Managing webinar attendees and panelists

As a host, managing your attendees and panelists effectively is crucial for a seamless and engaging webinar. You can manage both panelists and attendees with the Participants icon

in your host controls. This feature includes, but is not limited to:

Prerequisites for managing webinar attendees and panelists

How to manage panelists in the participants panel

Feature	Description
Mute Ask to unmute	Mute a panelist if they're unmuted, or prompt them to unmute. Note: The panelist must accept the prompt before the system can unmute them.
Chat	Opens a chat window that allows you to send messages directly to the selected participant.
Lower hand	Lower the participant's hand. Once lowered, their position in the queue will move down after others with raised hands.
Ask to start video Stop video	Stop the panelist's video or request they turn it on.
Pin	Pin the video of the selected participant.
Make host	Assign the panelist to be the host. Note: There can only be one host.
Make co-host Withdraw co-host permission	Assign the panelist as a co-host. You can have unlimited co-hosts.
Change role to attendee	Change the panelist's role to an attendee. Note: If you demote a panelist to an attendee, their join link is removed from the web. For recurring webinars, the change will apply to all occurrences. If you promote them back to a panelist, their panelist join link is re-added to the web.
Rename	Change the displayed name of the panelist. Note: To change your own display name, hover over your name in the participants list and click Rename. This change is only for the current webinar. For a permanent change, update your name in your profile.
Speaking language	Select the speaking language for the webinar panelists to ensure accurate automated captions.
Change panelist appearance	Change the panelist's name tag, virtual background, and other details related to your webinar branding.
Allow to multi-pin	Allows the panelist to pin up to 9 videos within their webinar view.
Put on hold Take off hold	Place or remove a panelist from hold. Note: When a panelist is on hold, they won't hear, see, or share anything. Their screen will display, Please wait, the meeting host will let you in soon, along with the webinar name and date.
Remove	Remove the panelist from the webinar. They can’t rejoin unless you allow it.
Report	Flag panelists for inappropriate behavior.
Assign to type closed captions	Assign the panelist to provide closed captions during the webinar.
Allow to record local files Remove permission to record local files	Grant or revoke a panelist's ability to start or stop webinar computer recordings. Note: Panelists don’t have access to start a cloud recording.

Additional options for panelists

Feature	Description
Invite	Allows you to invite others to join your meeting.
Mute all	Mute all panelists and attendees who are allowed to speak.
More	Click More to access these options: Ask all to Unmute: Send a prompt to unmute all panelists and attendees who you have given permission to talk. The attendees without permission to talk will remain muted. Lower all panelists' hands: Lowers the hands of all panelists with their hands raised. Enable reactions: Turn webinar reactions on or off. Mute panelists upon entry: Upon entry, mute all new panelists. A dialog box will prompt you to choose whether they can unmute themselves. Note: Attendees are automatically muted upon joining and can’t unmute unless promoted to panelist or you allow them to talk. Play join and leave sound: Play a chime whenever a new panelist or attendee joins or leaves the webinar. Play chat messages and raise hand sound: Play a chime for new chat messages or when a participant raises their hand. Lock webinar: Prevent new panelists or attendees from joining the webinar until you unlock it. Enable Q&A: Turn webinar Q and A on or off. Hide profile pictures: Hides the profile pictures used by panelists and displays their initials instead. Visible only when the panelist's video is off during the webinar. Allow panelists to: Unmute themselves: Enables panelists to unmute themselves. Rename: Panelists can rename themselves in the webinar. Start video: Allow panelists to start their video if they want. Unchecking this option won’t stop the video feed of any panelist already on. Allow attendees to: Raise hand: Allow attendees to raise their hand in the webinar. View participant count: Allow attendees to see how many panelists and attendees are in the webinar. The number of panelists, including the host, appears at the top-left corner of their screen. Attendee view: Follow host’s view: Webinar attendees will switch to the view you set. Speaker: Webinar attendees are switched to speaker view. Gallery: Webinar attendees are switched to gallery view.

Feature

Description

Invite

Allows you to invite others to join your meeting.

Mute all

Mute all panelists and attendees who are allowed to speak.

More

Click More to access these options:

Ask all to Unmute: Send a prompt to unmute all panelists and attendees who you have given permission to talk. The attendees without permission to talk will remain muted.
Lower all panelists' hands: Lowers the hands of all panelists with their hands raised.
Enable reactions: Turn webinar reactions on or off.
Mute panelists upon entry: Upon entry, mute all new panelists. A dialog box will prompt you to choose whether they can unmute themselves.

Note: Attendees are automatically muted upon joining and can’t unmute unless promoted to panelist or you allow them to talk.
Play join and leave sound: Play a chime whenever a new panelist or attendee joins or leaves the webinar.
Play chat messages and raise hand sound: Play a chime for new chat messages or when a participant raises their hand.
Lock webinar: Prevent new panelists or attendees from joining the webinar until you unlock it.
Enable Q&A: Turn webinar Q and A on or off.
Hide profile pictures: Hides the profile pictures used by panelists and displays their initials instead. Visible only when the panelist's video is off during the webinar.
Allow panelists to:
- Unmute themselves: Enables panelists to unmute themselves.
- Rename: Panelists can rename themselves in the webinar.
- Start video: Allow panelists to start their video if they want. Unchecking this option won’t stop the video feed of any panelist already on.
Allow attendees to:
- Raise hand: Allow attendees to raise their hand in the webinar.
- View participant count: Allow attendees to see how many panelists and attendees are in the webinar. The number of panelists, including the host, appears at the top-left corner of their screen.
Attendee view:
- Follow host’s view: Webinar attendees will switch to the view you set.
- Speaker: Webinar attendees are switched to speaker view.
- Gallery: Webinar attendees are switched to gallery view.

How to manage attendees in the participants panel

Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
Start a webinar as the host.
In the host controls, click the Participants icon .
The Participants panel will appear.
In the Participants panel, click the Attendees tab.
Hover over an attendee to access the following options:

Feature	Column
Allow to talk Disable talking	If you click Allow to talk, the attendee will be prompted to confirm if they want to unmute or stay muted. If they stay muted, click Ask to unmute to prompt them again. All participants will then be able to hear them. Note: If you allowed an attendee to talk, you’ll see these options: Mute or ask to unmute: Mute a participant if they're unmuted, or prompt them to unmute. Disable talking: Mute the attendee and prevent them from unmuting themselves.
Chat	Opens a chat window that allows you to send messages directly to the selected participant.
Lower hand	Lower the participant's hand. Once lowered, their position in the queue will move down after others with raised hands.
Promote to panelist	Change the attendee's role to a panelist.
Rename	Change the displayed name of the participant. Note: To change your own display name, hover over your name in the participants list and click Rename. This change is only for the current webinar. For a permanent change, update your name in your profile.
Remove	Remove the attendee from the webinar. They can’t rejoin unless you allow it.
Report	Flag attendees for inappropriate behavior.

Additional options for attendees

Feature	Description
Lower all attendees’ hands	Click to lower the hands of all attendees with their hand raised.