Which file formats can I use in a webinar?

Fourteen formats go into a webinar, and the platform will tell you the list itself if you try anything else.

• Slides and documents: .pdf, .ppt, .pptx, .pptsx, .ppsx, .odp
• "Images": .png, .jpg, .jpeg
• "Video and audio": .mp4, .mov, .webm, .mkv, .mp3

Video hosted on YouTube or Vimeo plays in the room as well, through a link rather than an upload. In the control panel that link goes into "Add YouTube or Vimeo" under "Storage", and in the room it goes into the field on the "Media" tab, which YouTube live stream playback walks through. It does not reach the recording, which why YouTube videos are missing from your recording explains.

What happens with anything else

Upload a file outside that list and it is refused before it goes anywhere, with the whole list repeated back to you.

Nothing is uploaded and nothing is broken, so there is no clearing up to do afterwards. Still, converting an unusual file the day before your event beats discovering this five minutes into it.

The size limits are separate from the format. A presentation can run to 200 MB and 200 slides, and a video file to 1 GB, which uploading a presentation covers.

How presentations are converted

Presentations and documents you upload are split into slides automatically, one slide per page. Because each slide becomes a static page, sound and animation built into a presentation do not play in the webinar room.

If your deck depends on animation, transitions or embedded audio, the easiest way to show it is to share your screen and run the presentation from your own computer, where it plays exactly as it does locally. The room offers screen sharing under "Show", on the "Screen" tab.

Making slides readable

For presentations to display well, we recommend Arial, Tahoma, Verdana or Times New Roman at a size of at least 14 pixels. In PowerPoint, turning on ClearType font smoothing before you upload also helps the text hold up on your attendees' screens.

Still stuck

If the format you need is not on the list, open the online chat and tell us what the file is and which program produced it.

Frequently asked questions

Can I play a YouTube or Vimeo video in the room?

Yes, through a link rather than an upload. In the control panel that link goes into "Add YouTube or Vimeo" under "Storage", and in the room it goes into the field on the "Media" tab, which YouTube live stream playback walks through. It does not reach the recording, and why YouTube videos are missing from your recording explains that.

How large can a presentation or a video file be?

A presentation can run to 200 MB and 200 slides, and a video file to 1 GB. These limits are separate from the format, so a file in an accepted format is not automatically within them, and uploading a presentation covers the detail.

Will the animations and embedded sound in my slides play?

No. Presentations and documents are split into slides automatically, one slide per page, and because each slide becomes a static page the sound and animation built into the deck do not play in the webinar room. If your deck depends on animation, transitions or embedded audio, share your screen and run the presentation from your own computer, where it plays exactly as it does locally, using "Show" and the "Screen" tab.

The format I need is not one of the fourteen. What are my options?

Convert the file into a format on the list before the event, because an upload outside it is refused before it goes anywhere, with the whole list repeated back to you. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is broken by a refusal, so there is no clearing up to do, but converting the day before beats discovering this five minutes into your event. If nothing you have converts cleanly, open the online chat and tell us what the file is and which program produced it.

Which fonts should I use in my slides?

Arial, Tahoma, Verdana and Times New Roman are the four we recommend, at a size of at least 14 pixels, because a presentation set in them displays best. If you build the deck in PowerPoint, turn ClearType font smoothing on before you upload it as well, and the text holds up better on your attendees' screens.