You can share privileges with other people in your Zoom events. This is helpful because it lets you focus on presenting, while someone else manages administrative tasks such as muting participants or managing the recording. In the event that you scheduled a meeting that you cannot attend, you can also designate an alternative host.
In this article:
- Designate an alternative host (before the meeting)
- Assign a meeting co-host (during the meeting)
- Assign a webinar panelist
- Make a webinar panelist a co-host
Designate an alternative host before the meeting
Use this feature if you want to allow someone else to start a meeting or webinar that you scheduled. This is a good idea in the event that you are out of the office or late to your meeting or webinar.
You can also designate a departmental account as an alternative host.
When you designate an alternative host, that user or departmental account will receive an email notifying them that they've been added as an alternative host, with a link to start the meeting or webinar.
You can also give another person or departmental account scheduling privilege over your Zoom account, which will make them an alternative host for all of your meetings and webinars and allow them to schedule meetings for you. They can also schedule webinars for you (as long as neither of you are students). Read more about Scheduling Privilege.
Note: If you are in the Healthcare Component (HCC - BAA/BAA+), then your alternative host(s) must also be in the Healthcare Component (HCC - BAA/BAA+). Likewise, if you are not in the HCC (i.e. you are non-BAA), then your alternative host(s) cannot be in the HCC either.
See the Alternative Host article in the Zoom Help Center for step-by-step instructions with screenshots on designating an alternative host.
Assign a co-host during a meeting
There are two ways to promote a participant to a co-host:
Option A: User's Video
- Hover over the user's video
- Click on the three dots ...
- Click Make Co-Host
Option B: Manage Participants
- Click on Participants in the meeting controls at the bottom of the Zoom window.
- Hover over the name of the participant who you will promote to co-host, and choose More.
- Click Make Co-Host
Assign a panelist in a webinar
The panelist role confers more power than an attendee, but less power than a co-host.
- Click Participants in the Webinar controls toolbar
- Click Attendees at the top of the participants window
- Locate the person you want to promote to host and mouse over their name
- Click on the More button that appears next to their name
- Click Promote to panelist
- That individual will then disappear from the Attendee list and appear in the Panelist list.
Make a Panelist a Co-Host in a Webinar
In order to make someone a co-host in a Webinar, you have to first make them a panelist (see above).
- Click on Panelists at the top of the Participants window to find the person you want to promote to co-host
- Hover over the name of the person and click the More button that appears next to their name
- Choose Make Co-Host
