diff --git a/src/utils/twitch-server.test.ts b/src/utils/twitch-server.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7333644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/twitch-server.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { getVodWithMarkers } from "./twitch-server";
+
+// The creator has signed in before, so Clerk has their Twitch token
+vi.mock("@clerk/nextjs/server", () => ({
+  clerkClient: async () => ({
+    users: {
+      getUserList: async () => ({ data: [{ id: "creator" }] }),
+      getUserOauthAccessToken: async () => ({
+        data: [{ token: "creator-token" }],
+      }),
+    },
+  }),
+}));
+
+const vod = {
+  created_at: "2026-09-24T00:00:00Z",
+  duration: "1h0m0s",
+  user_login: "creator",
+};
+
+// Stubs the videos request, then the markers request
+const stubTwitch = (markersResponse: Response) =>
+  vi.stubGlobal(
+    "fetch",
+    vi
+      .fn()
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(Response.json({ data: [vod] }))
+      .mockResolvedValueOnce(markersResponse)
+  );
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.unstubAllGlobals();
+});
+
+describe("getVodWithMarkers", () => {
+  it("throws when the markers request fails", async () => {
+    stubTwitch(
+      Response.json({ error: "Unauthorized", status: 401 }, { status: 401 })
+    );
+
+    await expect(getVodWithMarkers("123", "viewer-token")).rejects.toThrow(
+      "Twitch markers request failed: 401"
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("gives no markers when Twitch sends an empty videos list", async () => {
+    stubTwitch(Response.json({ data: [{ videos: [] }] }));
+
+    await expect(getVodWithMarkers("123", "viewer-token")).resolves.toEqual({
+      ...vod,
+      markers: [],
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/utils/twitch-server.ts b/src/utils/twitch-server.ts
index 5fb5577..d91ad7c 100644
--- a/src/utils/twitch-server.ts
+++ b/src/utils/twitch-server.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export type VOD = {
   duration: string;
 };
 
-// Used for vod markers
+// Used for VOD markers and the live topic embed
 const getValidTokenForCreator = async (creatorName: string) => {
   // Get token for the input displayName IF THEY HAVE SIGNED IN BEFORE
   const clerk = await clerkClient();
@@ -49,8 +49,6 @@ const getValidTokenForCreator = async (creatorName: string) => {
 
   const creatorFoundInClerk = response.data[0];
 
-  console.log("found in clerk?", creatorFoundInClerk);
-
   // Early escape if we don't find this user in Clerk
   if (!creatorFoundInClerk) {
     throw new Error("User not found in Clerk");
@@ -59,6 +57,9 @@ const getValidTokenForCreator = async (creatorName: string) => {
   return await getTwitchTokenFromClerk(creatorFoundInClerk.id);
 };
 
+// Loads a VOD and its markers. Markers are read with the creator's stored
+// token, so any signed-in user can view a connected creator's markers.
+// Throws on Twitch errors, so a failed request is not read as "no markers".
 export const getVodWithMarkers = async (vodId: string, token: string) => {
   const vodResponse = await fetch(
     `https://api.twitch.tv/helix/videos?id=${vodId}`,
@@ -69,16 +70,18 @@ export const getVodWithMarkers = async (vodId: string, token: string) => {
       cache: "no-store",
     }
   );
-  console.log("VOD RESPONSE", vodResponse.status);
-
-  const vodData = await vodResponse.json();
-  console.log("VOD DATA", vodData);
+  if (!vodResponse.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`Twitch videos request failed: ${vodResponse.status}`);
+  }
 
-  const creatorName = vodData?.data?.[0]?.user_login;
+  const vodData = (await vodResponse.json()) as {
+    data?: (Omit<VOD, "markers"> & { user_login: string })[];
+  };
+  const vod = vodData.data?.[0];
 
-  if (!creatorName) throw new Error("could not find vod data or user login");
+  if (!vod) throw new Error("could not find vod data or user login");
 
-  const tokenForMarkers = await getValidTokenForCreator(creatorName);
+  const tokenForMarkers = await getValidTokenForCreator(vod.user_login);
 
   const markersResponse = await fetch(
     `https://api.twitch.tv/helix/streams/markers?video_id=${vodId}&first=100`,
@@ -88,15 +91,14 @@ export const getVodWithMarkers = async (vodId: string, token: string) => {
       next: { revalidate: 60 },
     }
   );
+  if (!markersResponse.ok) {
+    throw new Error(`Twitch markers request failed: ${markersResponse.status}`);
+  }
 
-  console.log("MARKER RESPONSE", markersResponse.status);
-
-  const markersData = await markersResponse.json();
-  console.log("MARKER DATA", markersData);
-
-  const markers = markersData?.data?.[0]?.videos?.[0]["markers"] ?? [];
+  const markersData = (await markersResponse.json()) as TwitchMarkersResponse;
+  const markers = markersData.data?.[0]?.videos?.[0]?.markers ?? [];
 
-  return { ...vodData?.data?.[0], markers } as VOD;
+  return { ...vod, markers };
 };
 
 export const getTwitchTokenFromClerk = async (clerkUserId: string) => {