The Webinar Rehearsal Checklist: What to Test Before Going Live

There's a lot that goes into making a webinar successful. Promotion, interesting speakers, useful content and a platform that does what you need it to do.

But there's another part of the process that doesn't always get the same attention: the rehearsal.

A proper run-through gives your speakers a chance to get comfortable, helps your production team spot potential problems and makes sure everyone knows what's happening when the event goes live.

And when you're bringing together multiple speakers, presentations and audience interactions, that preparation can make a real difference.

So, what should you actually be checking before your next webinar?

Why is rehearsing your webinar so important?

You can spend weeks promoting a webinar, secure some brilliant speakers and put together a presentation full of useful information. But if things don't go smoothly on the day, it can affect the experience you've worked so hard to create.

Perhaps a speaker struggles to share their screen. Someone forgets who's introducing the next section. A poll doesn't appear when expected, or there's an awkward silence while the host works out what happens next.

None of these things necessarily means the event is a disaster. In fact, audiences are generally quite understanding when something unexpected happens.

But they're also the kinds of issues that can often be spotted and resolved during a rehearsal.

And it's not just about the technology.

Rehearsals help presenters become familiar with the event format, understand how they'll interact with one another and feel more confident about delivering their content.

That confidence can make a noticeable difference to how naturally a presentation flows.

What should a webinar run of show include?

If you're organising a webinar with multiple speakers, presentations or audience interactions, having a run of show is incredibly useful.

Essentially, it's a document that outlines what should happen throughout the event, who's responsible for each part and roughly when everything needs to take place.

It doesn't need to be complicated, but it should give everyone involved a clear understanding of how the broadcast will work.

Here are a few things worth including:

• Opening and introductions: Who welcomes the audience? What information needs to be covered before the presentation begins? Are there any housekeeping points attendees should know?
• Presentation timings: How long does each speaker have? When should the next section begin? Build in a little flexibility in case something runs over.
• Speaker handovers: Who introduces each presenter, and how will they know when it's their turn to speak?
• Audience engagement: If you're using polls or Q&A, decide when these will take place and who will be responsible for managing them.
• Technical cues: Note when slides, videos or screen shares need to appear, along with who's responsible for displaying them.
• Team responsibilities: Make sure everyone knows who's hosting, presenting, monitoring questions and handling any technical issues.

For smaller, self-service webinars, one person might manage several of these responsibilities. Larger events may involve a dedicated producer and additional support.

The important thing is that everyone understands their role.

How many rehearsals does a webinar actually need?

There's no single answer to this, because it depends on the event.

A straightforward webinar with one experienced presenter might only need a short technical check and a run-through of the main talking points.

An event involving several senior speakers, multiple presentations or a more complicated running order may benefit from a full rehearsal.

For particularly important broadcasts, arranging two rehearsals can be worthwhile. The first gives you an opportunity to identify any problems, while the second allows you to confirm that everything has been resolved.

Whatever approach you choose, we'd recommend testing the event using the actual platform you'll be broadcasting from.

And where possible, involve the people who'll be presenting on the day.

It's one thing to know how your slides should look. It's another to see them displayed within the webinar environment while you're speaking, sharing content and moving between presenters.

If someone can't attend the full rehearsal, try to arrange a separate technical check with them.

Even ten or fifteen minutes spent checking their microphone, camera, connection and familiarity with the platform can be valuable.

Your pre-webinar rehearsal checklist

So, you've got your speakers together and you're ready for a run-through.

What should you actually test?

Here's a practical checklist you can use before your next live webinar.

1. Check everyone's audio and video

Make sure every presenter can be heard clearly and that their microphone is working as expected.

Check camera positioning, lighting and background distractions too.

If someone is presenting from a busy office or shared workspace, it's worth discussing how they can minimise interruptions during the broadcast.

2. Test slides and screen sharing

Ask presenters to share the actual content they'll be using during the event.

Check that slides display correctly, videos play as expected and any demonstrations or screen shares are easy to follow.

This is also a good opportunity to make sure presenters aren't accidentally sharing private notifications, unrelated browser tabs or sensitive information.

3. Practise speaker introductions and handovers

If you've got multiple speakers, spend some time practising how they'll move between sections.

Who's introducing the next presenter? Will they be sharing their own slides? Does the host need to take control of the presentation between speakers?

These are small details, but getting them right helps the event feel much more natural.

4. Test your audience engagement features

Planning to use polls or Q&A?

Make sure they're set up correctly and that the people responsible for managing them know what to do.

For example, if you're running a Q&A session, decide who's selecting questions, who's answering them and how you'll manage the time available.

You might also want to prepare a few relevant questions in advance to help get the conversation started if the audience is initially quiet.

5. Agree on timings

Run through the planned timings for each section and check whether they're realistic.

A presentation that looks like it should take ten minutes might take fifteen once the speaker begins explaining the content.

It's much easier to adjust the running order before the event than to realise you're running out of time halfway through.

6. Make sure everyone understands their responsibilities

Before finishing the rehearsal, check that everyone knows what they're responsible for during the live broadcast.

This includes presenters, hosts, moderators and anyone providing technical support.

It also helps to agree how the team will communicate behind the scenes if something needs attention.

7. Prepare for unexpected problems

Hopefully, everything will run smoothly.

But it's worth discussing what happens if a speaker loses their connection, a presentation doesn't display correctly or someone is unable to join.

Agree on who will make decisions, who will communicate with the audience and what backup options are available.

You don't need a complicated contingency document for every possible scenario. Just make sure the team has a sensible plan for the issues most likely to affect your event.

What should you do if something goes wrong during a webinar?

Even with a thorough rehearsal, unexpected things can happen.

Internet connections can drop, presenters can experience technical problems and sometimes technology simply doesn't behave the way you expect.

The difference is often how prepared your team is to respond.

For example, if a presenter temporarily loses their connection, does the host know what to say to the audience? Is there another speaker who can continue the discussion? Can the event move on to a different section while the issue is resolved?

Having these conversations beforehand means your team isn't trying to make every decision under pressure.

It's also worth remembering that you don't always need to draw attention to every small technical issue.

A brief pause or slightly delayed handover is rarely the end of the world.

The aim isn't to create an event where absolutely nothing can go wrong. It's to make sure that when something unexpected happens, your team feels confident handling it.

What should you do after the rehearsal?

A rehearsal is only useful if you act on what you've discovered.

Once you've finished, take a few minutes to review anything that needs changing before the live event.

Perhaps a speaker needs to adjust their microphone. A slide contains too much information. A particular section is taking longer than expected, or someone needs a little more guidance on using the platform.

Make a note of those changes, agree who's responsible for them and confirm when they'll be completed.

You don't need to turn this into another lengthy meeting.

A short follow-up email or shared document with the agreed actions is often enough.

And if there are significant changes to the running order or presentation, make sure everyone receives the updated version.

The goal is simple: when your team joins the event on broadcast day, there shouldn't be any surprises that could have been dealt with beforehand.

A little preparation makes a big difference

Webinar rehearsals might not be the most exciting part of event planning, but they're one of the most useful.

They give your speakers an opportunity to practise, help your team identify potential issues and make the whole experience feel more organised.

And perhaps most importantly, they allow everyone involved to concentrate on delivering a good event rather than worrying about what might go wrong.

At WorkCast, we've seen first-hand how much difference a little preparation can make to a live broadcast.

Whether you're managing your own webinars or working with our experienced event managers and producers, taking the time to rehearse can help everyone feel more confident when it's time to go live.

Planning your next webinar?

Get in touch with the WorkCast team to find out how we can support your next online event.