channels where announcements should appear. Fans can read those posts and open the stream without installing the fanping app. The Discord bot setup and features explain that route in more detail.
The free fanping app gives fans another place to follow you on iOS or Android. They open your fanping link or scan your QR code, choose to follow you and allow notifications. They can get started without an email address or password. App followers choose their creators and can set Quiet Hours or unfollow.
A Discord post still depends on Discord notification settings for an alert; an app ping depends on phone permissions and settings. Neither means a fan is free to watch. The difference between following and showing up matters here: a ping gives someone the information to make that choice.
Start with your next stream
This is our first public release, version 1.0.
fanping is publicly available, including the iOS and Android apps. Creators use the web dashboard to connect a streaming platform and choose where pings go. You can start with Discord, app followers, or both.
Open the creator setup and plan details, connect your platform and enable automatic go-live pings. Then choose your Discord channels or share your fanping link with your viewers. Fans can find the free app and following instructions on the fan page.
For your next stream, send a ping with something your fans need to know. A start time is enough.