Creating a Panelist View in Zoom Meetings

You can create a panelist view in Zoom meetings to highlight and organize speakers more effectively.

 

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Instructors, Researchers, Staff

In Zoom Meetings, you can host an online discussion or conference where all Participants are muted and only the Speakers' videos are shown.  While hosts can't control the view for participants, we can teach them how to set it up so that it looks and functions more like Zoom Webinars.  This guide will also help with minimizing disruptions while allowing unauthenticated users to join.  Also, see Preventing and Managing Disruptions in Zoom Sessions

In this guide you will learn how to:

  • turn off participant video before the session
  • stop video during a session
  • teach participants what they need to do to set up the Panelist view, like
    • keep their video turned off
    • hide non-video participants
    • exit full-screen view to have the Chat on the right side of the window.
  • Elevate Speakers to Co-host
  • Mute all Participants
  • Only allow the participants to chat (ask questions) to the Host

 

Be sure to have everyone test their devices prior to the session:  https://zoom.us/test

Setting up Participants Video to Off

1.  However you create the meeting (whether that be in Google Calendar, the Zoom App or on the web), go to the meeting and edit it here on the web:  stonybrook.zoom.us

Zoom meeting settings page with the 'Edit this Meeting' button highlighted next to options for deleting or starting the meeting

2. Ensure that you've turned off participants video at the beginning before they enter: 

Zoom video settings showing radio buttons with Host video set to 'on' and Participant video set to 'off

*They can still turn it on during the meeting but, you can set up the ground rules at the beginning and ask that they keep their video off.   Any one-offs that aren't paying attention to the no-video rule can be turned off individually by the host by clicking on the Participants button > More > Stop Video.

Zoom participant options menu showing actions like Mute, Stop Video, Chat, Rename, and Make Host, with the cursor pointing to 'Stop Video'

Setting Up Participants Expectations

Use a short slide presentation at the beginning of the session to help participants navigate zoom and set up the screen the way you want them to see it. 

Teach participants to

1. Turn off video

Zoom toolbar icon showing a crossed-out video camera with the label 'Start Video,' indicating that the user's video is currently off

2.  Toggle between Gallery view and Speaker View at the top right of the screen.    If they see Speaker View at the top right, then they are in Gallery View.  Gallery View shows every attendee in their own box (like the Brady Bunch).  Everyone will need to be in Gallery View to see only the speakers in the session.  If they are in Speaker View, then whenever a Speaker makes a sound their video will appear front and center.

3. Hide Non-Video Participants by hovering over a non-video'd participant's box > click the 3 dots > Hide Non-Video Participants.

Zoom menu with options like Mute, Start Video, and Hide Non-Video Participants, with cursor on 'Hide Non-Video Participants

4. Exit Full Screen Mode and open Chat (Exiting Full Screen view is the only way to see the chat on the right side otherwise it is a floating screen).  They can resize the Zoom window if necessary by dragging the sides of the window.

Zoom toolbar showing meeting duration, Speaker View button, and cursor hovering over the 'Exit Full Screen' button with shortcut tooltip (Alt+F).

 

Elevating the Speakers to Host, Muting all Participants and Allow Participants to Chat with the Host Only

During the session:

  • Open the Participants list by clicking Participants and elevate the speakers to CoHost by hovering over their name and clicking More > Make Co-Host:
     "Zoom Participants panel showing two participants, with the host right-clicking on a guest and highlighting the 'Make Co-Host' option in the context menu
    Do this for each Speaker.
  • Mute all participants in the Participants window
     "Zoom Participants panel with the 'Mute All' button highlighted and a pop-up window open, showing the option to allow participants to unmute themselves
  • Open the Chat window and click the 3-dots to allow attendees to Chat with the Host Only.  This way hosts can moderate the questions for the speakers verbally during the session.
    Zoom Group Chat window with the settings menu open, showing the 'Participant Can Chat With' options, and 'Host Only' selected

 

This Content Last Updated:
05/06/2025

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This KB Article References:
This Information is Intended for:
Instructors, Researchers, Staff
This Content Last Updated:
05/06/2025