AMA events in Viva Engage

Create an AMA event

1. Navigate to the +Create an AMA button on the right navigation panel of your storyline or the leader's storyline where the AMA event will be held.

2. In the Create AMA Event form, select the preferences for the AMA event:

• Event name, start and end date, start and end time and description.

• Choose the preferences for Attendee permissions. Next to each preference you can hover over the tool tip to reveal the definition of each permission.

• Select a moderation option in the Organizer permissions section.

  • Note: AMA events can be organized and moderated by individuals that are selected as delegates for a leader. See Delegation and audience configuration in Viva Engage for more information.

Create an AMA event on behalf of another user

Once selected by a leader, a delegate manager can also create AMAs on behalf of another user. See Delegation and Audience Configuration in Viva Engage to learn more.

1. Navigate to the +Create an AMA button on the right navigation panel of the leader’s Storyline.

2. In the Create AMA Event form select the preferences for the AMA event (see Create an AMA event section above)

3. A new field, Create as will be available as a delegate manager. Here, you can view the drop-down list of users to select from to create an AMA on their behalf.

Both the delegate manager and the user for which the AMA was created can edit event details, edit control settings, moderate the AMA, and delete the event. If the delegate manager should leave the company, the leader will still have access to edit, manage, or delete the AMA. 

Organizer’s best practices 

Welcome attendees with a pinned discussion post about your upcoming AMA or through a storyline announcement if you are the AMA leader or delegate.

Pin a discussion post 

1. Navigate to your AMA event page from yourstoryline or if you are a delegate, navigate to the Leader’s storyline.

2. In the Start a discussion section, provide information about the topic and expectations for your AMA.

3. Select Post when you’re ready to publish.

4. Select the ellipsis (…) in the top right corner of your post and select Pin conversation to keep the post at the top of the feed.

Moderate an AMA

1. If the AMA will be moderated, questions will be reviewed by the organizer prior to posting. Once the decision is made to moderate an AMA event, the moderate feature cannot be turned off.

2. There are three categories for incoming questions: In Review, Published and Dismissed.

3. If the AMA will not be moderated, all questions will automatically appear in the AMA feed.

Share, Edit or Delete an AMA

Utilize the Share to Storyline and Copy link features to announce the AMA in popular communication channels such as large group chats, communities, and email distributions. You can Edit permissions or Delete an AMA by selecting the ellipsis (…) button on the AMA page.

Participate in an AMA 

Participants can attend an AMA event by entering directly through the AMA link sent by the AMA leader / organizer or through the AMA events section in the right navigation pane on the leader’s Storyline. You can engage in AMAs with upvotes, replies, and reactions to questions.

• On the Viva Engage home screen, search for the leader’s Storyline.

• Once on the leader’s Storyline, select View more AMAs in the AMA events section.

Add AMA to Calendar

Participants can add an AMA event to their calendar. Anyone can add AMAs to their home network. Once added, the AMA appears in your calendar as a 30-minute meeting. 

Note: If you delete the calendar invite, the AMA page still shows as Added. Additionally, if the organizer changes the AMA event time or date, the calendar invite is not updated. 

Frequently asked questions 

What are good topics for AMAs? 

AMAs are a great way to address top-of-mind topics in the org. We have seen users host AMAs about company strategy, re-orgs, or casual topics like getting to know a new leader in an organization. Other uses for AMAs include a community/group specific AMA, or a subject matter expert AMA for knowledge sharing. 

What are scenarios that I can use AMAs for? 

Besides the traditional “Reddit style” AMA in which the host receives and answers questions through text for a set period, AMAs are also great for the following scenarios: 

• Collect questions to be answered during a live Q&A

• Collect and answer questions from your audience after a meeting, town hall, or all hands

• Set the AMA for a longer duration to enable participation from different time zones and have an open conversation to gauge sentiment on a particular topic

Can an AMA event run alongside a live meeting/Live Event/Teams meeting?  

AMAs can be utilized to collect questions in advance, during, and after a meeting. There is no video component to AMAs in Viva Engage, so it is a purely text-based experience, but you can reference the AMA or screen share the page during the meeting. 

How long should an AMA be? 

The AMA set-up allows you to choose any start/end time. You can set up an AMA that lasts for a few hours or week-long and beyond. Shorter AMAs that last for a few hours are great for more synchronous conversations, whereas longer AMAs allow for more flexibility across different time zones and more time for attendees to discovery the AMA and engage in the conversation. 

Who can create and engage with AMAs?​ 

AMAs will be available to all users in your Viva Engage network. Any user can create an AMA or ask questions and engage in an AMA that is discovered. AMAs and its content are discoverable by all users within a network.​ 

How does an AMA event associate with a Viva Engage location?​ 

The AMA event is attached to the organizer’s Storyline, but the AMA can be shared to a Community for higher engagement and visibility. 

Do the questions from the AMA flow to the organizer’s Storyline feed?​ 

All conversations in an AMA event stays on the AMA event page. The questions do not flow to the Storyline feed. 

What happens if I organize an AMA that occurs after my license expires? 

AMAs scheduled in the future can still occur if the organizer’s license expires before the event. 

Can a delegate post on behalf of in an AMA without the premium license? 

Yes, a delegate can post on behalf of in an AMA without a premium license.

If I post my question anonymously in the AMA, will my identify be found by Microsoft or a Global admin?

No, Post as Anonymous is truly anonymous. Your identity is not recorded in any discovery log, export at Microsoft, or tenant network.

What types of notifications do organizers and attendees receive? 

Viva Engage bell notifications are sent when:

• An organizer receives a new question

• An organizer or co-organizer is notified that their AMA is starting soon

• An organizer's followers or the leader's audience is notified that an AMA is starting soon

• A user's question is published (in a moderated Q&A)

• A user's question or reply gets a response

• A user's reply is marked as the best answer 

Viva Engage Inbox messages are sent when: 

• A user is cc’d or @mentioned on a thread

• A user gets a reply to their question

• The thread to which you follow or replied gets a reply from another user

Teams activity bell notifications are sent when: 

• A user is cc’d or @mentioned on a thread

• A user gets a reply to their question

• A user gets a reply from the organizer after upvoting a question

• An organizer receives a new question

• An organizer or co-organizer is notified that their AMA is starting soon

Learn More

Storyline announcements in Viva Engage

Delegation and audience configuration in Viva Engage