Workflows / Agenda

Linked Start

Decide what happens when one agenda segment ends and the next one is ready. Linked Start keeps the handoff inside the same Room so Host, Display, Speaker, Moderator, and Agenda View follow one live state.

Updated September 7, 20265 minutes to read

Use Linked Start when:

the next segment is known, the handoff needs a repeatable rule, and one Host operator should remain responsible for moving the Room forward.

Concept

Linked Start belongs to the upcoming timer.

Suppose the agenda is Opening, Keynote, and Q&A. The handoff rule for Keynote describes what happens after Opening ends. The rule is stored on Keynote, not on Opening. This distinction matters when you reorder the agenda or replace one segment with another.

A handoff changes the Room's active timer state. It does not create a new Room, change any shared link, or give read-only views permission to control the session.

Host

Configure it from the upcoming timer in Host.

01
Open the private Host workspace and select the timer that will come next.
02
Open that timer's settings panel. In the Agenda flow section, choose one of the three handoff options: No link, Select after previous, or Start after previous.
03
Save the timer settings, then test the result by letting the current timer finish or by using a short rehearsal duration.

Host timer toolbar showing Start, reset, settings, and more actions controls — Open the timer settings from the private Host control surface.

Host Timer settings panel for Opening showing the Agenda flow selector currently set to No link — Host Timer settings shows the visible Agenda flow selector for the upcoming timer.

Host Agenda flow menu showing No link, Select after previous, and Start after previous — The Agenda flow menu contains the three handoff choices.

Do not configure the timer that is ending. Configure the timer that should become active after it.

Agenda Studio

In Agenda Studio, use the item settings.

Open the settings for the item that follows the current segment. Agenda Studio uses the same Agenda flow field as Host, so the option names and behavior stay aligned.

No link: Host chooses what to select and start next.
Select after previous: The item becomes active, but Host still presses Start.
Start after previous: The item starts automatically after the previous item ends, or waits for its scheduled time.

Agenda Studio changes stay in the browser draft until you choose Save changes. The live Room does not receive the new handoff before publishing.

Behavior

Choose the smallest amount of automation that works.

Mode	When the current timer ends	Good fit
No link / Manual	The current item remains selected. Host chooses and starts the next item.	Discussion, Q&A, applause, technical checks, or pauses.
Select after previous	The next item becomes active, but it does not start.	A known sequence that still needs a Host confirmation.
Start after previous	The next item becomes active and starts automatically.	Rehearsed, continuous segments with no expected pause.

Scheduled timing

Scheduled timing takes priority.

A Scheduled timer is anchored to a date and time in the Room timezone. It should not be treated like a normal immediate handoff.

In Host, Start after previous selects the scheduled timer when the previous timer ends, then waits for the configured clock time.
In Agenda Studio, Start after previous also selects the scheduled item, then waits for its configured clock time.
Check the Room timezone and use a future scheduled time before saving the plan.

A scheduled start is a clock rule, not permission for the next timer to start immediately.

Live Room

Host controls the transition; shared views report it.

When the current timer reaches zero, the Room applies the next timer's handoff mode. Host remains responsible for live corrections. Display, Speaker, Moderator, and Agenda View follow the same active timer and can show labels such as Selected after previous or Starts after previous, but they cannot change the rule.

Operational boundary

Keep the Host link private. A handoff is a Room state change, not a new link that must be redistributed to the team.

Before going live

Rehearse the exact transition.

01The upcoming timer, not the ending timer, has the intended setting.
02The agenda order is final, including breaks and optional segments.
03No link leaves the current item selected; Select after previous activates without starting; Start after previous runs automatically.
04Scheduled items use the intended Room timezone and a future time.
05Host, Operator, Display, Speaker, Moderator, and Agenda View show the expected result.

FAQ

Common Linked Start questions

Which timer owns the Linked Start setting?

The upcoming timer owns the setting. In Host or Agenda Studio, open that timer's settings and use Agenda flow.

Why did the next timer become active but not start?

That is the expected behavior for Select after previous. The next item becomes active when the previous timer ends, but Host still needs to press Start. Use Start after previous only when the next segment should begin automatically.

Can a scheduled timer use Start after previous?

Yes. In Host and Agenda Studio, the next timer is selected when the previous timer ends and then waits for its configured scheduled time.

Do Display, Speaker, Moderator, and Agenda View configure Linked Start?

No. Host is the control source. The shared views show the resulting current and next state, but they cannot change the handoff or the Room.

Should every timer use an automatic handoff?

No. Use Manual or Select after previous when a producer may need to pause, wait for a speaker, handle questions, or confirm that the room is ready. Reserve Start after previous for rehearsed, continuous sequences.