Zoom Q&A: how to run Q&A in a Zoom meeting or webinar

Zoom has a Q&A panel where attendees send questions and the host answers them, live or in writing. It started in Zoom Webinars and is now available in regular meetings too, but it's off by default and depends on your plan. Here's how to set it up, and what to do when your people ask in the chat instead.

Zoom Q&A in meetings vs webinars

Zoom changes plan rules often, so check Zoom's support article "Using Q&A in Zoom Meetings" for your account.

How to turn on Q&A in a Zoom meeting

1. Sign in at zoom.us and open Settings, then the Meeting tab.
2. Under In Meeting (Advanced), switch on Q&A in meetings. If you can't see it, your account admin has turned it off or your plan doesn't include it.
3. Schedule the meeting (Q&A doesn't work in an instant meeting) and tick Q&A under Meeting options.
4. In the meeting, click Q&A in the toolbar. Attendees click the same button to ask.

Older desktop apps don't show the panel, so ask people to update Zoom before an important session.

How to answer questions in Zoom Q&A

• Answer live to say you'll cover it out loud, then mark it answered.
• Type an answer to reply in writing, privately or to everyone.
• Dismiss off-topic or duplicate questions so the list stays short.
• Let attendees upvote so the questions most people care about rise to the top, if you've switched upvoting on.

The catch: most questions arrive in the chat

Even with Q&A switched on, people type questions in the meeting chat, because that's where they already are. In a busy session, a question asked at minute 12 scrolls out of sight by minute 15, and nobody comes back to it. The Q&A panel also doesn't catch questions people ask out loud.

Every question in one place with Claryoo

Claryoo is a co-host that joins your Zoom call as a participant. It reads the meeting chat and listens to what's said, and puts every question on one board only you can see, with the longest wait at the top. There's nothing to switch on in Zoom settings, and it works the same in Google Meet and Microsoft Teams.

When the call ends, the questions you didn't get to are in your summary, so you can follow up by email. See live Q&A in Claryoo or add it from the Zoom App Marketplace.

Which should you use?

• A webinar with hundreds of attendees: Zoom Webinar Q&A, with upvoting and dismiss.
• A regular meeting where Q&A is on in your account: Zoom's Q&A panel, and remind people to use it.
• A workshop or training where people ask in chat and out loud: a co-host that collects questions from both, so none are missed.

FAQ

Is Zoom Q&A available in regular meetings?

Yes. Zoom added "Q&A in meetings", but it's off by default and needs to be switched on in your Zoom settings. Not every plan includes it.

Why can't I see the Q&A button in Zoom?

Usually one of four reasons: Q&A in meetings isn't switched on in your settings, your admin turned it off, it's an instant meeting rather than a scheduled one, or the Zoom app is out of date.

Can attendees ask anonymously in Zoom Q&A?

Yes, if the host allows anonymous questions in the Q&A settings.

How do I see questions asked in the Zoom chat?

Zoom doesn't move chat questions into the Q&A panel, so you have to scroll the chat. Claryoo collects questions from the chat and from what people say, and lists the unanswered ones for you.