Participant Roles

The features and permissions available during an active Zoom Meeting or Webinar event are determined by the role discrete participants are assigned by the account holder scheduling the meeting.

Multiple roles are available for assignment by the account holder once a meeting started, however there can only be one host of a meeting. Use of the below knowledge base articles should help meeting hosts conduct more efficient and effective events.

Zoom Meeting Roles

Meeting hosts have several critical roles that are inherently difficult to manage during a Zoom Meeting session.

Subject Matter Expert
Session Manager / Producer
Attendance Recorder
Technical Support Expert (For Zoom platform session functions and the technology participants utilize to connect to Zoom Meeting sessions.)

Below are the Zoom Meeting participant and host roles available for assignment by the meeting host. This includes comparison of the meeting event controls available to the host, co-hosts, alternative hosts, and participants.

Host	Alternative Host	Co-Host	Participant
The individual who schedules the meeting and who has all permissions to manage the individual or recurring meeting.	Assigned during scheduling and can start the meeting in the absence of the Host.	Can only be assigned once the meeting is started. There can be multiple Co-Hosts Assists the Host in managing attendees or meeting settings during the meeting. Audio, video and security controls Meeting security functions Management of chat and emoticon utilization Can start recordings Can remove participants, rename participants as needed Shares most of the in meeting controls that hosts have Cannot enable other co-hosts Cannot start a meeting Consider assigning co-host privileges at the beginning of the meeting for controlling participants audio and video settings. This allows you to concentrate on starting the session, making meeting announcements, starting recording, etc.	Meeting Participants have no assigned function role and comprise the audience that the presentation / meeting being conducted by the Host. They may be assigned additional roles as needed to support the meeting, but their interaction is typically limited to interacting with the Host and or other presenters.

Host

Alternative Host

Co-Host

Participant

The individual who schedules the meeting and who has all permissions to manage the individual or recurring meeting.

Assigned during scheduling and can start the meeting in the absence of the Host.

Can only be assigned once the meeting is started.

There can be multiple Co-Hosts
Assists the Host in managing attendees or meeting settings during the meeting.
- Audio, video and security controls
- Meeting security functions
- Management of chat and emoticon utilization
Can start recordings
Can remove participants, rename participants as needed
Shares most of the in meeting controls that hosts have
Cannot enable other co-hosts
Cannot start a meeting
Consider assigning co-host privileges at the beginning of the meeting for controlling participants audio and video settings. This allows you to concentrate on starting the session, making meeting announcements, starting recording, etc.

Meeting Participants have no assigned function role and comprise the audience that the presentation / meeting being conducted by the Host. They may be assigned additional roles as needed to support the meeting, but their interaction is typically limited to interacting with the Host and or other presenters.

Zoom Webinar Roles

Below are the Zoom Webinar participant roles available for assignment by the meeting host. There are multiple roles available for a webinar: host, cohost, panelist, and attendees. The role that you have in the webinar will be designated by the host.

Host	Co-Host	Panelists	Attendees
The user who the webinar is scheduled under. They have full permissions to manage the webinar, panelists, and attendees. There can only be one host of a webinar. The host can do things like stop and start the webinar, mute panelists, stop panelists' video, remove attendees from the webinar, and more.	Share many of the controls that hosts have, allowing the co-host to manage the administrative side of the webinar. Managing attendees or starting/stopping the recording. The host must assign a co-host. Co-hosts cannot start a webinar. If a host needs someone else to be able to start the webinar, they can assign an alternative host.	Full participants in a webinar. They can view and send video, screen share, annotate, etc. You must be assigned panelist permissions by the webinar host. The host can also disable some features for panelists, including starting video, sharing your screen, and recording. Learn how to add and invite panelists as a webinar host.	View-only participants who can be unmuted if the host chooses. Their view of the webinar is controlled by the host. They can interact with the host and the panelists through the Q&A and the chat. Learn about joining a webinar as an attendee.

Host

Co-Host

Panelists

Attendees

The user who the webinar is scheduled under.

They have full permissions to manage the webinar, panelists, and attendees.
There can only be one host of a webinar.
The host can do things like stop and start the webinar, mute panelists, stop panelists' video, remove attendees from the webinar, and more.

Share many of the controls that hosts have, allowing the co-host to manage the administrative side of the webinar.

Managing attendees or starting/stopping the recording.
The host must assign a co-host.
Co-hosts cannot start a webinar.
If a host needs someone else to be able to start the webinar, they can assign an alternative host.

Full participants in a webinar.

They can view and send video, screen share, annotate, etc.
You must be assigned panelist permissions by the webinar host.
The host can also disable some features for panelists, including starting video, sharing your screen, and recording.
Learn how to add and invite panelists as a webinar host.

View-only participants who can be unmuted if the host chooses.

Their view of the webinar is controlled by the host.
They can interact with the host and the panelists through the Q&A and the chat.
Learn about joining a webinar as an attendee.

Training Resources:

None are identified at this time

Additional related knowledge base articles include:

Resources for assistance or followup questions and concerns.

Contact UNC Asheville's Information Technology IT Service Desk for assistance in implementing the above described services and support. Email: itservicedesk@unca.edu or by calling 828.251.6445

Contact UNC Asheville's Center for Teaching and Learning unit for pedagogy and teaching strategies regarding this knowledge base article. Email: ins_tech@unca.edu. or by calling 828.251.6540

Use the Zoom Video Communication system knowledge base for Zoom meeting specific support questions or concerns. www.zoom.us/support