Types of AA Meetings Explained

If you've looked at a meeting list, you've probably seen a confusing mix of names and letters: Open Discussion, Closed Big Book, Speaker, Step Study, Women's, Online. There are tens of thousands of AA groups around the world, and each one decides its own format. That variety is a strength. It means there's very likely a meeting out there that fits you, even if the first one you tried didn't.

Here's a plain guide to the most common types of AA meetings and what to expect at each.

Open vs. Closed Meetings

This is the most important difference to understand, because it tells you who can attend.

Meeting lists usually mark these with an O or C, or the words open and closed. Codes vary a little by area, so check the key on your local list or app.

Meeting Formats

Beyond open and closed, meetings differ in what happens during the hour.

Speaker meetings

One member, sometimes two or three, tells their story: what their drinking was like, what happened, and what their life is like now. Listeners don't usually share. Speaker meetings are a good first meeting because there's no expectation to talk, and hearing a full story can help you see yourself in someone else's experience.

Discussion meetings

The chair or a member picks a topic, such as fear, gratitude, or a particular Step, and people take turns sharing about it. You can pass if you'd rather listen. These meetings help you hear many different perspectives in one hour.

Big Book study

The group reads a section of Alcoholics Anonymous, known as the Big Book, aloud, then members discuss it. Groups often work through the book in order over several months. These meetings are a great way to understand the core text of the program. Our guide to the Big Book of AA gives an overview of what's in it.

Step study

Each meeting focuses on one of the Twelve Steps, often reading from Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions and then discussing. Many Step meetings cycle through all twelve Steps over twelve weeks or one Step per month. If you're new to the Steps, see our overview of what the 12 Steps are.

Tradition meetings

Similar to a Step meeting, but focused on the Twelve Traditions, the principles that guide how AA groups work together. Some groups hold one each month. Our guide to the 12 Traditions explains them.

Literature meetings

Some meetings read from other AA books, such as Daily Reflections, Living Sober, or As Bill Sees It, and discuss the reading.

Beginners meetings

These focus on the basics for people in their first weeks or months: what AA is, how to stay sober today, and how to get started with a sponsor and the Steps. Members with longer sobriety often attend to share their early experience.

Meetings for Specific Groups

Many areas have meetings for people who share something in common, which can make it easier to open up. These are sometimes called special-interest meetings. Common examples include:

• Women's and men's meetings. Some people find it easier to talk about relationships, parenting, or trauma with others of the same gender.
• Young people's meetings. For people in their teens, twenties, and thirties, often with a lively social side.
• LGBTQ meetings. Welcoming spaces for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer members.
• Secular or agnostic meetings. For members who prefer less religious language. They follow the same program but may skip closing prayers or use secular versions of readings.
• Language-specific meetings. Spanish-language meetings are common in many U.S. cities, along with meetings in many other languages.

Most special-interest meetings still welcome anyone with a desire to stop drinking. Check the listing or ask the group if you're not sure.

In Person, Online, and Hybrid

Online AA meetings have grown a lot in recent years, and they're now a regular part of recovery for many people.

• In-person meetings offer face-to-face connection, the chance to talk before and after, and the easiest path to finding a sponsor and a home group.
• Online meetings run by video or phone around the clock. They're helpful if you live far from a meeting, work odd hours, have health or mobility limits, or just want to try a meeting from home first. You can usually keep your camera off.
• Hybrid meetings have people in the room and online at the same time.

Many people use both: a regular in-person home group, plus online meetings when they travel or need an extra one late at night.

Your Home Group

After you've tried a few meetings, most people suggest choosing a home group: one meeting you attend every week and commit to. Your home group is where people get to know you, notice when you're missing, and see you change over time. It's also where many people find a sponsor and take on their first service job, like making coffee or setting up chairs.

Home groups usually hold a short business meeting, often monthly, where members make decisions together about the group. This is called group conscience, and it's one of the ways AA stays run by its members.

How to Choose Meetings That Fit

1. Try several. A common suggestion is to try at least six different meetings before deciding what you think of AA.
2. Mix formats. A speaker meeting, a discussion meeting, and a Big Book study each give you something different.
3. Notice where you feel at ease. It's fine to prefer a smaller room, a certain time of day, or a group closer to your age.
4. Go often at first. In early sobriety, many people go to a meeting every day, sometimes for the first 90 days. See your first 90 days sober for why that helps.
5. Stay after. The conversations after the meeting are where friendships, and sponsors, usually begin.

Common Questions