---
title: 'Turn off free reactions during a session'
description: 'Stop participants reacting on their own so they only respond to your check-ins.'
canonical: 'https://www.gonurture.com/tutorials/signal/running-a-session/turn-off-participant-reactions'
siteGuide: 'https://www.gonurture.com/llms.txt'
---

![Turn off free reactions during a session](https://www.gonurture.com/og/tutorials/turn-off-participant-reactions.png)

Stop participants reacting on their own so they only respond to your check-ins.

Updated 14 July 2026

Switch off participants’ free reactions so the only time they respond is when you post a check-in.

**When to use it:** When open reactions are a distraction and you want responses only at the moments you choose.

## Steps

1.  Open your session’s settings (in the **Create session**, **Edit session details**, or **Duplicate session** drawer).
2.  Expand **Advanced**.
3.  Find the **Comments & reactions** group.
4.  Turn off **Participants can add reactions**.
5.  Save the session.

**Tip:** This is independent of comments: participants can still add comments, reply, and answer your check-ins with reactions turned off. When off, they see a **“Reactions are disabled by the host.”** banner. Reactions are on by default.

[Previous Run an engagement checkpoint so everyone answers](https://www.gonurture.com/tutorials/signal/running-a-session/run-an-engagement-checkpoint.md) [Next Shuffle answer options for each participant](https://www.gonurture.com/tutorials/signal/running-a-session/shuffle-answer-options.md)

Still stuck?

We're happy to help you directly. [Get in touch with the Nurture team](https://www.gonurture.com/contact-us.md).