Webinar Checklist
A webinar checklist from planning to follow-up: topic, speakers, registration, promotion, tech rehearsal, live run of show, recording and attendee follow-up.
- Typical schedule per webinar
- The checklist 5 sections, 24 items
- Variables
{{webinar}}{{webinar_date}}
Use this checklist for each webinar, workshop or online event your team runs, from the first planning step to the follow-up email. Webinars fail in predictable ways: few registrations because promotion started late, a speaker whose microphone does not work, or a recording that nobody sends. This list covers the whole sequence, with the live run of show in its own section.
Who owns it
One host or event owner owns the run. Speakers own their content and their tech check. A producer or moderator, if you have one, runs the live section: admitting speakers, managing questions and watching chat.
Common pitfalls
- Promotion that starts too late. Most registrations come from your own channels over the weeks before. Schedule promotion as soon as the registration page is live.
- No rehearsal. Run a tech check on the same platform, with the same devices and network the speakers will use.
- Slides read aloud for an hour. Plan interaction: a poll early on, questions in the middle, a live demo.
- The follow-up is an afterthought. Many registrants never attend live. The recording email is your second chance to reach them, so send it while interest is still there.
Create a run when the webinar date is set. Items for each phase can be assigned to the host, speakers and producer.
The checklist: Run webinar: {{webinar}} on {{webinar_date}}
Plan
-
Topic, target audience and goal of
{{webinar}}agreed (e.g. leads, product adoption, education) -
Speakers and moderator confirmed for
{{webinar_date}} -
Date and time checked against holidays and the audience's time zones
-
Webinar platform chosen and the session created (e.g. Zoom Webinars, Microsoft Teams, Livestorm)
Registration and promotion
-
Registration page live with a clear title, agenda and speaker bios
-
Registration form asks only for what you need, with consent text where required
-
Confirmation email with a calendar invite set up
-
Promotion scheduled across email, social channels and partners
-
Reminder emails scheduled, including one shortly before the start
Content and rehearsal
-
Slides finished and checked for readability on small screens
-
Polls and questions for interaction prepared
-
Demo environment prepared with realistic data optional
-
Tech rehearsal held with every speaker: audio, camera, screen sharing, lighting
-
Backup plan agreed if a speaker drops out (who takes over, which slides)
Live run of show
-
Host, speakers and moderator join well before the start
-
Recording started and confirmed running
-
Welcome, housekeeping and agenda delivered
-
Questions collected by the moderator and passed to speakers
-
Closing with a clear next step for attendees (e.g. trial, demo, resource)
Follow-up
-
Recording edited if needed and published
-
Follow-up email with the recording and slides sent to attendees and no-shows
-
Leads passed to sales with attendance and questions noted optional
-
Unanswered questions answered by email or in a follow-up post
-
Results reviewed: registrations, attendance, feedback and conversions
Checklist as Markdown
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I plan a webinar?
For a public marketing webinar, plan several weeks ahead so there is time for speakers, a registration page and enough promotion. Internal or customer-only webinars can be organised faster. The constraint is usually promotion time, not the content.
What is a webinar run of show?
A run of show is the minute-by-minute plan for the live session: who speaks when, when polls launch, when questions are taken and how the session ends. It lets the moderator keep time and step in if something goes wrong. Share it with every speaker before the rehearsal.
What should I send after a webinar?
Send a thank-you email with the recording, the slides and the next step you mentioned in the session. Send a slightly different version to registrants who did not attend. Answer any questions you ran out of time for.
Updated