# Twitch API: List top categories

> Lists Twitch games and categories ranked by current live viewers, with content tags, box art and category links.

Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Twitch.

- Page: https://fous.com/methods/twitch.tv/list-top-categories
- Method: `twitch.tv/list_top_categories`, version 1
- Website: twitch.tv
- Returns: rank, category name, live viewers, tags, box art, category link, category ID
- Effect: read (it gets data and changes nothing)
- Sign-in: none needed
- Cost: 1 credit per completed run (1¢ with pay as you go); failed runs are free
- Verified: Nov 2, 2026

## Inputs

| Field | Type | Required | In the run below | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| `max_results` | integer | no |  | Maximum number of categories to return, for example 25. Default 25. |

## Output

From a run on Oct 23, 2026, shortened. Its input:

```json
{}
```

Its output:

```json
{
  "categories": [
    {
      "rank": 1,
      "tags": [
        "IRL"
      ],
      "category_id": "509658",
      "category_link": "https://www.twitch.tv/directory/category/just-chatting",
      "category_name": "Just Chatting",
      "box_art_image_link": "https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/509658-300x400.jpg",
      "current_live_viewers": 184103
    },
    {
      "rank": 2,
      "tags": [
        "RPG",
        "Strategy",
        "MOBA"
      ],
      "category_id": "21779",
      "category_link": "https://www.twitch.tv/directory/category/league-of-legends",
      "category_name": "League of Legends",
      "box_art_image_link": "https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/21779-300x400.jpg",
      "current_live_viewers": 99782
    },
    {
      "rank": 3,
      "tags": [
        "Strategy",
        "MOBA",
        "Action"
      ],
      "category_id": "29595",
      "category_link": "https://www.twitch.tv/directory/category/dota-2",
      "category_name": "Dota 2",
      "box_art_image_link": "https://static-cdn.jtvnw.net/ttv-boxart/29595-300x400.jpg",
      "current_live_viewers": 59910
    }
  ]
}
```

## Run it

From code, with a Fous API key in `FOUS_API_KEY`; the answer's `data` holds the output:

```bash
curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"method":"twitch.tv/list_top_categories","input":{}}'
```

From an AI agent connected to the Fous MCP server: its `run` with the same method and input. To connect one, give it `set up https://fous.com/SKILL.md`.

## Ask your agent

- What are the top 25 most watched games on Twitch right now by live viewers?
- Show me the current top categories ranked by viewer count, with their tags and box art
- I need a ranked list of the 10 biggest Twitch categories at the moment, including category links and IDs
- Which games have the most live viewers on twitch.tv today? Give me the top 50
- Pull the leading streaming categories by current audience, with rank, viewer numbers and box art images

## Input schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [],
  "properties": {
    "max_results": {
      "type": "integer",
      "default": 25,
      "maximum": 100,
      "minimum": 1,
      "description": "Maximum number of categories to return, for example 25."
    }
  }
}
```

## Output schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "categories"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "categories": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "object",
        "required": [
          "rank",
          "category_name",
          "current_live_viewers",
          "tags",
          "box_art_image_link",
          "category_link",
          "category_id"
        ],
        "properties": {
          "rank": {
            "type": "integer",
            "description": "Position by live viewers, highest first."
          },
          "tags": {
            "type": [
              "array",
              "null"
            ],
            "items": {
              "type": "string"
            },
            "description": "Category content tags."
          },
          "category_id": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Twitch category ID."
          },
          "category_link": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Twitch category page link."
          },
          "category_name": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Name of the game or category."
          },
          "box_art_image_link": {
            "type": [
              "string",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "Box art image link."
          },
          "current_live_viewers": {
            "type": [
              "integer",
              "null"
            ],
            "description": "People watching the category live now."
          }
        },
        "additionalProperties": false
      },
      "description": "Top categories in descending viewer order."
    }
  },
  "additionalProperties": false
}
```

## See more

- [Twitch API: List top streams](https://fous.com/methods/twitch.tv/list-top-streams.md): Lists the most-watched live Twitch streams, optionally within a category and language. All-category results are limited to 30 streams; category results allow up to 100.
- [Twitch API: List channel videos](https://fous.com/methods/twitch.tv/list-channel-videos.md): Lists a Twitch channel's public past broadcasts or highlights by date, or its top clips by views for a chosen period. Returns up to 100 items; clips unavailable to anonymous viewers are not included.
- [Twitch API: Get a channel](https://fous.com/methods/twitch.tv/get-channel.md): Looks up a public Twitch channel by name, display name or channel link and returns its profile, live status and up to 10 recent broadcast videos.
- [Twitch API: Get channel stream schedule](https://fous.com/methods/twitch.tv/get-stream-schedule.md): Returns a Twitch channel's public upcoming stream schedule for the next 1 to 30 days, with start and end times, titles, categories and cancellations.
- [Kick API: List live streams](https://fous.com/methods/kick.com/list-live-streams.md): Lists the most-watched live Kick streams right now, optionally in one category and language, sorted by current viewers.
- [Similarweb API: List top websites](https://fous.com/methods/similarweb.com/list-top-websites.md): Lists Similarweb's most visited websites for a category and country, with rankings and engagement figures for the reported month. Anonymous view limits may restrict results, especially for country rankings.
- [Bilibili API: List popular videos](https://fous.com/methods/bilibili.com/list-popular-videos.md): Lists the current Bilibili ranking overall or in a selected category, in rank order. The Movies ranking does not provide uploader, likes, length or BV numbers.
- [CoinGecko API: List crypto categories](https://fous.com/methods/coingecko.com/list-crypto-categories.md): Lists CoinGecko crypto sectors by market cap with daily change, volume, leading coins and category pages, optionally filtered by name or link.
- [All Twitch methods](https://fous.com/methods/twitch.tv.md)