Planning your first webinar means running into terms that guides tend to take for granted. What is the difference between registration rate and attendance rate? What goes into an ICS file, and when do you need a data processing agreement? This webinar glossary explains the most common terms briefly and in plain language. Where there is an in-depth article, a link takes you there.
Terms starting with A
A/B test
Two versions of a page, email or webinar run at the same time and visitors are assigned to one at random. You then compare a metric you chose in advance. A difference only means something once each version has had enough visitors. See A/B testing webinars.
Access link
The personal link a registered attendee uses to join the webinar. It belongs in every reminder and in the calendar invite, as near the top as possible.
Accessibility
A webinar is accessible when people with disabilities can use it too, thanks to captions, good contrast and keyboard navigation, for example. Since 28 June 2025 the European Accessibility Act has applied in the EU to certain products and services for consumers. More in accessible webinars and the European Accessibility Act.
Advertising disclosure
A clear statement that content is advertising, for instance when you are paid for a recommendation or earn a commission. See labelling advertising in webinars.
Affiliate product
Someone else’s product that you recommend in return for a commission. You need to disclose that commission. Affiliate webinars with proper disclosure explains how.
AI Act
The EU regulation on artificial intelligence (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689). Its transparency obligations under Article 50 have applied since 2 August 2026, including the requirement that people can tell when they are interacting with an AI. See the EU AI Act and webinars.
AI avatar
A computer-generated figure that speaks with a synthetic voice, often with matching lip movements. If viewers could mistake it for a real person, clear labelling matters all the more.
AI presenter
An AI voice, often paired with an image, that guides attendees through the webinar and reads the speaker notes. Viewers should be able to tell that no real person is speaking. More in the AI webinar presenter.
Attendance rate
The share of confirmed registrants who actually turn up: attendees divided by confirmed registrations.
Automated webinar
A pre-recorded webinar broadcast at set times. Registration, reminders and the broadcast itself run without the host being present. Automated webinars explained covers it in detail.
Terms from B to D
Bonus
An extra for registrants or attendees, such as a checklist or template. It only helps if it fits the topic and arrives as promised.
Buy button
A button that leads to the offer during the webinar. When to show the buy button covers the timing.
Call to action
The sentence or button that tells people what to do next, such as “Save my seat” on the registration page or “See the offer” in the webinar.
Calendar invite (ICS file)
A calendar file in the iCalendar format (RFC 5545) that attendees add to their calendar. It contains the title, the time with time zone and ideally the access link. See calendar invites for webinars with an ICS file.
Captions
On-screen text of what is being said. They help people watching without sound, people with hearing loss and non-native speakers. WebVTT is the common format on the web. More in webinar captions and subtitles.
Chat
The text box where attendees ask questions and comment during the webinar. In automated webinars, answers come from the host, a team or an AI. See using the webinar chat as a conversation.
Click-through rate
The share of recipients or attendees who click a link, such as the offer in a webinar. Always state what the base number is.
Confirmation rate
With double opt-in, the share of submitted registrations that get confirmed by clicking the link in the confirmation email. A low rate often means emails are landing in spam.
Consent
A freely given, informed and unambiguous agreement to a specific use of personal data, such as receiving marketing emails. People can withdraw it at any time, and you must be able to prove it.
Conversion rate
In webinar marketing, usually the share of registration page visitors who sign up: registrations divided by visitors. Improving your webinar landing page conversion rate shows how to measure and raise it.
Countdown
A timer, either to the start of the webinar or to the end of an offer. A countdown has to be true. An offer that is said to end must actually end.
Data processing agreement
If a provider processes personal data on your behalf, such as a webinar platform or email service, the GDPR (Article 28) requires a contract covering purpose, safeguards and instructions. See data processing agreements for webinar tools.
Double opt-in
A two-step sign-up: the registration only becomes valid once the person clicks a link in a confirmation email. It shows that the address really belongs to whoever signed up. More in double opt-in for webinar registrations.
Drop-off
The point at which attendees leave the webinar. A drop-off curve shows how many are still watching at each minute and reveals weak spots.
Terms from E to L
Evergreen webinar
A webinar with timeless content that can run at set times for months. It still needs regular upkeep so that figures and examples stay current.
Follow-up
Messages after the webinar, such as a new session for people who missed it or further reading. Marketing in those messages usually requires consent.
Hallucination
A statement an AI phrases convincingly but which is wrong or made up. That is why text, figures and quotes from AI tools always need checking. See how to prevent AI hallucinations.
Interaction
Anything attendees can do themselves during a webinar: ask questions, vote, react, click. Automated webinars can offer interaction too. More in automated webinar engagement.
Landing page
The page where people register for a webinar, also called a registration page. It explains the topic, benefit, date and format and contains the sign-up form. See a webinar landing page that converts.
Lead
The contact details of an interested person, for example from a webinar registration. A lead is not yet a customer, and a registration is not consent to marketing.
Legal notice
The information about who runs a website. In the EU, the e-Commerce Directive requires service providers to make basic details easy to find. In Germany this is the Impressum, required by section 5 of the Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz (DDG), which replaced the earlier Telemedia Act rules in May 2024. It should be one click away from your registration page.
Live webinar
A webinar that happens in real time, with presenters speaking as it runs. Live vs automated webinars compares the two formats.
Terms from N to S
No-show
A registrant who doesn’t turn up to the session. A message offering a new time brings some of them back.
Objection
A reason prospects hesitate, such as time, price or doubts about the benefit. Good sales webinars address the typical ones before anyone has to ask.
Product demo
A webinar that shows a product in use rather than just describing it. Especially common for software.
Reactions
Small signals from attendees such as applause or a thumbs-up. They reflect the mood as long as they are genuine. See webinar reactions.
Recording
A captured webinar that people can watch later, often called a replay. If you offer one, say so honestly on the registration page and never present it as live. More in offering a webinar replay.
Reminder email
A message before the session with the time, the access link and a reason to come. Common timings are the day before, an hour before and just before the start. See webinar reminder emails.
Retention rate
The share of attendees who stay until a particular point in the webinar, usually the offer. It shows whether the content holds attention.
Scarcity
Telling people an offer is limited. Genuine limits can be stated; invented ones can count as misleading advertising. See countdowns and scarcity in webinars.
Script
The written-out running order of a webinar, with the words, slide changes and transitions. There is a template in how to write a webinar script.
Slides
The presentation attendees see during the webinar. Good slides make one point each and stay readable on a phone.
Social proof
Signs that other people use and value an offer, such as customer testimonials. They must be real and verifiable. Fake reviews are not allowed.
Speaker notes
The spoken text for each slide. It adds to what is on the slide rather than reading it out.
Subject line
The line recipients see first in their inbox. For webinar emails it should say clearly what the message is about and still make sense when cut short on a phone.
Terms from T to W
Thank-you page
The page people see after submitting the form. It confirms the registration, explains the next steps and often offers a calendar invite. See the webinar thank-you page.
Time zone
The local time a session refers to. Show times in each attendee’s local time or state the time zone, so nobody turns up at the wrong moment.
Unsubscribe link
A link in emails that lets recipients stop further messages. Marketing emails need one, because people must be able to withdraw consent easily. The List-Unsubscribe header standard also lets email apps show their own unsubscribe button.
UTM parameters
Tags added to a link that show where a visitor came from, such as a newsletter or an ad. No cookie is needed to read them.
Waiting room
The page attendees see before the start, usually with a countdown and a few practical notes. It should make clear when things begin.
Watch time
How long attendees stay in the webinar, usually as an average across everyone. Together with the drop-off curve, it shows where people leave.
Webinar
A seminar held on the web; the word blends “web” and “seminar”. Attendees follow the talk and slides in their browser, usually with a chat. See what is a webinar?.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between registration rate and attendance rate?
The registration rate measures how many visitors to the registration page sign up. The attendance rate measures how many confirmed registrants turn up to the session. They describe different steps and have different causes.
Is an automated webinar a live webinar?
No. An automated webinar is recorded and shown at set times, so it must not be described as live.
Do I need all these terms for my first webinar?
No. To get started, landing page, double opt-in, reminder email, access link and a few key metrics are enough. You’ll pick up the rest as you need it.
Final thoughts
Most webinar terms sound more technical than they are. Behind nearly all of them is a simple question: how do people get to the webinar, what do they experience there and what happens afterwards? If you want to go deeper on any term, the links lead to the full articles.
The legal notes in this glossary are general information and not legal advice.
