Live show questions and moderation
Collect live-show questions, reply privately or to everyone, and moderate attendee participation.
What it is
Live-show Questions collects attendee questions for hosts to handle. Hosts can mark a question as dealt with, dismiss it or send a private or public reply. They can also send show messages and block further questions from a viewer.
Who uses it and why
- Operators and supervisors acting as hosts review questions and moderate participation.
- Advisors ask questions for their accompanied visitors when operator questions are allowed.
- Visitors submit questions when their attendance and the account policy permit it.
Where to find it
With the Live Shows role, open the broadcast from Settings › Live Shows › Shows. Use Questions, Answered and Participants in the host console. Powerfront manages the question policy at Settings › Live Shows › Accounts.
How it works
Eligible participants submit questions to the queue. Hosts see the queue; other participants see their own questions and questions that have received a public reply.
For a queued question, the host can:
- Select Done to mark it as already answered without sending a written reply.
- Select Dismiss to decline it, or use the undo icon on a dismissed or already-answered item to return it to the queue.
- Select Click here to answer, write a reply and choose Privately or Everyone.
- Edit the displayed question text before sending a reply.
- Select Block to stop that viewer asking further questions in the broadcast.
A private reply goes to the asker and hosts. A reply sent to Everyone shares the question and response with attendees. In Participants, hosts can use Broadcast to Everyone or send an individual attendee a private message.
Blocking also dismisses that viewer's unfinished questions. Click to Unblock restores participation, but does not automatically return those dismissed questions to the queue.
Configure it
Ask Powerfront to set Allow Operator Questions and Allow Attendee Questions on the streaming account. Both are off unless enabled.
| Participant | When they can ask |
|---|---|
| Host | Hosts do not submit questions through this flow. |
| Advisor | Allow Operator Questions is on. |
| Viewer without an advisor | Allow Attendee Questions is on. |
| Viewer with an advisor | Allow Attendee Questions is on and Allow Operator Questions is off. |
Ad hoc shows created from Store Templates suppress questions regardless of these options. With the Settings role, give moderators Live Shows access and have them join the broadcast as hosts.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allow Operator Questions | Settings › Live Shows › Accounts › Questions | website | Off | Powerfront | Allows advisors to ask questions and makes the advisor the question route for accompanied visitors. |
| Allow Attendee Questions | Settings › Live Shows › Accounts › Questions | website | Off | Powerfront | Allows independent viewers to ask questions. Accompanied viewers can ask only when operator questions are off. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Live Shows | Host shows and use host question, reply, blocking and broadcast-message controls. |
Limits and good to know
- Questions, replies and show messages are limited to 300 characters. Longer submitted text is shortened.
- Excess line breaks are flattened after the text reaches the line-break limit.
- Blocking applies to question participation in this broadcast. It is not the telephone blacklist or a general website block.
- Public and private replies have different audiences. Choose the intended reply action before sending.
- Unblocking does not undo the dismissal of earlier questions.
Depends on and works with
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Roles and permissionsConfigured by
Live Shows access controls host management actions.
- Live show setup and schedulingConfigured by
Ad hoc shows created from Store Templates do not allow questions through this flow.
- Live show broadcastingRequires
Host, advisor and viewer roles determine question and moderation actions in a live broadcast.
Used by
- Live show broadcastingEnhances
Questions and moderation use the participant's host, advisor or viewer role.
- Live show recordings and publishingEnhances
Public answered questions and public messages can accompany replay.
- Past show attendance and activityEnhances
Questions, replies and messages appear in the show report.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why can I not ask a question while hosting?
Hosts handle questions rather than submit them. Use the host message controls when you want to address attendees.
Why can an advisor ask but their visitor cannot?
With Allow Operator Questions on, the advisor is the question route for accompanied viewers. The visitor cannot submit independently in that state.
Can everyone see a private reply?
No. It is sent to the asker and remains available to hosts. Use Everyone for a public response.
Why did pending questions disappear after I blocked a viewer?
Blocking dismisses that viewer's unfinished questions as well as preventing further submissions.
Why did unblocking not restore those questions?
Unblocking restores participation only. Use the relevant undo control if you want to return a dismissed question to the queue.