Understanding Zoom Sessions roles

There are multiple roles available for Zoom Sessions, and each role has a set of tools they can use during the event to enable participation.

This article covers:

• Roles that require a Zoom Sessions license and Zoom account
• How to access your special-role ticket
• How to differentiate available roles in a hub
  • Hub owner
  • Hub host
  • Co-editor
  • Zoom account admin
• Role descriptions
  • Alternative host
  • Speaker
    • Panelist
  • Moderator
  • Interpreter
  • Attendee

Prerequisites for Zoom Sessions roles and permissions

• Zoom desktop client for Windows, macOS, or Linux: Global minimum version or higher
• Zoom mobile app for Android or iOS: Global minimum version or higher
• Basic, Pro, Business, Enterprise, or Education account
• Zoom Sessions license or Zoom Sessions Pay Per Attendee license (host only)

Note: For attendee access to the latest Zoom Events and Webinar features, we highly encourage attendees to update to the latest version of the Zoom desktop client/mobile application.

Roles that require a Zoom Sessions license and Zoom account

All roles must have a Zoom account while only certain roles need a Zoom Sessions license.

Zoom Sessions roles

Roles	Zoom Sessions license	Zoom account
Host		✔
Co-editor		✔
Attendee		✔

Zoom Sessions special roles

Special roles	Zoom Sessions license	Zoom account
Alternative host		✔
Speaker		✔
Interpreter		✔
Panelist		✔

Zoom Sessions hub roles

Hub roles	Zoom Sessions license	Zoom account
Hub owner	✔	✔
Hub host		✔*
Co-editor		✔
Zoom account admin	✔	✔

*User must be on the same account the hub owner is on.

How to access your special-role ticket

If you have been invited to an event and receive a Special-Role ticket, this means that you have a special role or multiple special roles. The special roles are alternative host, panelist, speaker, or interpreter.

Notes:

• Only you can use your ticket. Ensure that you are signed in with the account associated with this email address.
• If you have multiple special roles for the same event, they will be listed on one ticket for that event. On a Special-Role ticket, a user can hold one special role ticket and contain multiple special roles.

• If the event organizer chooses to remove your role or assign you a different role, your Special-Role ticket will become inactive, and you will receive an email notification.

• Additionally, you can click Join Lobby to access the lobby before the event’s start time to start practice sessions and view event details.

Access special-role ticket from Tickets tab

1. Sign in to Zoom Events.
2. In the top-right corner of the page, click Tickets.
3. Click the Upcoming tab.
4. Find the ticket for the event that you have been invited to.
   Your ticket for that event will be labeled as a Special-Role ticket.
5. On the ticket, click View Details.
   1. Under What is your role?, view details about your role.
   2. Under Your Sessions as ___, view the session that you have been assigned. You can also view the session details, such as its date/time, session type (meeting/webinar), and session title.
6. When the event is available for you to join, click Join on the ticket.

Access special-role ticket from confirmation email

1. Open the Zoom Sessions confirmation email.
   You can view information about your special role, the event, and the event’s date/time.
2. Click View Ticket.
   This will redirect you to the Upcoming tab of events on the Tickets page.
3. Find the ticket for the event that you have been invited to.
   Your ticket for that event will be labeled as a Special-Role ticket.
4. On the ticket, click View Details to view more information about your special role and the event details.
5. When the event is available for you to join, click Join on the ticket.

Access special-role ticket from events portal on Zoom Events

On the events portal, you can easily access all your assigned sessions. Access your special-role ticket from the events portal on Zoom Events.

How to differentiate available roles in a hub

Hub owner

Hub owners own the hub and have visibility to all aspects of their hub. They can also create, edit, and publish events.

Hub owners have the following additional functionalities on a hub they have been added to:

• Start an event
• Act as an alternative host for all events on the hub
• View, edit, and delete any event recording on the hub
• View the event listing profiles of events on the hub
• See all the event organizers on the hub
• Add and manage images and videos in the hub's content library
• Share analytics
• Hosts can be assigned as a speaker, granting themselves additional functionality, to their assigned event.
• Hosts can designate up to 3 co-editors to edit published and live events.
  Note: The number of co-editors is dependent on license type.
• The host can appoint a temporary host in-session, and the temporary host will have the following permissions until the host returns:
  • Start and end that specific session
  • Moderate that specific session
• Add hub hosts to the hub
• Manage seat capacity for event organizers (hub hosts and co-editors)
  Note: This is available only if additional seats have been purchased for the hub.
• Set the billing management (cancellation policy, payments and billing, and business information)
• Own all assets of their hub (events, recordings, and content)
• Manage event listing page (creating hub profile)
• Manage hub settings
• Delete hub
• View Hub Summary tab

Hub host

Hub hosts added to a hub can create, edit, and publish events that have been created by the hub owner.

Hub hosts have the following additional functionalities on a hub they have been added to:

• Start an event
• Act as an alternative host for all events on the hub
• View any event recording on the hub
• View the event listing profiles of events on the hub
• See all the event organizers on the hub
• Add and manage images and videos in the hub's content library
• Share analytics
• Hub hosts can be assigned as a speaker, granting themselves additional functionality, to their assigned event.
• Hub hosts can designate up to 3 co-editors to edit published and live events.
  Note: The number of co-editors is dependent on the license type.
• The host can appoint a temporary host in-session, and the temporary host will have the following permissions until the host returns:
  • Start and end that specific session
  • Moderate that specific session

Co-editor

Co-editors collaborate and support hosts by working on events with the ability to:

• Edit content on the Event Configuration, Event Branding, Event Detail Page, Event Planning, Special Roles, Session Experience, and Post Event tabs.
  Note: Co-editors can only edit the tabs they are given access permission to.
• Add images and videos to the hub's content library.
• Manage their own images and videos they added to the hub's content library.
• If the host designates them, co-editors can edit published and live events.

Notes:

• This role is not included as a special role.
• Co-editors are not provided with tickets to attend the event.
• Co-editors do not have permission to add or remove other co-editors.
• Co-editors do not have to belong to the same hub or the same account as you and do not have to have a Zoom Session license.

Zoom account admin

Zoom account admins can access and manage hubs on their account. The admins who manage the overall Zoom account (from the Zoom web portal) can see the profile page of a hub under their account—if they sign in to Zoom Events—so that they can delete the hub and cancel upcoming events listed under the hub.

Role descriptions

Note: A Zoom Sessions event only requires one Zoom Sessions or Zoom Sessions Pay Per Attendee license. Participants with special roles do not need a Zoom Sessions license, but they must have a Zoom account.

Alternative host

The event alternative host can start all sessions and have the same in-session permissions as the host.

Alternative hosts can start a session, without being part of the speaker list for the event, and have the same in-session permission as the host. This role is available for both meeting and webinar sessions. Alternative hosts share many of the controls that the host has, which allows the alternative host to manage the administrative side of an event.

Notes:

• Each event session is required to have one assigned alternative host.
• The host or co-host with permission can choose to enable or disable a speaker's alternative host access on a per-session basis.

• Event moderators with event alternative host permission can start all sessions and have the same in-session privileges as the host

Alternative hosts have permission to:

• Access the lobby before the event’s start time to view event details
• Start sessions assigned to them if the host isn't able to join the event on time
• Start a session and then become the host of the session
• Join a session and then become a co-host (if allowed by account settings)
• Use the tools in the security shield (located in the meeting controls)
• Moderate attendees in the event
• Enable attendees' audio and video privileges upon entry
• Mute and unmute attendees' audio
• Respond to chats

Alternative hosts will also receive an Alternative Host ticket so they can join all other sessions; they will join all other sessions as regular attendees.

Speaker

Speakers will be able to speak in the sessions they are assigned to and will have their images displayed on the event details page and event lobby. The speaker bio will be displayed on the event detail page and in the event lobby.

Additionally, speakers can join an event as webinar panelists or meeting attendees, and they will not have additional in-session access by default.

Note: A speaker can bypass a meeting waiting room when they are assigned to a session and when Waiting Room is enabled for their meeting session (as long as the Users invited during the meeting by the host or co-hosts will bypass the waiting room option is selected).

Speakers have permission to:

• Access the lobby before the event’s start time to start practice sessions and view event details
• Access their speaker landing page to view their assigned sessions or speaker bio
• Start the session they are assigned to
• Edit their speaker bios (if delegated by the host)
• Edit their assigned sessions (if delegated by the host)

In their assigned sessions, speakers can:

• Mute/unmute themselves
• View all Q&A and respond
• Start/stop their own video

The host can choose to feature speakers. When a host chooses a primary featured speaker, that primary featured speaker will appear on the session card (their image will be displayed) on that session tile. Additionally, that primary featured speaker will appear on the session details as the featured speaker. If there are multiple featured speakers, the first person that the host selects will appear on the session card; all featured speakers will appear in the event details page's Speakers section. 

Speakers will also receive a Speaker ticket so they can join all other sessions.

Panelist

Speakers can join webinar sessions as panelists; they will have access to tools that allow them to enhance their participation during a webinar event. Panelists have video, chat, and screen-share permissions.

Speakers who join as panelists have permission to:

• Access the lobby before the event’s start time to start practice sessions and view event details
• Mute/unmute themselves
• Start/stop their own video
• Turn on their video and chat
• View and answer questions in the Q&A window
• Annotate on shared screens
• Share their screen

Moderator

In the control panel, moderators are tasked with moderating reports sent to the event organizer from the lobby and event. A log of all moderation actions taken will be stored in the control panel.

Moderators have the following permissions:

• Access the lobby before the event's start time
• Review user reports sent to the event organizer
• Remove reported messages and users
• Can be assigned additional special roles
  Note: Likewise, users who are already assigned a special role can also be assigned the chat moderator role.

Moderators will also receive a Moderator ticket so they can join their assigned event (or event lobby) and access their assigned event's control panel.

Interpreter

Interpreters are tasked with language interpretation (including sign language interpretation), which is broadcast to attendees over a specified channel. An interpreter in the channel will hear the original meeting audio, which they can translate. They only have access to the language channel that they've been assigned.

Interpreters can:

• Join meeting sessions as an attendee
• Join webinar sessions as a panelist

Interpreters will receive an Interpreter ticket so they can join all other sessions.

Attendee

Note: This role is not included as a special role.

During a webinar event, attendees are view-only participants, and their view is controlled by the host. Attendees can interact with the host and panelists from the Q&A window and chat.

During a meeting event, attendees can share their own audio and video (if enabled by the host).