Invite guests to UW Zoom events

When you’re planning to host events on UW Zoom that will include people without UW NetIDs, you will want to review a couple of settings to ensure that everyone you want to include can join easily: Waiting room and authentication.

If this is your first time using Zoom, learn how to sign in.

If you need help with setting up a UW Zoom meeting, learn how to schedule a meeting.

First, you will need to check your Zoom account to make sure that waiting room is enabled.

1. Go to https://washington.zoom.us/profile/setting
2. Click Security and scroll down to Waiting room.
   
3. Make sure that the toggle switch to the right is turned on, as in the image above.
4. To choose who will appear in the waiting room and who can bypass it, review the “Allow meeting participants to bypass the waiting room” document.

Now that you have configured settings for waiting room at the account level, you will do the same when you schedule the event.

1. Go to https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/schedule.
2. Scroll down to Meeting Options.
3. For the best and most secure experience, you’ll want to enable the Zoom waiting room and disable Only authenticated users can join.
   
4. Once you have configured the settings as you want them, scroll down to click Save. You’re done!

Authentication Exception

As another option to invite non-UW guests to your UW Zoom events, you can add authentication exceptions to Zoom Events for which you have enabled authentication. Any users who are added as an authentication exception will receive a unique meeting link that will allow them to bypass authentication.

To add non-UW guest as an authentication exception to your meeting, follow these steps:

For a new meeting:

1. Navigate to https://washington.zoom.us/meeting/schedule.
2. Under the Security section, select the checkbox next to Require authentication to join.
3. Next to Authentication Exception, click Add.
4. Enter the guest participant’s name and email address.
5. Click Save.
6. Choose your other meeting settings, then click Save to schedule the meeting.

For an existing scheduled meeting:

1. Sign in to the UW Zoom Web portal: https://washington.zoom.us.
2. In the navigation menu, click Meetings.
3. Locate the meeting you wish to add an authentication exception to, then click Edit.
4. In the Edit Recurring Meeting dialog, click either Edit This Occurrence or Edit All Occurrences.
5. Under the Security selection, select the checkbox next to Require authentication to join.
6. Next to Authentication Exception, click Add.
7. Enter the guest participant’s name and email address.
8. (Optional) Click Add Participant to add more exceptions.
9. Click Save.
10. To apply your changes, click on Save at the bottom of the meeting page.

About the recommended settings

Mute participants upon entry
This setting is optional; it simply reduces the amount of noise generated as people join the meeting. Even when this setting is on, users can turn their microphones back on as soon as they join.

Enable waiting room
Enable the waiting room to allow guests who do not have a UW NetID to join the event. Users without a UW NetID will joining the event then will wait to be admitted by the host. As such users join, you will receive a notification that they are waiting.