🧑‍✈️ Roles Overview & Permissions

Moderators facilitate the retrospective session - guiding flow, managing settings, and unlocking collaboration features.

Whether it’s keeping the session structured, managing visibility, or launching engagement tools like polls and icebreakers, moderators ensure the team stays focused and productive.

🧭 What Can Moderators Do?

Here’s a breakdown of the unique capabilities moderators have access to during a session:

Function	Moderator	Participant

Function	Moderator	Participant
Create & manage polls	✅ Yes	❌ No
Invite new users (Private sessions)	✅ Yes	❌ No
Promote/demote moderators	✅ Yes	❌ No
Start / reset session timer	✅ Yes	❌ No
Toggle visibility mode (hidden/visible)	✅ Yes	❌ No
Launch icebreakers	✅ Yes	❌ No
Add Sprint Goals to metrics panel	✅ Yes	❌ No
Change template name	✅ Yes	❌ No
Map session to Jira sprint	✅ Yes	❌ No
Show/hide sprint metrics for users	✅ Yes	❌ No
Set vote limits per user	✅ Yes	❌ No
Convert session (Private/Public)	✅ Yes	❌ No
Close or reopen session	✅ Yes	❌ No
Edit, comment, vote, add items	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
React with emojis, kudos, and GIFs	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Add actions and comments to items	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

🛠️ Key Moderator Controls Explained

1️⃣ Create & Manage Polls

Moderators are the only ones who can see and use the “Create Poll” button in the Polls column.
You can:

Choose from predefined questions or write your own
Set polls to anonymous if desired
Edit, reset votes, or delete polls at any time
Create unlimited polls during the session

Create Poll Button

Enter question with options and save to start

Pre-selected polls available

Anyone can see who voted for not if poll is not anonymous

2️⃣ Manage Access & Roles

In private sessions, moderators must manually add users.
From the View All Members panel, moderators can:

Invite new participants
Promote others to moderator
Remove or demote users as needed

View all users to open panel

Add users by selecting participants, demote user or promote user by clicking the shield.

3️⃣ Set a Session Timer

Use the timer to guide reflection phases or set limits for voting/discussion.
When active, the countdown is visible to all session participants.

4️⃣ Toggle Visibility Mode

Moderators control whether the session is:

Hidden: Users see only their own inputs
Visible: All items are shown to everyone
This supports psychological safety during early reflection.

5️⃣ Launch Icebreakers

Warm up the session with a team question.
Once launched, the icebreaker appears as a modal to all participants - users can close it at any time.

📘 More on Icebreakers

6️⃣ Add Sprint Goals to Metrics Panel

Add your sprint goal(s) directly into the metrics panel. This helps frame discussion around sprint success or deviation.

7️⃣ Access Moderator Settings

From the Settings panel, moderators can:

Rename the session
Link to a Jira sprint for metrics
Toggle visibility of the metrics panel for standard users
Adjust vote limits per person
Switch between Public and Private
Close or Reopen the session
Delete the session if no longer needed

✅ Tip: Once a session is closed, all open action items are preserved and carried forward into your next retro.

🔄 Next Up

Ready to reflect with your team?
👉 Templates & Customization