Managing webinar breakout rooms

Breakout rooms allow you to split your Zoom Webinar in up to 200 separate breakout sessions. The webinar host or co-host can choose to split the attendees of the webinar into these separate sessions automatically or manually, or they can allow attendees to select and enter breakout sessions as they please. The host or co-host can switch between sessions at any time.

While webinar attendees are in a breakout room, they will have the same audio, video, and screen share capabilities as they would typically have in a Zoom Meeting. Upon returning to the main webinar session, they will return to the standard view- and listen-only webinar attendee role.

Requirements for managing webinar breakout rooms

Limitations of webinar breakout rooms

Table of Contents

How to create and start webinar breakout rooms

Windows | macOS | Linux
  1. Start a scheduled webinar.
  2. In the webinar controls toolbar, click More , then click Breakout Rooms .
  3. Select the number of rooms you want to create, and how you want to assign attendees to those rooms:
    • Create ( ) breakout room(s): Enter a number for how many breakout rooms to initially create. Additional breakout rooms can be added later.
    • Who’s included? Choose if Panelists and attendees are included in breakout room assignments, or Panelists only.
    • Panelist assignment: Choose if you want panelists assigned automatically, manually, or let them choose the room.
    • Attendee assignment: Choose if you want attendees assigned automatically or let them choose the room.
  4. Click Create.
    Your rooms will be created, but will not start automatically. You will have the ability to make adjustments to the breakout rooms as needed in the breakout room management pop-up window.
  5. Do any of the following:
    • Click Open All Rooms to open the breakout rooms now. All assigned attendees will be moved to their respective rooms after confirming the prompt to join the breakout room. If allowing attendees to choose their own room, they can open the list of rooms and choose which to join. The host or co-host that launched the breakouts and the original host will be left in the main webinar until manually joining one of the rooms.
    • Click Add a Room to add more rooms as needed.
    • Click Recreate to start over by deleting existing breakout rooms and creating new ones.
    • Click the gear icon to manage other breakout room options.
    • Assign attendees.
    • Rearrange and edit the rooms.
Android | iOS
  1. Sign in to the Zoom mobile app.
  2. Start a scheduled webinar.
  3. In the webinar controls toolbar, tap the More icon .
  4. Tap Breakout Rooms .
  5. Select the number of rooms you would like to create, and how you would like to assign your panelists and attendees to those rooms:
    • Number of breakout room(s): Enter a number for how many breakout rooms to initially create. Additional breakout rooms can be added.
    • Who’s included? Choose if Panelists and attendees are included in breakout room assignments, or just Panelists only.
    • Panelist assignment: Choose how panelists will be assigned: Assign automatically, Assign Manually, or Let panelists choose room.
    • Attendee assignment: Choose how attendees will be assigned: Assign automatically, Assign Manually, or Let attendees choose room.
  6. Tap Create.
    Your rooms will be created, but will not start automatically. You can manage the rooms prior to starting them.

How to customize webinar breakout rooms

Windows | macOS | Linux
  1. After creating the breakout rooms, in the lower-left corner, click the gear icon to view additional breakout rooms options.
  2. Select the check box for any option that you want to use for your breakout rooms:
    • Allow panelists to choose a room: Panelists can select and enter rooms on their own once rooms are launched.
    • Allow attendees to choose a room: Attendees can select and enter rooms on their own once rooms are launched.
    • Auto move assigned panelists into rooms: Moves all panelists and attendees into the breakout rooms automatically.
      If this option is unchecked, they must click Join to enter the breakout room.
    • Allow participants to return to the main session at any time: Panelists and attendees can move back to the main session from their webinar controls.
      If this is disabled, they need to wait for the host/co-host to end the breakout rooms.
    • Set room capacity per room: Allows the host or co-host to set a maximum number of users allowed to join each breakout room.
    • Breakout rooms close automatically after after ( ) minutes: Breakout rooms will automatically end after the specified number of minutes.
      • Notify me when the time is up: Warns the host when the breakout rooms are beginning to close.
    • Countdown after closing breakout rooms: Shows a countdown of how much time attendees have left before being returned to the main room.
  3. Assign participants to rooms or click Open All Rooms to start the breakout rooms.
Android | iOS
  1. After creating the breakout rooms, tap the ellipsis icon to view additional breakout rooms options.
  2. Tap Options.
  3. Check any options that you would like to use for your breakout rooms.
    • Panelists can choose room: Panelists can select and enter rooms on their own once rooms are launched.
    • Attendees can choose room: Attendees can select and enter rooms on their own once rooms are launched.
    • Auto-move assigned participants into rooms: Moves all panelists and attendees into the breakout rooms automatically.
      If this option is unchecked, they will need to click Join to be added to the breakout room.
    • Can return to the main session at any time: If this option is checked, the panelists and attendees can move back to the main session from their webinar controls.
      If this is disabled, they need to wait for the host/co-host to end the breakout rooms.
    • Set room capacity per room: Allows the host or co-host to set a maximum number of attendees allowed to join each breakout room.
    • Close breakout rooms after a certain time: Breakout rooms will automatically end after the specified number of minutes.
    • Countdown after closing breakout rooms: Shows a countdown of how much time attendees have left before being returned to the main room.
  4. Tap Done.

How to assign webinar attendees to breakout rooms

Windows | macOS | Linux

To assign attendees to your rooms, click Assign next to the room you want to assign attendees to and select the attendees you want to assign to that room. Repeat this process for each room.

Once an attendee is assigned (manually or automatically), the number of attendees will show in place of Assign.

Android | iOS

To assign attendees to your rooms, tap Assign next to the room you want to assign attendees to and select attendees you want to assign to that room. Repeat this for each room.

Once an attendee has been assigned (manually or automatically), the number of attendees will show next to Assign.

How to rearrange and edit breakout rooms

Windows | macOS | Linux

After manually or automatically assigning attendees to rooms, you can rearrange the attendees. Attendees who are not assigned to breakout sessions will remain in the main webinar (Unassigned) when the rooms are started.

Hover over the attendee or room for these options:

  • Move To or Assign To (attendee): Select a room to move the attendee to.
  • Exchange (attendee): Select a attendee in another room to swap the selected attendee with.
  • Pencil icon (room): Rename the room, then click Yes to confirm changes.
  • Trash icon (room): Delete the selected room, then click Yes to confirm changes.
Android | iOS

After manually or automatically assigning attendees to rooms, you can rearrange the attendees. Attendees who are not assigned to breakout sessions will remain in the main webinar when the rooms are started.

Next to each room and attendee or room, the following options are provided:

  • Breakout rooms
    • Rename : Tap this to edit the name of the breakout room.
    • Delete : Tap to delete the breakout room.
  • Users
    • Move to : Tap to move the given attendee to another selected room.
    • Exchange: Tap to exchange the selected attendee for an attendee assigned to another room.

The host and co-host can also create additional rooms and recreate breakout rooms.

  1. After creating the breakout rooms, tap the ellipsis icon to view additional breakout rooms options.
  2. Tap Options.
  3. Choose from the following options:
    • Recreate: Deletes existing breakout rooms and allows the host/co-host to create new ones.
    • Add a Room: Add another breakout room.

How to manage breakout rooms in progress

Windows | macOS | Linux

Once the breakout rooms are started, the assigned attendees will be asked to join the breakout session. The host, or co-host that launched the breakouts and the original host, will stay in the main webinar until joining a room manually.

The Breakout Rooms window will split into two tabs, one listing the open breakout rooms and their attendees and the other listing all total attendees. If there are 7 or more attendees, a search tool will appear. If an assigned attendee has not joined a breakout room yet, it will be noted by (not joined) next to their name. Unassigned attendees will be listed under the Unassigned category.

The following options can appear in the breakout rooms window after breakout rooms are opened:

  • Pencil icon : Rename the room, then click Yes to confirm changes.
  • Trash icon : Delete the selected room, then click Yes to confirm changes.
    Note: If you delete a room with attendees in it, those attendees will be removed, brought into the main webinar, and be listed in the Unassigned category.
  • Join: Join the breakout room.
  • Leave Room: Leave the room and return to the main webinar (only shows when in a breakout room).
  • Broadcast Message to All: Allows the host to send a message or broadcast mic audio to all breakout rooms.
    Note: This must be enabled in your Breakout Room settings.
  • Add Room: Create an additional breakout room.
  • Close All Rooms: Stops all rooms after a 60 second countdown, which is shown to the host, co-hosts, and attendees, and returns all attendees to the main webinar.

Upon hover, each attendee will have the following options available:

  • Assign To: Only available for unassigned attendees, allows the host or co-host to assign the attendee to a room.
  • Move To: Click to move an attendee to another available breakout room. All breakouts will be listed, each with their current number of attendees.

Note: If an attendee is listed as assigned to a room, but they are grayed out, then they have not yet joined the breakout session.

Android | iOS

Once the breakout rooms have been started, the assigned attendees will be asked to join the breakout session. The host, or co-host that launched the breakouts and the original host, will stay in the main webinar until joining a room manually.

The Breakout Rooms window will split into two tabs, one listing the open breakout rooms and their attendees and the other listing all total attendees. If there are 7 or more attendees, a search tool will appear. If an assigned attendee has not joined a breakout room yet, it will be noted by (not joined) next to their name. Unassigned attendees will be listed under the Unassigned category.

The following options are available in the breakout rooms window:

  • Join: Join the breakout room.
  • Leave: Leave the room and return to the main webinar (only shows when in a breakout room).
  • Broadcast: (Host and co-hosts) Abilities to send a message or broadcast mic audio to all breakout rooms.
    Note: This must be enabled in your Breakout Room settings.
  • Close All Rooms: Stops all rooms after a 60 second countdown, which is shown to the host, co-hosts, and attendees, and returns all attendees back to the main webinar.

Upon hover, each attendee will have the following options available:

  • Assign To : Only available for unassigned attendees, this allows the host or co-host to assign the attendee to a room.
  • Exchange: Tap to exchange the selected attendee for an attendee assigned to another room.