How the Twitch sub count works
Twitch does not show how many subs a channel has. Streamers who want to show it run a sub goal, the progress bar on their channel page. A goal of the type Total subs counts every active sub, so while it runs its number is the channel's exact sub count. This page reads that number from Twitch every 3 seconds and shows it as it moves.
Sub goal types
Total subs counts every active sub, one per sub. Sub points count a Tier 1 sub as 1, Tier 2 as 2 and Tier 3 as 6. New subs and new sub points only count what came in since the goal started, so they are not a total; the page always says which kind it shows.
Subs in chat
Next to the goal, the page listens to the channel's chat the way a logged-out viewer does and counts every sub, resub and gifted sub announced there. A mass gift of 10 subs counts as 10, once. This works for every channel, with or without a goal, from the moment you open the page.
Why some channels show no total
Without a running Total subs or Sub points goal, Twitch keeps the sub count private: only the streamer sees it on their dashboard. Numbers on other sites for such channels are estimates. Here you get the chat count and, when there is one, the final number of the last sub goal with its date.
Put it on stream
Open a channel and use Put this count on your stream or site for an OBS link without ads. Running a subathon? The free subathon timer adds time for every sub, straight from chat.
