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Use this page as a technical reference for the full set of options you may see when adding or editing a BigBlueButton activity in a Moodle course. The exact form can vary by Moodle version, BigBlueButton version, and installed subplugins.
This page focuses on the core BigBlueButton activity settings provided by Moodle. Subplugins and site-specific extensions can add, remove, or override additional options.

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General

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Instance type

The Instance type determines how the activity behaves for live sessions and recordings.
  • Room with recordings: standard mode for running live sessions and publishing their recordings.
  • Room only: live room without recording playback management in the activity.
  • Recordings only: no new live room launch, but previously created/imported recordings remain accessible.
Use this setting when you need to convert a live room into a recordings portal, or when you want to disable live usage after delivery.

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Room name

The room name is the activity title shown in the course and on the activity page. Use a descriptive name (for example, week/topic + class type) so students can quickly identify the correct room.

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Show more…

Expanding Show more… in the General section exposes additional Moodle fields.
  • Description: rich text editor for instructional context, joining notes, or policy reminders.
  • Display description on course page: shows the description directly on the course page under the activity link.
Use this when you want students to see joining instructions without opening the activity first.

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Room settings

These settings control default room behavior for each live session.
  • Welcome message: pre-populated message posted when users enter the room. Useful for agenda, etiquette, and first-step instructions.
  • Wait for moderator: blocks viewer entry until a moderator joins. Useful for managed starts and exam supervision.
  • The session may be recorded: enables recording controls in-session. Disable for privacy-sensitive meetings.
For operational guidance, see Room settings.

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Recording view

  • Show only imported links: filters the recording list to imported recording links only. Useful when you curate a subset of recordings for learners.
For broader recording workflows, see Recording settings.

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Lock settings

Lock settings define default participant restrictions when a session starts.
  • Disable webcams
  • Disable microphones
  • Disable private chat
  • Disable public chat
  • Disable shared notes
  • Hide user list
Use these defaults to enforce classroom format (lecture-style, assessment mode, or moderated discussion). Moderators can typically adjust locks during the live session if permissions allow.

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Presentation content

The Presentation content area controls what files are available at session start.
  • Pre-uploaded presentations: define default slides/content before users join.
  • Drag-and-drop uploads: quick file drop directly in the form.
  • File picker integration: choose content from Moodle repositories.
Common file picker sources include:
  • Upload a file
  • URL downloader
  • Private files
  • Content bank
  • Server files
  • Recent files
  • Wikimedia integration
Use repository sources to standardize content reuse across courses and reduce duplicate uploads. For step-by-step instructions, see Presentations.

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Role assigned during live session

Role assignment maps Moodle identity context to BigBlueButton join roles.

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Role mapping between Moodle and BBB

Each mapping row has:
  • an assignee type (who the rule applies to)
  • a BigBlueButton role (how they enter)

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Assignee types

  • All users enrolled: baseline rule for all enrolled participants.
  • Moodle role: applies to selected Moodle roles (for example, Teacher, Non-editing teacher, Student).
  • User: applies to a specific enrolled user.

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BBB roles

  • Viewer: participant role with standard learner permissions.
  • Moderator: facilitator role with management controls.
Use explicit mappings for co-teaching, teaching assistants, and role-exception handling. For practical mapping examples, see Participants and roles.

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Guest access

  • Allow guest access: permits users outside enrolled participants to join through the guest workflow.
  • Guests joining must be admitted by a moderator: enables moderated lobby/admission behavior for guests.
Use these options for guest speakers, observers, or external evaluators while preserving class control.

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Session timing

Session timing controls the activity join window.
  • Open time: earliest time users can join.
  • Close time: time after which joining is blocked.
Use timing with or without Wait for moderator depending on whether you need strict calendar control, moderated entry, or both. For scheduling patterns, see Schedule a session.

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Grade

The Grade section integrates the activity with Moodle gradebook workflows. Depending on site configuration, this can include grade type/scale behavior and completion-by-grade usage. Use this when BigBlueButton participation should contribute to assessed outcomes.

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Common module settings

These are standard Moodle controls that still affect BigBlueButton activities.
  • Availability: show/hide activity on course page.
  • ID number: unique identifier for reporting/integration use cases.
  • Force language: override language for this activity context.
  • Group mode:
    • No groups
    • Visible groups
    • Separate groups
  • Grouping: restrict activity context to selected group collection.
  • Group/grouping access restrictions: combine with access rules to control who can view/join.
For detailed Moodle behavior, see Common module settings.

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Restrict access

Use Restrict access for conditional availability.
  • Conditional availability (overall rule container)
  • Date restrictions
  • Grade restrictions
  • Group restrictions
  • Activity completion restrictions
Combine rules to control visibility and entry based on progression policies.

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Completion conditions

Moodle completion determines how the activity is marked complete for each learner.
  • No completion tracking
  • Manual completion
  • Automatic completion
BigBlueButton-specific automatic criteria can include:
  • View activity
  • Attendance minutes
  • Chat participation
  • Talk participation
  • Raised hand
  • Poll votes
  • Emojis
  • Receive a grade
You may also see Timeline reminders related to completion deadlines and learner notifications. For administrator-level setup context, see Activity completion and Completion rules reference.

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Tags

Moodle Tags allow activity-level tagging for organization, search, and reporting workflows. Use tags to standardize categorization across courses (for example, webinar, office-hours, assessment).

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Competencies

If competency frameworks are enabled, the Competencies section links the activity to institutional competency outcomes. Use this when BigBlueButton sessions support tracked skills or program outcomes.

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Standard Moodle controls

At the bottom of the form, Moodle provides standard save/cancel actions:
  • Save and return to course
  • Save and display
  • Cancel
Choose Save and display when you want to verify room behavior immediately after saving.

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Additional guidance

Expect differences between sites. The exact options shown can depend on:
  • Moodle version
  • BigBlueButton version
  • installed subplugins/extensions
Additional enterprise or BNX-related settings may appear depending on your deployment and licensing profile. If you need task-based walkthroughs, start with Create and edit activity and the pages in the Moodle Teachers section.