Help Center

Try out our ChatBot! Using Help Center has never been easier - ask questions, delve into topics and get inspired during casual chatting about search results.

NEW

New to ClickMeeting?
Use these guides to get started.

NEW

New to ClickMeeting?
Use these guides to get started.

article

Breakout rooms

What are breakout rooms, and how do they work? What does the process of creating breakout rooms look like? How do I add attendees to selected breakout rooms? Can my attendees re-enter the breakout rooms? How many attendees can I gather in my breakout rooms?

What are breakout rooms, and how do they work?

Breakout rooms are additional rooms where you can host workshops, lectures, or any other type of events for your attendees and work with them in separate, smaller groups. It is a great feature that can be used by teachers or trainers to work on specific subjects with just a few people and focus on the most salient aspects of projects, tasks, or ideas.

The ClickMeeting platform allows you to split your event into smaller, different sessions. The host can divide the audience into separate breakout rooms and assign them to particular sessions. Each conference can be split into 20 separate breakout rooms where you can gather up to 40 people in each one of them. This number, however, cannot be increased.

You, and your attendees, can join breakout rooms from a desktop browsermobile application, or mobile browser. Depending on joining the breakout session, you will have different sets of rights available.

If you, as a host, will choose to start a breakout session from a desktop browser, you will be able to assign attendees to selected rooms and join them. This option gives you the most possibilities to control, join, and enjoy workshops, classes, or trainings in the form of a breakout room.

The mobile application allows you (as the host or the presenter) to join the main event and then move to the breakout room. However, please note that it is not possible to create a breakout room through the mobile app. In that case, you would want to make sure that this type of event is created via the desktop browser.

If you choose to join a breakout room via a mobile browser, you will be limited to only being able to join the event as an attendee. You will not be able to create breakout rooms nor assign attendees to them. Also, in this case, you would want to ask your presenter to help you create breakout sessions and assign attendees to them on your behalf. Your attendees can join breakout rooms and interact with you just as in a standard meeting.

Please note that breakout rooms are not compatible with dialed-in users and they will not be able to join them. If you intend to work with your audience in smaller groups within breakout rooms, please make sure the phone gateway is disabled. You can also advise your attendees to join the event via a desktop browser, mobile application, or mobile browser to be able to participate in a breakout session.

Remember that breakout rooms have their limitations. It means that you cannot record sessions hosted in breakout rooms, enable streaming on Facebook or YouTube there, or use the Live Streaming feature.

Breakout rooms are included in Live and Automated plans (with 25 attendees and above). Please note that breakout rooms do not increase the overall number of attendees who can participate in your event at once. For instance, if your plan of choice is Automated 100, this means that you can gather up to 100 attendees in the main event room and breakout room (or rooms).

If the 101st person is trying to join your event, they will see a notification on their screen that all seats are already taken. If this happens, you can upgrade your account to a higher package and then let additional attendees join your conference.

What does the process of creating breakout rooms look like?

The option to enable breakout rooms is available within an event room and can be done by a host or presenter. Simply, open the event room, click the menu on the left side of the screen, and find the option Breakout rooms. Click the plus button and start adding your additional rooms with their own meaningful names.

A new pop-up on the screen will ask you how many breakout rooms you would like to create and prompt you to estimate the sessions’ time duration. When the approximate time is about to end, the system will ask you to add a few additional minutes for your sessions in breakout rooms. Time limits are a great option if your students are supposed to write tests or take exams in separate groups.

If you decide to host workshops or classes during which you will split your audience into smaller groups, please make sure to do it a few minutes before you go live with your event. You can also ask another presenter to prepare breakout rooms for you during your part of the live presentation. For now, creating and preparing them in advance is not possible.

By default, the event type available in a breakout room is a meeting hence why the limit imposed on attendees is 40. If you would like to discuss matters with the whole audience again, you would need to move them back to the main event room. Closing breakout rooms can be done by clicking the X icon in the menu in the main room.

Remember that breakout rooms have their limitations. It means that you cannot record sessions hosted in breakout rooms, enable streaming on Facebook or YouTube there, or use the Live Streaming feature.

Please note that breakout rooms are not compatible with dialed-in users and they will not be able to join them. If you intend to work with your audience in smaller groups within breakout rooms, please make sure the phone gateway is disabled. You can also advise your attendees to join the event via a desktop browser, mobile application, or mobile browser to be able to participate in a breakout session.

Breakout rooms are included in Live and Automated plans (with 25 attendees and above). Remember that you can create up to 20 breakout rooms, and you can gather up to 40 people in each one of them. The overall number of attendees who can participate in your breakout sessions depends on the subscription plan you have purchased.

For instance, if your plan of choice is Automated 100, this means that you can gather up to 100 attendees in the main event room and breakout room (or rooms).  The number of attendees who can join breakout rooms does not multiply the number of attendees your subscription plan indicates.

How do I add attendees to selected breakout rooms?

Adding attendees to a selected breakout room is possible in a few ways. For example, you can select all attendees at once, drag and drop them into a breakout room, or mark only a few of them and move them to the room. At this stage, you can also give your breakout rooms meaningful names or add new rooms, so it will be easier for you to manage it.

If you do not want to assign attendees to selected breakout rooms manually, you can randomize this option. The system will assign attendees to different sessions in the most random way. When you’re ready to start working in smaller groups, click Open all rooms, and wait a few seconds for the screen to load.

The attendees will see a notification on their screen and a timer counting down the seconds. They do not need to click anything at this stage but wait to be redirected to the right breakout room.

Please note that breakout rooms are not compatible with dialed-in users and they will not be able to join them. If you intend to work with your audience in smaller groups within breakout rooms, please make sure the phone gateway is disabled. You can also advise your attendees to join the event via a desktop browser, mobile application, or mobile browser to be able to participate in a breakout session.

Please note that joining the session hosted in a breakout room can only be done via the main event room. If your attendee unintentionally leaves the breakout room or loses their Internet connection, they will need to join the main event room and then be assigned to the correct room by the host or the presenter.

Breakout rooms do not have their own URL addresses; therefore, managing and assigning attendees by the host or the presenter is a requirement.

Can my attendees re-enter the breakout rooms?

It may happen that your attendees unintentionally leave a breakout room, or they will get kicked out of your event due to the poor Internet connection. In that case, they can join the main room once again and then be redirected to a selected breakout room.

When the attendees get back to the main event room, they will be notified to wait a moment before the host, or the presenter, assigns them again to a selected breakout room. The same type of notification will also be displayed on the host’s or presenter’s screen.

Please note that the attendees cannot join the breakout room by themselves and always need to be assigned to the right session by the host or the presenter. Breakout rooms do not have their own URL addresses, so it is impossible to join such a room directly. Therefore, re-entering a breakout room can only be done through the main event room with a host’s or a presenter’s help.

Please note that breakout rooms are not compatible with dialed-in users and they will not be able to join them. If you intend to work with your audience in smaller groups within breakout rooms, please make sure the phone gateway is disabled. You can also advise your attendees to join the event via a desktop browser, mobile application, or mobile browser to be able to participate in a breakout session.

How many attendees can I gather in my breakout rooms?

The number of attendees who can join one breakout room is limited to 40. The event type of a breakout room is a meeting. It means that up to 40 people can collaborate on a project or task in such a room.

You can create up to 20 breakout rooms from one main session. However, keep in mind that the number of attendees who can join breakout rooms does not multiply the number of attendees your subscription plan indicates. For instance, if your plan of choice is Automated 100, this means that you can gather up to 100 attendees in the main event room and breakout room (or rooms).

If the 101st person is trying to join your event, they will see a notification on their screen that all seats are already taken, and they will not be able to join the conference at the moment. If this happens, you can upgrade your account to a higher package and then let additional attendees join your conference.

Please note that breakout rooms are not compatible with dialed-in users and they will not be able to join them. If you intend to work with your audience in smaller groups within breakout rooms, please make sure the phone gateway is disabled. You can also advise your attendees to join the event via a desktop browser, mobile application, or mobile browser to be able to participate in a breakout session.

Breakout rooms are included in Live and Automated plans (with 25 attendees and above).