Webinar chat

Originally written by Jonathan Rintala, Founder & CEO, Univid

Updated: March 31st, 2026

A webinar chat is a communication tool, enabling interaction between both the webinar attendees and hosts.

What is a webinar chat?

A webinar chat is a communication tool, enabling interaction between both the webinar attendees and the hosts of a webinar. The chat is usually located to the right in the webinar session.

Learn more about what a webinar chat is - and how it differs from a Q&A in the video below.

The webinar chat - should it be turned on or off?

Depending on the webinar platform and settings for the specific webinar, you can choose if the attendees can write in the chat, if their names are shown and how the chat is viewed for others. Typically, the chat is open for everyone and transparent.

The chat function can be turned off when it is necessary, that could be for larger events to avoid an overly busy chat that is hard to moderate – or if you want things to stay very structured you could consider only using the Q&A. Also, if you think you will get a lot of though questions, that you rather answer afterwards or at your own pace - you can decide to simply turn the chat off.

If the chat is disabled, a good idea is to still collect questions in a different feature, that can be set to only show for the hosts. And remember - the chat is a huge enabler for interaction - so disabling it means engagement will likely take a hit.

What are the benefits of using webinar chats?

Attendees stay engaged: The interactive chat function is a way to give viewers a reason to stay throughout the whole webinar, as they feel interesting things can pop up - and it will!
Viewers can influence the presentation: A reason for the attendees to continue watching the webinar is knowing that their specific questions could be answered in the chat. This way, the viewer can have an impact on the focus of the webinar.
Genuine conversations between hosts and attendees: The chat allows for unprepared interaction and therefore is a perfect opportunity for the host to build relationships with the viewers.
Attendee-to-attendee value creation: Allowing attendees to talk to each other can create unexpected value and insights that otherwise never had surfaced. This could give input on needs, problems, interests, future content, webinar topics and even new strategies.
Gives a feeling of transparency: An open chat creates a feeling amongst attendees that the host is open and transparent - and does not hide behind closed doors, afraid of what will come up.
Gives room for spontaneity: The chat sets a spontaneous tone in the webinar - and that’s where magic can happen.

Some webinar chat messages

Tips on how to make the chat active

Tip #1: The hosts should highlight the chat function throughout the webinar by mentioning it and encourage the attendees to engage. A good way of doing that is by using open-ended questions that can start discussions.
Tip #2: Another tip is to have a dedicated team member acting as a moderator for the chat function during the webinar. The moderator is then able to give the chat full attention and write genuine and well thought out answers. The presenter also has an important role in naturally addressing questions and thoughts in the chat during the live presentation.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Q: What is a webinar chat?

A webinar chat is a live messaging feature which allows attendees to send public messages during a webinar. Attendees can interact with each other, while hosts and moderaotrs can answer in real time - either via text or verbally in the livestream. The webinar chat helps create engagement.

Q: What is the difference between webinar chat and Q&A?

The main difference between chat and Q&A is how messages are handled. Webinar chat is open and conversational, where attendees can see and respond to each other. Q&A is structured, where questions are submitted privately, moderated, and often answered by hosts in an organized way.

Q: Can you use webinar chat and Q&A at the same time?

Yes, most webinar platforms allow both webinar chat and Q&A to run simultaneously. But it's recommended that the hosts clarifies where they expect questions to come in.

Q: Is webinar chat visible to all attendees?

Yes, in most cases webinar chat is public and visible to all attendees. However, hosts can control settings such as moderating or deleting chat messages, or even limiting who can participate.

Q: Why is webinar chat important?

Webinar chat increases engagement, keeps attendees active, and creates a relaxed vibe during the session. It also gives hosts real-time feedback, helps attendees build on to each other's ideas, and improves webinar retention.