How to host a Zoom meeting: create, set up, and run it

How to create a Zoom meeting right now

If you need a meeting immediately, you do not have to schedule anything. An instant meeting gives you a room and a link in a few seconds:

• Open the Zoom desktop or mobile app and sign in.
• Click New Meeting on the Home tab. The meeting starts with you as the host.
• Open Participants, then Invite, and choose Copy Invite Link.
• Paste the link into an email, text, or chat so people can join.

How to create a Zoom meeting link to share

Every Zoom meeting has a link. For a scheduled meeting, open the Meetings tab, select the meeting, and click Copy Invitation to get the link, meeting ID, and passcode in one block of text. For an instant meeting, use Copy Invite Link from inside the meeting.

Zoom also gives you a Personal Meeting ID (PMI), a permanent room that always uses the same link. It is handy for recurring calls with people you know, but a unique link per meeting is safer for anything public, because an old link cannot be reused to walk into a later session.

Before the meeting: schedule and invite

• Sign in to Zoom on the desktop app or the website.
• Choose Schedule a meeting, then set the topic, date, and time.
• Decide on a few options: waiting room on or off, whether a password is required, and whether video starts on.
• Save, then copy the invitation link and send it to your attendees by email or calendar invite.

Starting and running the meeting

• Start the meeting a few minutes early so you are settled before people arrive.
• Admit attendees from the waiting room if you have it enabled.
• Use Share Screen to present slides, a document, or your browser.
• Keep an eye on chat for questions, and use mute controls if background noise builds up.
• Record the session if you want a copy — you will be prompted where it saves.

Hosting a smooth meeting

• Test your camera, microphone, and internet before you start.
• Have a simple agenda so the session has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
• For larger calls, assign a co-host to manage admissions and chat while you present.
• Let people know upfront if you are recording.

How to start a Zoom meeting as the host

• Sign in with the same Zoom account that scheduled the meeting. Zoom recognizes you as the host automatically.
• Open the Meetings tab, find the meeting under Upcoming, and click Start.
• If you join from the link on another device, sign in first, or use your host key (found in your Zoom profile) to claim the host role.

How to add a co-host

A co-host can admit people, manage chat, and mute participants while you present. Co-hosting is a paid-plan feature and has to be turned on in your Zoom web settings first.

• In the Zoom web portal, go to Settings and turn on Co-host.
• During the meeting, open Participants.
• Hover over the person's name, click More, and choose Make Co-Host.

What the free plan does and does not allow

Zoom's free plan lets you host up to 100 participants, but it caps meetings at 40 minutes, including one-to-one calls. When time is up, the meeting ends and you would need to start a new one.

Paid plans remove the 40-minute limit and raise capacity, so if your meetings regularly run long or large, that is usually the reason people upgrade.

Hosting meetings under your own brand

A Zoom link works, but every attendee sees Zoom's branding, not yours. For a coach, consultant, or small business, the meeting is part of the client experience — and a generic link is a missed chance to reinforce who they are working with.

A branded meeting room keeps the same simple join experience, but the room, the waiting screen, and the details carry your name and look, so the session feels like part of your business.