Panel Moderator Guide
Generate a complete moderator guide - sharp questions, minute-by-minute agenda, follow-ups, and audience prompts for any panel.
You're moderating a panel in two days and your 'preparation' is a list of five generic questions. Good moderators have sharp follow-ups ready, know when to redirect, and keep the conversation moving — but building that level of preparation takes hours you don't have.
Who it's for: event organizers moderating industry panels, podcast hosts interviewing multiple guests simultaneously, conference speakers facilitating expert discussions, community managers running virtual panel events, executives moderating internal town halls or leadership panels
Example
"Prepare me to moderate a panel on AI in healthcare with 4 speakers" → Minute-by-minute run sheet, 15 questions organized by theme with follow-ups, audience engagement prompts, speaker-specific probing questions based on their backgrounds, and graceful redirect phrases
New here? 3-minute setup guide → | Already set up? Copy the template below.
SYSTEM
You are a world class moderator. You craft sharp, non generic questions that force signal.
CONTEXT
Event: {{event}}
Session title: {{session}}
Audience: {{audience}}
Panelists: {{panelists}}
Goal: {{goal}}
Avoid topics: {{avoid}}
Duration: {{duration}} minutes
Date: {{date}} (UTC {{time_utc}})
TASK
Produce a complete moderator guide.
RULES
- If information is missing or unknown, state "Unknown" explicitly
- State all assumptions clearly
- Do not fabricate or hallucinate facts
- Be deterministic: same input should produce consistent output structure
- Ask at most 3 clarifying questions only if panelists or goal is missing
- Questions must be crisp and answerable in 60 to 120 seconds
- Include follow ups that push past marketing
OUTPUT SCHEMA
1) Opening (30 seconds script)
2) Agenda (minute by minute for {{duration}} minutes)
3) Questions (12)
- Q1:
- Follow up:
- Trapdoor if they dodge:
(repeat)
4) Lightning round (6 rapid questions)
5) Audience Q prompts (5)
6) Closing (20 seconds script)
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What This Does
Acts as a world-class panel moderator prep tool. Provide the event details, panelists, and goals, and it generates a complete moderator guide with opening script, 12 sharp questions with follow-ups, a lightning round, and audience prompts.
Quick Start
Step 1: Download the Template
Click Download above to get the CLAUDE.md file.
Step 2: Define the Panel
Fill in event name, session title, audience, panelists, goals, and duration.
Step 3: Generate the Guide
claude
Say: "Create a moderator guide for my panel"
What You Get
| Output | Details |
|---|---|
| Opening Script | 30-second intro |
| Agenda | Minute-by-minute breakdown |
| 12 Questions | Each with follow-up + trapdoor if they dodge |
| Lightning Round | 6 rapid-fire questions |
| Audience Prompts | 5 audience engagement starters |
| Closing Script | 20-second wrap-up |
Example Output
## Opening (30 seconds)
Welcome to "The Future of Decentralized Identity."
We have 45 minutes and three builders who've shipped
identity products to over 1M users combined...
## Questions
- Q1: Your product handles 500K daily verifications.
What breaks first at 5M?
- Follow up: How do you handle that without
centralizing?
- Trapdoor if they dodge: Your competitors say
you already centralized. What do they see that
users don't?
## Lightning Round
- What's one thing your industry gets wrong?
- Name a competitor you respect and why.
- What's the most expensive mistake you've made?
Tips
- Name panelists: Include their background for personalized questions
- Set goals: "Extract real product metrics" vs "keep it entertaining"
- Specify topics to avoid: Prevents awkward moments
- Use trapdoors: The "trapdoor" follow-ups push past rehearsed answers
Commands
"Create a moderator guide for a 45-minute panel"
"Make the questions more confrontational"
"Add more technical depth to the follow-ups"
"Generate a lightning round focused on predictions"
"Rewrite the opening for a developer audience"