Attendee Guide for Standard Webinars

Learn how to register and use GoTo Webinar during standard events.

Register and join a webinar

Before you can join a webinar, you have to register using the link found in your invitation.

You will need to fill out your first name, last name, email address, and other required fields depending on how the organizer customized the registration form. Once registered, you'll receive a confirmation email with a Join link. Keep that link handy when it's time to join the webinar. Learn more.
Registration Page

Where is my registration link?

In most cases, the registration link can be accessed from the invitation email sent to you by the organizer. They might have posted it somewhere online (e.g., Facebook or instant message). Look for a hyperlink that starts with https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/ and ends with a unique registration code. For security purposes, only the organizer can provide you with the registration URL. If you are unable to find it, please reach out to the organizer who invited you to the webinar and ask them to resend it.

Where is the join link?

When you registered for the webinar, you received a confirmation email that includes specific join information. When you're ready to join the webinar, open that email to get into session.

Join link: Select Join Webinar in your confirmation email to be instantly launched into session.
Webinar ID: If you don't have your join link, go here and enter the 9-digit webinar ID. You may have to re-register.

If you have issues joining, view Join Help and FAQs.
Join Webinar

What does "the webinar is full" mean?

If you are trying to register or join a webinar but receive a "The webinar is full" message, then the session already has the maximum number of attendees that are allowed. You will not be able to join the session unless one of the attendees who has already joined leaves the session. This is because each organizer's GoTo Webinar account has a subscription plan with a maximum number of attendees that they can have in any given webinar. Learn more.

What does "the webinar has ended" mean?

If you see this message, then you are trying to sign up for a past webinar that has already occurred. Please contact the organizer who invited you to the webinar to see if they have a recording that you can watch or if there is an additional session that you can join.

Set up audio

Once the webinar launches, you'll be prompted to set up your audio.

Select the audio mode you want to use.
- Computer audio uses your computer's mic and speakers.
- Phone call requires you to dial in from your phone. Use the provided phone number when prompted.
Select Continue.

Note: If you are the organizer of the webinar and are trying to start the broadcast, select sign in now at the bottom of the window to sign in to your GoTo Webinar account and get started. If you are an attendee, you do not need to sign in – wait for the organizer to begin the webinar.

Why don't I see the "Computer audio" and/or "Phone call" options?

If your screen doesn't look like the one shown above, it's possible that the organizer disabled one or both of GoTo Webinar's built-in audio options (for example, they might have made it a Computer audio-only webinar, with no phone numbers provided). They might even have provided custom audio information, in which case you should follow the instructions they provided in the Audio pane. Alternatively, if your computer doesn't meet the system requirements for the GoTo Webinar, then you were likely launched into session in your web browser. If you joined using this method, then you will be able to make your audio selection from the toolbar once the organizer starts the broadcast.

Why does my screen look different than the one shown?

If your computer doesn't meet the system requirements for the GoTo Webinar desktop app, then you were likely launched into session in your web browser. If you see the message "Waiting for <organizer name> to start the webinar", then you have successfully joined! You'll be able to make your audio selection from the toolbar once the organizer starts the broadcast, but be sure to select Allow when GoTo Webinar asks you for permission to use your mic and speakers.

Watch the webinar

Once you've finished setting up your audio, you're all set! Depending on whether the webinar has started yet, you'll see one of the following:

If you see the message "The meeting will begin when the organizer arrives," then the organizer has not yet started the broadcast. Once they do you'll be able to hear the audio.
If you see a new window open with the message "Waiting to view <organizer>'s screen", then the webinar has officially begun but the organizer is not presenting any visual content. You should be able to hear the audio at this point.

That's it. Now sit back and enjoy the webinar!

Why can't anyone hear me?

Are you having a hard time being heard by other participants in the session? Let's see if we can fix that! There are a few possibilities for what might be happening.

General troubleshooting

You might be muted — By default, all webinar attendees are muted by the organizer. If you wish to speak, you can send a question to the organizer and request that they unmute you. If you have already been unmuted by the organizer, then you might have muted yourself without realizing it. Click the Audio icon so that it changes to "unmuted".
You might not have started the broadcast yet — As the organizer, you must start the broadcast to allow attendees to hear your audio and see your screen. Select Start Broadcast at the top of your Control Panel, or press *1 on your telephone's keypad to start the audio conference.
The wrong audio mode might be selected — When you are in a session, you are able to specify which audio mode you use to connect to the audio conference (depending on which modes the organizer made available). It's possible that the default mode you joined with is not the one you want, and that you need to manually switch it.
- If you want to connect with your mic and speakers, make sure Computer Mode or Internet Mode is selected.
- If you want to connect with your telephone, make sure Phone Mode is selected.
The organizer might not have provided your selected mode as an option for the session — While GoTo Webinar provides users with multiple options for connecting to the audio conference, it is up to the organizer to decide which audio modes are available in each session. Try using the alternative option.

I am trying to connect using my telephone.

There might be a problem with your telephone service provider — If there is a problem with your telephone connection, it might be an issue with your service provider. We cannot provide troubleshooting support for your service provider, but we can suggest that you try connecting via mic and speakers instead.
It might have been a bad connection — Try hanging up and rejoining to see if a better connection can be established.

I am trying to connect using a mic and speakers (VoIP).

Here are a few suggestions of what might be preventing the other participants in the session from hearing you.

GoTo Webinar might be picking up sound through a headset instead of speakers — If you have a headset plugged into your computer or device but you are not currently wearing it, GoTo Webinar might be using it as your audio input device. Either put on the headset, unplug the headset, or see How do I test my audio? to learn how to specify which device to use as a microphone.
You might not have a microphone plugged into your computer or device — If you're sure you have a microphone plugged into your computer, it's possible that GoTo Webinar hasn't detected it. You can check your mic and speaker setup and even test your audio devices.
If you are using the Instant Join app, you might not be running Google Chrome — You can only connect to the audio session using Computer mode if you are running Google Chrome.
If you are using the web app, you might need to give the app permission to access your microphone — The first time that you join a session from the web, you will be prompted to allow the app permission to use your microphone. If you accidentally denied it permission, you will need to enable it so your audio can be heard.
If you are using a computer, then your microphone might need its settings adjusted — Sometimes an enhancement setting on your microphone can cause low volume, clipping, or no sound at all. You can try disabling these enhancement settings.

Why can I hear audio but not see the presentation?

Are you hearing the audio from the session but not seeing anything yet? There are a few possibilities for what might be happening.

The Viewer window might be minimized or hidden (desktop app).

If you are using the desktop app, then the GoTo Webinar Viewer window might be hidden behind another application running on your computer or it might be minimized. Check the task bar (Windows) or dock (Mac) for the (if using classic app) or (if using beta GoTo app) icon, then click it to bring the GoTo Webinar or to the forefront of your screen.

You might have the wrong tab selected (if joined via web app).

If you are using the web app, then your session takes place entirely within your web browser. This means it's possible that you are looking at the wrong browser tab. Check the tabs that are open (and be sure to check for other browser windows), and click the one that says "GoTo Webinar" or "GoTo" and shows the red "audio live" icon .

There may not be any screens being shared yet.

When there is no one sharing their screen, the Waiting Room is displayed and you'll see the message "Waiting to view < Presenter>'s screen". If you see this screen, then everything is in order! Once someone starts sharing their screen, you will see it in this window. In the meantime, you should still be able to hear the audio conference and chat with others.

The Viewer may be behind the "Let's get started" join screen.

The GoTo Webinar Viewer may be hiding behind the "Let's get started" browser page. Once connected to the session, close the browser and/or open the running GoTo Webinar desktop app in the task bar.

Why can I see the screen or hear the audio (but not both)?

It sounds like you were connected to the session successfully, but your audio is not yet connected. You should have either Phone Call or Computer Audio selected in your audio settings, which will connect you to the audio conference.

If you joined from the desktop app, select Audio in the options pane of your Control Panel. View Switch Audio Modes in Session for more details.
If you joined from a browser, select Settings in the toolbar and check the audio settings.
If you joined from the mobile app, open the audio settings (either under the Audio tab or Settings tab depending on your OS).

If that didn't resolve your issue, view Why can't I hear anyone?.

Audio Help and FAQs

Review commonly asked questions about connecting to the audio conference during a session.