Have a question about how a webinar feature works? Here are answers to the ones we hear most often. For a full walkthrough of your options, see our Webinar Customizations article.
Event room and playback
Can I hide the playbar for attendees during a pre-recorded webinar?
No. In a pre-recorded webinar, attendees see the standard player controls, including play and pause, and you can't turn them off.
Note
The "Hide playbar" setting on the "Registration page" tab only hides the playbar on your Registration page video. It doesn't change the player in the Event room.
Can attendees pause or scrub through media I present during a live webinar?
No. When a host or panelist presents media on stage, attendees can't play, pause, scrub, or go full screen. The presenter controls playback for everyone.
Will captions on media I present carry over to the webinar?
No. Media you present plays into the webinar as part of the live stream, so its caption tracks, including other languages, aren't available for attendees to choose from.
Can I send attendees to another page when my webinar ends?
Yes. To redirect live attendees when your webinar ends:
On your webinar's Overview page, click "Customize"
Select the "Event room" tab
Toggle on "Redirect URL"
Enter the URL you'd like attendees sent to
When the webinar ends, attendees still in the Event room see a short countdown, then go to your URL. You can change or turn off the URL at any time from the same spot.
Does the redirect work for people watching the recording later?
No. The redirect URL only applies to live attendees who are in the Event room when the webinar ends. To send on-demand viewers somewhere after they finish the recording, add an end-of-video Call to Action to the recording from its media page by clicking "Customize."
Can viewers pick up the recording where they left off?
Yes. The webinar recording plays in the standard Wistia player, which resumes automatically for videos longer than 5 minutes. On embeds, you can also set the resumable embed option to true. It works even if the playbar is hidden. See Embed Options and Plugins for details.
Hosting your webinar
How long can a webinar run?
Webinars can run for up to 4.5 hours. You'll see a warning as you get close, and the webinar ends automatically at 4.5 hours. If your content runs longer, split it into separate sessions.
Will my webinar end if I refresh the page?
No. If you refresh or briefly lose your connection, your webinar keeps running as long as you rejoin within 5 minutes. A webinar only ends automatically if everyone on stage has left and nobody rejoins.
Can I host from a phone or tablet?
No. Hosts and panelists need to join from a laptop or desktop browser. You can still use an external camera. If your computer recognizes it as a webcam, you can select it in Wistia like any other camera.
Can I flip or mirror my camera?
No, there is no flip or mirror setting. Your own preview is mirrored automatically, like looking in a mirror, but attendees and the recording see your video the right way around.
Virtual backgrounds
What are the requirements for virtual backgrounds?
Image files can be up to 10 MB.
Use a 16:9 aspect ratio for the best fit.
We suggest a 720p image on Windows and 1080p on macOS.
For the best performance, use a computer with a powerful GPU and processor, and turn on hardware acceleration in your browser.
For setup steps, see Customize Webinar Event Room.
Q&A, chat, and exports
Who can see questions submitted in Q&A?
Hosts and panelists see every submitted question. Attendees can see a question only after a host or panelist makes it public.
What is included in the chat export?
The chat export includes every public chat message, with the sender's name, a timestamp, and the message text.
Does the Q&A export include answers?
No. The Q&A export includes each question, who asked it, when, and how many replies it got. The reply itself is not included.
Note
Questions submitted anonymously appear in the export without a name or email.
For more on Q&A, chat, and polls, see Webinar Audience Interaction.
Webinar emails
Can I customize webinar emails?
You can edit the subject line and preview text of your confirmation, reminder, and follow-up emails from the "Emails" tab under "Customize." You can't edit the email body.
See Customize Webinar Emails for details.
What happens if a registrant replies to a webinar email?
Webinar emails come from [email protected], so replies don't reach you. If you'd like registrants to be able to contact you, share your contact details on your Registration page or through your own email channels.
Can I see open or click rates for webinar emails?
No. Wistia doesn't track opens or clicks for webinar emails. Webinar analytics cover registrations, attendance, and on-demand views.
Note
Webinar emails aren't available when using a marketing automation registration form.
Webinar scheduling
Can I set a pre-recorded webinar to a past date?
No. A webinar's date must be in the future. To share a webinar you've already held, upload the recording as a regular Wistia video, or schedule a new pre-recorded webinar and include the original date in the title or description.
Need help or have feedback?
Reach out to [email protected], and we'll be happy to help.