Connect OpenAI or Claude to your campaign and let an AI assistant answer attendee questions in your live webinar chat, using your own Q&A content as its knowledge. When someone types a question during your event, AEvent hands it to your chosen AI model along with your knowledge base and posts a reply straight into the chat, so common questions get answered instantly while you focus on presenting. | What you will connect:
Zoom Data Loss Prevention Google Sheet knowledge base OpenAI or Claude Campaign chat reply |
How it works
The whole flow is four connected pieces:
An attendee types a question in your live Zoom or AStream chat.
AEvent takes that question and looks through your Google Sheet knowledge base for the most relevant answers.
It sends the question plus that matched context to your chosen AI model, OpenAI or Claude.
The model writes a short reply, and AEvent posts it back into the chat for the attendee to see.
You and your team can still jump into the chat at any time. The AI simply takes the repetitive questions off your plate.
A quick note on what this is not. This is different from Auto Chat, which posts scripted messages you write in advance on a schedule. Here the replies are generated live in response to real questions. It is also different from the bring-your-own-bot bridge, which is for developers who want to run their own agent over a webhook. This guide covers the no-code path built into AEvent.
Before you start
You will need four things in place. The next sections walk through each one.
A supported event. AI chat replies work on AStream events and Zoom meetings and webinars. They are not available for GoToWebinar or Obvio.
Zoom Data Loss Prevention enabled (Zoom users only). This is what lets Zoom forward your chat to AEvent so the AI can see it. See Step 1.
A Google Sheet knowledge base and the Google Sheets integration connected in AEvent. See Step 2.
An OpenAI or Claude account with an API key. See Step 3.
Step 1: Turn on Zoom Data Loss Prevention
Zoom users only. If you run your events on AStream, skip to Step 2.
For the AI to reply to Zoom chat, AEvent first has to be able to read that chat. Zoom only forwards live chat messages to AEvent when Data Loss Prevention is enabled on your Zoom account. Without it, the AI has nothing to respond to.
To turn it on:
Sign in to your Zoom account settings.
Go to In Meeting (Advanced).
Make sure Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is enabled.
Your Zoom account may show a different version of this setting. If the toggle does not look like the one above, open a ticket with Zoom Support and ask them to enable Data Loss Prevention on your account. This is a one-time setup.
For the full context on this setting, see the Zoom integration guide.
Step 2: Build your Google Sheet knowledge base
Your Google Sheet is the AI's knowledge. It reads from this sheet to answer questions, so the cleaner and clearer it is, the better the replies.
Structure it as a simple question-and-answer table. The most reliable layout is:
Column A: the question a viewer might ask.
Column B: the answer you want the AI to give.
Optional columns: Category, Product, or Tags to help you organize larger sheets.
AEvent reads the whole worksheet as reference material, matches the parts closest to each incoming question, and passes those to the AI. You do not need a special format for it to work, but a clear question-and-answer layout gives the AI the cleanest material to draw from and keeps your answers consistent.
If you build this sheet from a past event export, such as a Zoom Q&A log, chat history, or support tickets, remove every attendee identifier first: names, email addresses, phone numbers, exact company names, and any personal details. Keep only the generic question and a generalized answer. Anything left in the sheet is fair game for the AI to repeat back to a future attendee.
Connect the Google Sheets integration. So AEvent can read your sheet, add the Google Sheets integration and connect your Google account. Go to Integrations, click Add Integration, search for Google Sheets, and connect. You do not have to use Google Sheets for anything else in the campaign; it just needs to be connected so the AI can read your knowledge base. For the full walkthrough, see the Google Sheets integration guide.
Step 3: Add OpenAI or Claude
Next, add your AI provider to AEvent. Pick whichever account you have. The two are nearly identical to set up; the only real difference is where you get the API key, and that Claude lets you pick a model once it is connected.
First, get your API key
If you are using OpenAI:
Go to the OpenAI platform and sign in.
Open Settings (the gear icon, top right), then API keys in the left menu.
Click Create new secret key, name it something like AEvent OpenAI, and copy it right away. OpenAI only shows the key once.
If you are using Claude:
Go to the Claude console and sign in.
Find API Keys under Manage.
Click Create Key, name it something like AEvent Claude, and copy it right away.
Then, add it to AEvent
In AEvent, go to Integrations and click Add Integration.
Search for OpenAI or Claude and select it.
Give the integration a clear name and paste in your API key.
Click Continue. AEvent checks the key and marks the integration Connected.
Claude only: once Claude shows Connected, open its integration settings to choose the Claude model to use. A faster model suits high-volume chat; a more capable one handles nuanced questions better. The models available depend on your Claude account, your Anthropic access, and what AEvent currently supports.
Step 4: Turn it on in your campaign
With your event, your sheet, and your AI provider all connected, the last step wires them together inside a campaign.
Go to Campaigns and open the AStream or Zoom campaign you want to add AI chat to.
Open the campaign's Integrations tab.
Find your provider, OpenAI or Claude, and toggle it On.
Turn on Reply to Registrant Chat Messages.
Choose the Google Sheets account you connected, then the spreadsheet that holds your Q&A.
Claude only: pick the model for this campaign. This is the model AEvent uses when it sends attendee questions and your Q&A to Claude.
Click Update Settings to save.
Customize the agent's name (Zoom). In your campaign's Zoom integration settings, there is a Support Bot section with a Bot Name field. It defaults to Support — this is the name the AI's replies appear under in the chat. Set it to your host's name or your brand so replies feel on-brand. (On AStream, the equivalent field is Support Reply Name, also defaulting to Support.)
That is it. The next time you run this event, attendee questions in chat will be answered automatically from your knowledge base.
Good to know
It answers questions, not statements. The AI replies when a chat message reads as a question. General comments in the chat are left alone.
Replies are meant to be short. The AI is guided to keep answers concise and to reply in the same language as the question.
Your sheet is the main source, but not the only one. AEvent also draws on your registration email content and your video summaries when it looks for the best answer, so keeping those accurate helps too.
It runs during the live event. Chat replies happen while the event is in progress. They do not run before it starts or after it ends.
Give it a moment. If the AI cannot reach the model quickly, it simply stays quiet for that message rather than posting a late or broken reply. If replies are not appearing at all, check Step 4 and your API key.
Troubleshooting
The AI is not replying in a Zoom event. Confirm Data Loss Prevention is enabled on your Zoom account (Step 1). Without it, Zoom does not forward chat to AEvent.
No replies at all. Open the campaign's Integrations tab and confirm your provider is toggled On, Reply to Registrant Chat Messages is on, and a spreadsheet is selected. Then go to Integrations and click Test on the OpenAI or Claude integration to confirm the key still works.
The connection test fails. Your API key may have changed or expired. Click Re-Connect, paste a fresh key, and test again.
Answers are off or incomplete. Review your Google Sheet. Make the questions and answers clear and specific, and remove anything outdated. The AI can only be as good as the knowledge you give it.
You do not see the option. AI chat replies are available on AStream and Zoom events only, not on GoToWebinar or Obvio.
If you would like a hand connecting an AI agent to your webinar chat, reach out to our support team any time.