Host

What is a Host?

In video conferencing, the host (also called meeting owner or organizer) is the person who creates and controls a meeting. The host has elevated permissions and administrative capabilities that regular participants don't have, including the ability to admit participants, manage settings, control who can share content, and moderate the overall meeting experience.

Each meeting typically has one primary host, though modern platforms allow host privileges to be shared or delegated to co-hosts and alternative hosts to distribute moderation responsibilities.

Types of Host Roles

Primary Host (Meeting Owner)

The primary host is typically the person who scheduled or created the meeting:

Full Control: Has complete access to all meeting controls and settings
Cannot Be Removed: Cannot be removed from the meeting by other participants or co-hosts
Persistent Role: Maintains host privileges even after leaving and rejoining
Meeting Lifecycle: Can delete the meeting, change settings, and access post-meeting analytics
One Per Meeting: Only one primary host exists per meeting (though role can be transferred)

Co-host

Co-hosts are participants promoted by the host to help manage the meeting:

Shared Moderation: Can perform most host functions like muting participants, managing screen sharing
Cannot Start Meeting: Unlike alternative hosts, co-hosts cannot start a scheduled meeting
Limited Control: Cannot remove the primary host or end the meeting for all participants
Session-Based: Co-host privileges last only for the current session
Multiple Co-hosts: A meeting can have multiple co-hosts

Alternative Host

Alternative hosts are pre-designated backup hosts:

Can Start Meeting: Can start the meeting if the primary host is unavailable
Pre-Assignment: Must be assigned before the meeting starts (typically during scheduling)
Full Host Powers: Has same control capabilities as co-hosts while primary host is absent
Automatic Demotion: May be automatically demoted to co-host when primary host joins

Host Permissions and Controls

Participant Management

Hosts have comprehensive participant control capabilities:

Admit/Deny Entry: Control who joins from the waiting room
Remove Participants: Eject disruptive participants from the meeting
Mute/Unmute: Mute individual participants or all participants at once
Spotlight/Pin: Highlight specific participants for all attendees
Rename Participants: Change display names for organizational purposes
Promote to Co-host: Delegate moderation responsibilities
Lower Hands: Clear raised hand notifications
Disable Video: Stop participant video feeds if necessary

Meeting Controls

Hosts control meeting-wide settings and features:

Start/End Meeting: Begin the meeting and end it for all participants
Lock Meeting: Prevent new participants from joining
Enable Waiting Room: Toggle waiting room on/off during meeting
Control Recording: Start, pause, and stop meeting recordings
Manage Screen Sharing: Control who can share screens (anyone, host only, specific participants)
Enable Breakout Rooms: Create and manage breakout rooms for small group discussions
Chat Permissions: Control who can send messages and to whom
Meeting Settings: Adjust audio/video settings, enable/disable features mid-meeting

Content Management

Share Screen: Share their own screen with priority access
Control Annotations: Enable/disable participant annotations on shared content
Manage Polls: Create and launch polls or Q&A sessions
Upload Files: Share files or resources with participants

Implementation in WebRTC

Token-Based Authentication

Modern WebRTC platforms use token-based authentication to designate hosts:

// Creating a meeting with host designation
const meetingToken = await createMeetingToken({
  userId: 'user-123',
  meetingId: 'meeting-abc',
  role: 'owner', // or 'co-host', 'participant'
  permissions: {
    canAdmitParticipants: true,
    canRemoveParticipants: true,
    canMuteOthers: true,
    canManageRecording: true,
    canManageBreakoutRooms: true,
    canEndMeeting: true
  },
  expiresIn: 3600 // 1 hour
});

// Join meeting with host token
const session = await daily.join({
  url: meetingUrl,
  token: meetingToken
});

Role Verification on Server

Server-side logic enforces host privileges:

// Server-side permission check
function canPerformAction(userId, meetingId, action) {
  const participant = getParticipant(userId, meetingId);
  
  // Check role-based permissions
  if (action === 'remove-participant') {
    return participant.role === 'owner' || participant.role === 'co-host';
  }
  
  if (action === 'end-meeting') {
    return participant.role === 'owner';
  }
  
  if (action === 'promote-to-cohost') {
    return participant.role === 'owner';
  }
  
  return false;
}

// Handle host action request
socket.on('remove-participant', ({ targetUserId }) => {
  if (!canPerformAction(socket.userId, meetingId, 'remove-participant')) {
    return socket.emit('error', { message: 'Insufficient permissions' });
  }
  
  // Proceed with removal
  removeParticipantFromMeeting(targetUserId, meetingId);
});

Dynamic Role Promotion

// Promote participant to co-host
async function promoteToCoHost(participantId) {
  // Verify caller is host
  if (!isHost(currentUserId)) {
    throw new Error('Only hosts can promote participants');
  }
  
  // Update role in database
  await updateParticipantRole(meetingId, participantId, 'co-host');
  
  // Send updated permissions to participant
  sendToParticipant(participantId, {
    type: 'role-updated',
    role: 'co-host',
    permissions: getCoHostPermissions()
  });
  
  // Notify all participants
  broadcastToMeeting(meetingId, {
    type: 'participant-promoted',
    participantId,
    newRole: 'co-host'
  });
}

Host Responsibilities

Before the Meeting

Schedule and Configure: Set up meeting time, duration, and settings
Send Invitations: Distribute meeting links and calendar invites
Prepare Content: Organize slides, documents, or materials to share
Test Technology: Verify camera, microphone, and screen sharing work
Set Permissions: Configure waiting room, recording, and sharing settings
Assign Co-hosts: Designate alternative hosts or co-hosts if needed

During the Meeting

Admit Participants: Let attendees in from waiting room
Facilitate Discussion: Guide conversation and manage speaker queue
Manage Disruptions: Mute disruptive participants or remove bad actors
Control Content: Manage who shares screen and when
Monitor Engagement: Watch for raised hands, questions, and chat messages
Record if Needed: Start recording and inform participants
Time Management: Keep meeting on track and on schedule

After the Meeting

Share Recording: Distribute recording and transcripts
Follow Up: Send summary, action items, and additional resources
Review Analytics: Check attendance, engagement metrics, and feedback

Best Practices for Hosts

Meeting Preparation

Test Early: Join 5-10 minutes early to test equipment and settings
Have Backup: Assign alternative host in case of technical issues
Clear Agenda: Prepare and share agenda in advance
Security Settings: Enable waiting room for sensitive meetings

Moderation Techniques

Mute on Entry: For large meetings (>10 people), mute participants on entry
Set Ground Rules: Explain meeting norms at the beginning
Use Co-hosts: For large meetings, delegate tasks to co-hosts (one monitors chat, one manages Q&A)
Manage Speakers: Use raised hand feature to organize questions
Monitor Chat: Actively watch chat for questions and technical issues

Inclusivity and Engagement

Call on Quiet Participants: Actively engage those who haven't spoken
Use Polls: Gather quick feedback and maintain engagement
Breakout Rooms: Create smaller discussion groups for participation
Record Meetings: Allow those who couldn't attend to catch up

Common Use Cases

Team Meetings: Manager hosts regular team sync meetings
Webinars: Speaker hosts educational or marketing presentation
Client Presentations: Sales rep hosts demo or pitch meeting
Virtual Events: Event organizer hosts conference or workshop
Education: Teacher hosts virtual classroom session
Board Meetings: Executive hosts formal board or shareholder meeting
Support Calls: Support agent hosts troubleshooting session

Platform Examples

Zoom: Clear host/co-host distinction, up to 100 co-hosts per meeting, robust host controls
Google Meet: Host can mute, pin, and remove participants; co-host functionality available
Microsoft Teams: Organizer, presenter, and attendee roles with granular permission control
Webex: Host and co-host roles with comprehensive meeting management tools
Daily.co: Owner and admin roles with customizable permissions via API