Zoom Meetup Guidelines

Here are some guidelines and recommendations for hosting a virtual meetup on Zoom. These guidelines are primarily for presentation-style meetups. If you’re hosting a help-style meetup, you’ll probably want to change some settings, such as not muting participants on entry.

If you’re creating the event in Meetup:

  • Choose to only show link for people who RSVP (to prevent Zoombombing)

Zoom Settings:

  • Zoom Preferences (in-app):
    • Recording tab:
      • Check “Optimize for 3rd party video editor”
      • Check “Record video during screen sharing”
  • Zoom Advanced Settings (on website):
    • Security:
      • Select “Require a passcode when scheduling new meetings”
      • Select “Embed passcode in invite link for one-click join”
      • Select “Require passcode for participants joining by phone”
    • In Meeting (Basic):
      • Select “Auto saving chats”
      • De-select “Sound notification when someone joins or leaves”
      • De-select “Feedback to Zoom”
      • Select “Co-host”
      • Select “Screen sharing” and select “Host Only” for both options
      • De-select “Annotation”
      • De-select “Whiteboard”
      • De-select “Remote control”
    • In Meeting (Advanced):
      • Select “Show a ‘Join from your browser’ link”

Creating the Zoom meeting:

  • Under Security, set a passcode and uncheck “Waiting Room”
  • Under Video, set participants’ video to off
  • Under Audio, set audio to telephone and computer audio
  • Under Advanced Options, uncheck “Enable join before host”
  • Under Advanced Options, check “Mute participants upon entry”

Before the meeting:

  • Arrive at least 10 minutes early
  • Pause or turn off your desktop notifications
  • Change your display resolution if it’s too large

During the meeting:

  • Assign a co-host to moderate questions and other participants (in Participants panel)
  • Start recording, ask co-host to record as a backup (local recording recommended)
  • Things to tell attendees:
    • On the bottom of the screen, there are mute, video, participants, and chat buttons
    • Screen sharing, audio, and video are off by default (if you changed these settings)
    • If you have a question for the speaker, please raise your hand in the Participants panel
    • The moderator will call on whoever has their hand raised at the next break
    • Use the chat to introduce yourself or for questions for people other than the speaker
    • The speaker will not see or hear the questions in the chat
    • Please mute yourself when you’re not talking
    • We’ll be recording this, and the recording will be in the Meetup event comments after
    • If there’s time after, we’ll open up for general questions and discussion
    • Check out the Portland WordPress Slack and Meetup group
    • We have a monthly presentation meetup usually on the first Monday of the month
    • We have a twice monthly help meetup hosted by David Schargel
    • Contact us if you’re interested in speaking