# Host and manage the live Q&A https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/live-management/host-and-manage-the-live-q-a Category: [Live and events](https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events) › [Live management](https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/live-management) --- _Last updated: September, 2026_ As a host or live moderator, you can create a dynamic, interactive experience by managing questions in real-time—organizing, spotlighting, and prioritizing key topics. This article walks you through steps to confidently host and manage live Q&A during Circle live sessions. > ℹ️ Note: This article applies to both host and live moderator roles within the live session. As a live moderator, while you can help manage live Q&A, participants, chat, and more, please note your microphone and camera will remain unavailable. ## **Viewing all questions** The Live Q&A panel houses all questions and provides options to sort and filter questions during the live session. With sorting and filtering options, the host, live moderators, and participants can easily navigate through questions and focus on those most relevant to the ongoing discussion. To access the list of questions, click the **Q&A (?)** icon on the control bar. At the top of the panel, you’ll see dropdown menus for  **Sort**  and  **Filter**  options. Use these options to customize your view in the panel. > 💡 Tip: As a host or live moderator, you can guide the discussion by proactively sharing key questions you have prepared using the editor at the bottom of the Live Q&A panel. When you add questions that align with your agenda, you not only shape the conversation but also encourage thoughtful responses from participants. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/56jnijaq6nyjs76garyaryjust25) **Sorting questions** To organize questions in a way that best suits your session, you can sort them by: - **Most popular** : Shows questions ranked by the number of upvotes they’ve received, with the most popular questions at the top. When upvotes are enabled, this sort helps you quickly identify which questions are of the highest interest to the participants so you can prioritize them. - **Latest:**  Displays questions in the order they were submitted, with the newest questions appearing at the top. - **Oldest** : Lists questions from earliest to latest. This view helps you address questions chronologically. **Filtering questions** Focus on specific types of questions using the filter options: - **All** : Displays both answered and unanswered questions in the panel. If question moderation is enabled, this filter will display only approved questions, whether answered or unanswered. - **Answered** : Displays only questions that have been marked as answered, making it easier to see which questions have been covered. - **Unanswered** : Displays questions that have not yet been answered. It is useful for the host and participants, as it helps ensure that pending questions are given the attention they deserve. - **Waiting for approval** : Displays questions pending moderation approval. This filter is essential for the host and live moderator, who need to review incoming questions before they are visible to everyone. - **Dismissed** : Displays questions that were dismissed during moderation. Questions in this filter are visible only to the host, live moderator, and participant who submitted it. It allows you to view and revisit dismissed questions if needed. Participants can also check this filter to see if their question was dismissed. ## **Moderating questions** Enabling moderation allows you to review each question before it appears in the Q&A panel for everyone. This ensures that only questions relevant to the live session’s topic are presented to everyone. During the live session, you can turn on the  **Enable question moderation**  toggle from [**Q&A settings**](https://help.circle.so/p/live-and-events/live-setup/set-up-the-live-q-a?locale=en#configure-live-q-a-settings), to require approval before each question appears in the panel. Here’s how the question moderation process works: - When participants send questions, they will remain in a  **Waiting for approval**  status. - Only the host, live moderator, and the participant who submitted the question can view the pending question by selecting the  **Waiting for approval**  filter in the Live Q&A panel. - An alert banner will appear at the top of the Live Q&A panel to notify the host and moderators of questions awaiting approval. By clicking  **Show**  on the banner, they can view and decide on the pending question. - The host or a live moderator can then choose to approve or dismiss the question. **Approving questions** To approve a question, click  **Approve**  **(Checkmark icon)** below it. The question will then become visible in the Live Q&A panel for all participants. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/l6umcid2q2bgubjw7w1m148zh1w2) If you accidentally approve a question, you can still permanently delete it from the panel. **Dismissing questions** To dismiss a question, click  **Dismiss**  **(Minus icon)** below it. This will move the question to  **Dismissed**  status. Only the host, live moderator, and participant who submitted the dismissed question can view it by selecting the  **Dismissed**  filter in the panel. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/i4m162af09wf4pili3ku6ri8d1nm) If you dismissed a question by mistake, you can approve it. Select the  **Dismissed**  filter in the panel, locate the question from the list, and then click  **Approve**  (Checkmark icon) below it. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/i2q4f7x6ow5uiuo5wsc0ze1abwfi) ## **Replying to questions** You can respond to the question in written form through replies. This is a great option for directly answering the question or asking a follow-up question. To reply to a question: 1. Hover over the question in the Live Q&A panel and click  **Reply to this question**  (Message icon). 2. Type your response in the text editor. To format written text in the editor, you can also highlight the text by selecting it. A formatting bar will appear with options such as bold, italic, strikethrough, underline, and hyperlink. 3. Once ready, press  **Enter**  or click  **Send reply**  (Paper plane icon). Your reply will appear in a thread and be visible to all participants. **Pin a reply as an answer** If a reply correctly answers a question, you can pin it as the designated answer. To do this, click  **Pin as answer**  below the reply. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/dcv5v6k955dkyvqf0cr8x88q508a) This reply will be prominently displayed below the question within the panel, and the respondent will be recognized as the answer provider. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/rdil3x5lgbdvf7xgv9n7tyqkgpzx) ## **Marking questions as answered** You can mark a question as answered to indicate that it has been resolved. To do this from the Live Q&A panel, find the question in the list and click  **Mark answered**  (Checkmark icon) below it. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/r9x584cnbv6yx0lylif1luaz555n) The background of this question will change to a light green color, and a checkmark will be displayed, indicating that it has been answered. You can always mark it as unanswered again by clicking **Bring back (arrow)**. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/ukesqh4t5opr9czfs9bnd0cbdeq8) ## **Spotlighting questions** The spotlight feature is crafted to elevate the live session experience by allowing the host and moderator to spotlight specific questions, making them highly visible and guiding the flow of discussion. It ensures that questions are not only addressed but given the attention they deserve during live sessions. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/r61s46bdca169y19qszps37ax784) **Benefits of spotlight view** - Spotlighting a question directs participants' attention, making sure key questions are seen by everyone. While you can allow everyone to add replies to answer questions, spotlighting helps you put a focus on the question and answer it live. - With numerous questions, spotlighting helps reduce clutter by bringing one question at a time to everyone’s attention. This pacing allows the host and co-hosts to create natural pauses to discuss spotlighted questions thoroughly during live. - The spotlighted question appears prominently in its own view within the live layout without disrupting other open panels. Let’s take a look at how to use spotlight view: **Spotlighting a question** To spotlight a question, find it in the Live Q&A panel and click  **Spotlight**  below it. The question will move to the spotlight view on everyone’s screens. In the Live Q&A panel, you will see an indication above the question that it’s currently spotlighted, as well as an option to stop spotlighting it if needed. **Creating a spotlight queue** To create a sequence of spotlighted questions, click  **Spotlight**  on multiple questions. These questions will form a queue, indicated in the Live Q&A panel as “Queued up.” The questions will appear in the spotlight view in the order they were added, ensuring a smooth flow of discussion. Once a spotlighted question is marked as answered or you click  **Stop spotlight** , the next question in the queue will automatically be spotlighted. From the Live Q&A panel, you can also click  **Remove from queue**  below the question to take it out of the spotlight queue. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/8nd67u3wz86dekln6r3xl8uoi2gt) **Managing a question spotlight view** When a question is spotlighted, a dedicated view appears on the screen that includes: - The question in the center with the question text and the author’s name provides context to participants. - A  **Checkmark**  icon on the question to mark it as answered. - A  **Stop spotlight**  option to remove the question from the spotlight. When you mark the question as answered, the spotlight automatically moves to the next queued question, if any. If there are no questions in the queue, the spotlight view is removed from the screen. While you can mark a question as answered, it is not required to stop the spotlight on the question and move to another. At the bottom of the spotlight view, you can click  **Stop spotlight**  without marking it as answered. > 💡 Tip: Within the Live Q&A panel, you can also mark a question as answered or turn off the spotlight on it using the respective icons below the question. **Participants experience** Participants, including co-hosts, see the spotlighted question on their screens, similar to the host and moderator. > ℹ️ Note: The spotlight view only presents the question to participants. If they want to interact with the question by upvoting or posting a reply, they will need to do it from the Live Q&A panel. Additionally, the spotlighted question appears pinned at the top of the Q&A panel for them, clearly marked as spotlighted. This visual cue helps everyone focus on the highlighted question, regardless of other activities in the Q&A. ## **Deleting questions** If necessary, you can delete questions from the Q&A panel. Hover over the question you wish to remove and click  **Delete**  (Trash bin icon). ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/e9ntpq4dboooh9fvw958vr99ouy5) The question will be permanently removed from the Live Q&A panel for everyone.