Zoho Backstage February 2026 Updates | Abstract Management, WhatsApp Delivery Reports

February 2026 brings a major new addition and a collection of enhancements across Zoho Backstage. We thought about writing a long introduction, but the updates in this release make a strong case on their own. So we’ll skip the buildup and dive straight into what’s new this month.

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Abstract Management in Zoho Backstage (Early access) 

Yes, you heard that right.

Managing a call for papers or speakers is an important part of planning many conferences and content-focused events. When submissions start coming in from many authors, it can become difficult to track proposals, manage reviews, and meet deadlines.

Abstract Management in Zoho Backstage helps organizers handle this process in a simple and structured way. It brings submission collection, review management, and session creation together in one workflow so organizers don't have to rely on spreadsheets or manual coordination.

The process begins with Abstract Projects. Organizers can create a project for their call for content and define the project name, description, and submission dates. Submissions open and close automatically based on the configured timeline, helping organizers maintain a clear and fair submission window.

To organize submissions better, Abstract Topics allow organizers to group abstracts into tracks or themes. Authors can select the most relevant topic while submitting, and organizers can easily see which topics are receiving the most interest.

Organizers can also create custom submission forms using a simple form builder. This makes it possible to collect details such as abstract descriptions, author information, uploaded files, and other required data.

The review process is also easier to manage. Organizers can assign reviewers to specific topics, enable blind reviews to ensure fair evaluation, and define scoring criteria so reviewers can assess submissions consistently.

Once a submission is approved, it can be converted into a session with a single action. Important details are carried over automatically, helping organizers build their agenda faster.

With submission tracking, a centralized content library for uploaded files, and automated notifications, Abstract Management in Zoho Backstage helps organizers manage their call for content in a more organized and efficient way.

Learn more about abstract management

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WhatsApp Delivery Report

No more guessing if your message was seen.

The WhatsApp Delivery Report is now available as part of the WhatsApp integration in Zoho Backstage. This feature allows organizers to track the delivery status of WhatsApp messages directly from the event console, giving clear visibility into message performance.

The report can be accessed from Communicate > WhatsApp > Manage > Delivery Report within the event. The report listing displays key details for each message such as the message name, template used, and the number of messages that are Sent, Delivered, Read, or Failed. Only messages sent after this feature is enabled will appear in the report.

Organizers can also open View Report to see detailed delivery information for each participant, including phone number and delivery status. If a message fails, the reason for failure will also be displayed.

The report includes filters based on delivery status, automated triggers, and notifications. Organizers can also search for messages sent to a specific participant using their phone number and country code for quick message history tracking.

Plan availability: Included in the Essentials, Premium, and Ultimate plans.

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Exhibitor meeting request approval

Meetings now come with a choice.

Exhibitors can manually confirm or deny meeting requests, giving them better control over their meeting schedules.

They can manage this setting from event website, Exhibitor Space > Meetings by disabling the Auto-accept meeting request option. Once disabled, any meeting request sent by an attendee will appear as a pending request for the exhibitor team.

Exhibitor booth members can then review the request and either confirm or deny it. Confirmed meetings move to the confirmed list and can later be canceled by either participant if needed. If a request is denied, the requester will be notified.

To keep participants informed, automated emails are sent shortly before the meeting time for key actions such as meeting requested, meeting confirmed, meeting denied, meeting canceled, and meeting reminders.

This enhancement provides exhibitors with more flexibility to manage their meeting availability while ensuring clear communication between attendees and booth teams.

1. Plan availability: Included in the Essentials, Premium, and Ultimate plans.
   
2. Key requirements:
   
1. Lead Scanning must be enabled as an exhibitor benefit.
   
2. The booth must have the Exhibitor Pro add-on attached.
   

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Website builder updates 

Countdown section for event websites

The Countdown section is now available as a customizable website component in the Zoho Backstage Website Builder. Organizers can add countdown timers to any page and choose from multiple layouts. The countdown can be configured based on the event start date, ticket sales dates, or a custom date to highlight important milestones.

Undo and Redo support for website editing

Oops moments are now reversible.

The Undo and Redo feature is now available in the Zoho Backstage Website Builder, helping organizers manage website edits more efficiently. Users can quickly Undo or Redo recent changes made during their editing session. The change history is maintained until the browser tab is refreshed, after which the history resets. If the most recent change was made on a different page, clicking Undo or Redo will automatically navigate to that page so users can clearly see the change being reverted or applied.

Cloning website pages

Cloning pages helps organizers reuse the layout and structure of an existing custom page. When a page is cloned, all its sections and configurations are duplicated automatically. This makes it easier to create similar pages without rebuilding each section manually. After cloning, organizers can modify the content, images, or layout while keeping the overall structure intact, ensuring faster website creation and consistent design across pages.

Cloning webpage sections

Cloning sections allows organizers to quickly reuse existing layouts without rebuilding them from scratch. In the Website Builder, you can duplicate any section and place it on the same page or another page. This is useful when multiple sections share a similar design but require small content changes. After cloning, the duplicated section appears on the selected page, where it can be edited and customized before publishing or republishing the website.

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Lead Source Tracking 

Know where your leads come from. 

Lead Source Tracking helps exhibitors understand how each lead was captured. Every lead now includes two attribution fields: 

1. Source shows how the lead was generated, such as badge scan, manual entry, meeting booking, enquiry submission, or resource download.
   
2. Added By identifies the booth member who captured the lead or marks it as system-generated.

This information is visible across the web app, mobile app, and exports, and can be used as a filter in the lead list. With clear attribution for every lead, exhibitors can better evaluate engagement channels, prioritize follow ups, and understand which interactions generated the most valuable leads during the event.

Plan availability: Included in the Essentials, Premium, and Ultimate plans.

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Updated WhatsApp template guidelines based on Meta policies

We've introduced updates to WhatsApp templates in Zoho Backstage to align with the latest Meta guidelines for WhatsApp Business messaging. These updates help ensure templates comply with Meta’s approval requirements and reduce the chances of template rejection.

The template category such as Utility or Marketing can no longer be changed once a template is created. If a template is in Draft, Pending Approval, Approved, or Rejected status, the category field will be locked to prevent edits.

Additional content guidelines are now displayed in the message editor to help avoid template rejection. Templates that begin or end with placeholders are more likely to be rejected by Meta, so this guidance is shown while creating or editing messages.

For templates that include attachments, editing behavior has also been refined. Approved templates with attachments can't be changed to None, though they can be updated to another supported attachment type.

Meta may also automatically reclassify template categories during approval and adjust marketing message delivery based on user engagement to prevent inbox spam.

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All features and enhancements mentioned are available across all data centers, with the exception of WhatsApp and its corresponding analytics, which are not supported in China.

Ready to explore these updates? Log in to Zoho Backstage and start trying them out in your events today.

If you have any questions or would like access to early access features, feel free to reach out to us at support@zohobackstage.com. Our team will be happy to help.

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• Jithan Raghuraj

  

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