How to Schedule a Zoom Meeting (Step-by-Step for Beginners)

Video transcription:

Welcome. Today, we’re going to walk through the quickest way to schedule a Zoom meeting using the desktop application.

To get started, go ahead and open the Zoom app on your computer and make sure you are signed in. On the main home screen, you will see a few large icons. Click on the button labeled “Schedule.” It looks like a calendar page.

This will open up the scheduler window where you can customize all the details.

First, give your meeting a topic. It’s helpful to be specific here so your attendees know exactly what the call is about.

Next, set your start date and time, and choose the duration. Don’t worry if the meeting runs over this time limit; Zoom won’t cut you off unless you are on a free plan with a specific time cap, but this helps block out the time on the calendar.

Below that, you’ll see the “Meeting ID” section. You have two choices here: “Generate Automatically” or “Personal Meeting ID.” For most scheduled meetings, it is safer and better organization to choose “Generate Automatically.” This creates a unique link just for this specific session.

Now, let’s look at Security. By default, Zoom usually requires a Passcode or a Waiting Room. It is highly recommended to keep the Waiting Room checked. This allows you to control exactly who enters your meeting and prevents unwanted guests.

Moving down to the “Video” section, you can decide if you want your host video and participant video to be on or off when the meeting starts. Usually, setting these to “Off” is a polite choice, as it gives people a moment to get settled before their camera turns on.

Finally, choose your Calendar. If you use Outlook or Google Calendar, select that option. When you click the “Save” or “Schedule” button at the bottom, Zoom will automatically open your chosen calendar and create an event with all the meeting details and links already filled in.

If you don’t use those calendars, just select “Other Calendars.”

Go ahead and click “Save.”

If you chose “Other Calendars,” a window will pop up with your meeting invitation text. You can simply click “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste that information into an email, a Slack message, or any other messaging tool you use to invite your team.

And that’s it. Your meeting is scheduled. You can always find upcoming meetings by clicking the “Meetings” tab at the top of your Zoom app.

Thanks for watching.