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Understand Session and Account Roles

If you are part of a multi-user account (i.e., an account with more than one organizer), you could potentially hold one or more of the listed roles. If you are part of a single-user account, you hold all the roles (you are the billing admin and can manage your account and product settings from within your account rather than the Admin Center).

View session roles

Organizer
This is the basic user role for an account. An organizer has a GoTo Webinar account and manages and hosts sessions that attendees can then join. Organizers have control of all in-session features including starting, recording, and ending the webinar. While scheduling a session, an organizer can designate other attendees to be organizers or panelists. During a session, the scheduling organizer is the default presenter and may either begin presenting or pass the presenter controls to another organizer or panelist.
Co-organizer (part of the staff)
The scheduling organizer can add co-organizers before or during the webinar, allowing them to have access to some organizer tools and to help with facilitating sessions (even start the session on the organizer behalf if part of the same GoTo Webinar account). Although co-organizers can access all the same in-session features as the organizer (including post-session reporting tools), they do not have access to other post-session features like archiving recordings and follow-up emails.
Panelist (part of the staff)
A panelist is like a guest speaker of a webinar. They can present their screen if given Presenter rights by the organizer, share their webcams, and/or answer questions assigned to them during a session. Panelists can also be given the presenter controls at any time during the session and are able to speak on the conference call by default. Note that Panelists do not need to have GoTo Webinar accounts to participate in web events.
Presenter (part of the staff)
A presenter is the person who is sharing their screen with the audience. The GoTo Webinar organizer is always designated as the initial presenter but the presenter role can be easily passed to another organizer, panelist, or attendee. Presenters may also give other organizers or panelists the ability to control their keyboard and mouse.
Attendee
Attendees do not need an account with GoTo Webinar to join an organizer's session. They do not have or need any login information and have very limited control once in session. By default, attendees can view the presenter's screen but is initially muted (in listen-only mode) to minimize background noises that would detract from the presentation. Organizers can unmute a single or all attendees if needed.

During the session, attendees can ask questions, download handouts, take polls and surveys, chat (by organizer request) and be promoted (by organizer request).

View in-session user comparison chart

Feature Attendee Panelist In-session co-organizer Host-only co-organizer Co-organizer Organizer
Chat Supported (with organizer permission) Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Speak Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Present Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Share webcam Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Drawing tools Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Labs features Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Q&A Not Supported (if assigned) Supported Supported Supported Supported
Mute all Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Upload handouts Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Start poll Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Record webinar Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Edit webinar details Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported
Start and end webinar Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported (if part of the same GoTo Webinar account) Supported (if part of the same GoTo Webinar account) Supported
Build reports after the webinar Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported (if part of the same GoTo Webinar account) Supported

View account roles

Account administrator

The account administrators are organizers with special privilege and access to the Admin Center where they can add and manage the organizers in the account. They can also update product settings and manage reports for the account. Note that there is no limit to how many organizers can be account admins for any given GoTo Webinar account.

Billing contact

The billing contact is an account administrator with special privilege to the account's subscription plan. They can change plans, modify the billing information and manage other account settings. Note that only one account admin can be the billing admin for any given GoTo Webinar account.

View user comparison chart

Feature Attendees Panelists Organizers Account Admins Billing Contact
Account required Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported
Join sessions Supported Supported Supported Supported Supported
Schedule and host sessions Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported
Manage personal settings Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported Supported
Add and manage other organizers Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported
Manage account-wide settings Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported Supported
Change subscription plans Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported
Change billing information Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Not Supported Supported