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Kaltura Chat & Collaborate (CnC) API

The Chat & Collaborate (CnC) component provides real-time communication and audience interaction alongside video content. It powers the collaboration layer in Kaltura virtual events and MediaSpace content pages.

Base URL: Managed by the Events Platform — CnC is activated within event sessions, not via a standalone URL
Auth: Managed by the Events Platform — CnC uses the event session's authentication context
Format: Embedded automatically within Kaltura event pages

1. When to Use

  • Virtual events and webinars — Add real-time audience chat and Q&A alongside live or recorded sessions
  • Content hubs — Enable discussion threads and collaboration on media content pages
  • Learning platforms — Facilitate student-instructor interaction alongside course videos

2. Prerequisites

  • Kaltura Session (KS) — An ADMIN KS (type=2) is needed for configuring CnC settings and managing event sessions. Attendee access is managed automatically by the Events Platform authentication context. See the Session Guide for KS generation details.
  • CnC feature enabled — The account must have the Chat & Collaborate feature enabled as part of a Kaltura Events or Enterprise subscription.
  • Events Platform — CnC is activated within event sessions created through the Events Platform API. Configure event sessions with CnC modules (chat, Q&A, polls) enabled.

3. Features

CnC provides a suite of collaboration modules that appear as panels alongside the video player:

Module Description
Group Chat Real-time text chat for all participants. Messages appear in chronological order with sender names and timestamps. Supports emoji reactions on messages.
Q&A Structured question-and-answer panel. Attendees submit questions; moderators can review, approve, answer publicly, or answer privately. Supports upvoting to surface popular questions.
Polls Live polling during sessions. Presenters create multiple-choice polls, attendees vote, and results display in real-time.
Announcements One-way messages from moderators/presenters to all participants. Appear prominently in the chat area.
Reactions Emoji reactions (applause, thumbs up, etc.) that float across the screen during live sessions.

4. Integration

CnC is embedded as part of the Kaltura Events Platform or MediaSpace experience. It is not a standalone widget with a public embed API — it is automatically included when you create virtual event sessions through the Events Platform.

How CnC is activated:

  1. Create a virtual event with sessions via the Events Platform API
  2. Configure session settings to enable chat, Q&A, and/or polls
  3. When attendees join the event page, the CnC panels load automatically alongside the video player
  4. Moderators manage chat and Q&A through the event moderation interface

Configuration through Events Platform:

  • Enable/disable modules — Control which CnC features (chat, Q&A, polls) are available per session
  • Moderation settings — Set whether Q&A requires moderator approval before questions are visible
  • Anonymity — Configure whether attendees can post anonymously
  • Pre/post-event behavior — Control whether chat is available before the session starts or after it ends

5. Data Access

Chat and Q&A data from events can be accessed through the Events Platform reporting endpoints. Use the analytics report types for virtual events to retrieve engagement metrics including chat message counts, Q&A participation, and poll responses. See the Analytics Reports API for event-specific report types (3009, 3010).

6. Error Handling

  • Chat not appearing in event page — Verify the session has chat enabled in its configuration. CnC modules only load for sessions where they are explicitly enabled via the Events Platform settings.
  • Q&A questions not visible — If Q&A moderation is enabled, submitted questions require moderator approval before appearing to other attendees. Check the moderation queue in the event management interface.
  • Polls not displaying results — Poll results only appear after the presenter explicitly publishes them. Verify the poll has been activated and its results released.

7. Best Practices

  • Enable only the modules you need. Disable unused CnC features (chat, Q&A, polls) per session to reduce UI clutter and simplify the attendee experience.
  • Use moderated Q&A for large events. Enable moderator approval for Q&A in sessions with more than 50 attendees to manage question volume and maintain quality.
  • Review engagement data post-event. Use the analytics report types (3009, 3010) via the Analytics Reports API to assess chat and Q&A participation metrics.

8. Related Guides