Zoom + Slack Integration: Create Instant Team Meetings

Zoom and Slack are online communication tools that are being adopted by businesses and organizations at a rapid clip. The former is a modular teleconferencing solution that’s most well-known for its audio/video virtual meeting platform. The latter is an organizable team messaging hub that supports other functions such as video calls, file sharing, and private chat groups.

Now, you can combine these two great services with the Zoom-Slack integration. There will be no need to run around checking your team’s meeting availability when you can instantly start or share a meeting using a slash command in Slack! There’s a lot more this handy extension can do, such as make phone calls through Zoom Phone (if you’re signed up for that). We’ll teach you how to integrate Zoom with Slack, including what you need for it and all the different things it can do for you.

Let’s start off by giving you a quick rundown of the neat things this add-on has to offer.

 

Benefits of the Slack integration for Zoom

Zoom and Slack are both powerful communication tools on their own, so when you link them together, you can do some really cool stuff! Here are the key features that you’ll get from the Slack and Zoom integration:

• Instantly start a Zoom meeting in any Slack channel or private chat group
• Create meetings with specific topic names directly in Slack
• Invite Slack teammates to meetings with specific ID numbers (even your own)
• Keep track of how long your meeting runs, and who joins or leaves it
• View a duration and participant report for your meeting after it ends
• Share links to recorded meetings that your teammates can access
• Start a Zoom Phone call from Slack with a teammate or any other phone number

Before we get to doing all that, though, we need to first cover what you’ll require before setting up the integration. Don’t worry; it’s a pretty short list!   

 

Requirements for integrating Slack with Zoom

You used to need some high-level stuff to be able to use Slack’s integration with Zoom. But now that it’s part of Zoom’s official App Marketplace, it’s much simpler to install. You just need three things:

• A Zoom account (any kind is fine)
• A Slack account
• The Zoom client for your device

Also be aware that the extension will need permission to do these things on your Zoom account:

• View your user information
• View your phone information
• View and manage your meetings
• View your meeting recordings

Once you have all that you need, it’s time to start the installation process!

 

How to integrate Slack with Zoom

You have two options when you integrate Zoom with Slack: you can do it for just yourself, or you can do it for everyone on your Slack team at once. We’ll cover both methods, as well as what to do to switch from a personal installation to a team installation.

 

Install and configure Slack integration

1. Go to Zoom.us and log into your Zoom account.
2. Move your cursor over Solutions in the main menu bar and click Marketplace.

   

3. Find the app called Slack and click on it. It should be easy enough to find, but if you’re having trouble, try searching in the “Collaboration” category and turning on the “Zoom Meetings” and/or “Zoom Phone” filters. If all else fails, just click in the search box labeled “Search a Published App” and type in “slack” and you should find it.

   
    

4. You must pre-approve installation of the add-on for users on your Zoom account before you can actually install the add-on. Click the toggle button marked “Pre-Approve” to turn it on, and then click Visit Site to Install.

   

Before you get to Slack, you will be given a choice as to whether you want to install the Zoom and Slack integration for your whole Slack team, or just yourself. Depending on which you choose, the remaining steps will differ.

 

To add Zoom to only your Slack account:

5. Click the button that says Add Zoom to Only My Slack Account.

   

6. Log into your Slack account if you haven’t already. Also, use the drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the screen that appears to make sure you are signed into the correct team workspace.

   

7. Slack will alert you that Zoom needs certain permissions within your team workspace to function correctly. Click any of these permissions to learn more about them, and if you’re okay with everything, click Allow.

   

After that, you should see a screen saying that you’re all set! Jump down to the section on how to use the Zoom app on Slack to get started!

 

To install Zoom for Slack company-wide:

5. Click the button that says Install Zoom for Slack Company-Wide.

6. Zoom will alert you that Slack is requesting permissions on your account. Click the “?” icon beside any of them if you want more information. If you’re okay with things, click Authorize.

7. You will now be asked which team on Slack you want to install the integration for. Click Connect to Slack Workspace.

   

8. Log into your Slack account if you haven’t already. Also, use the drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the screen that appears to make sure you are signed into the correct team workspace.

   

9. Slack will alert you that Zoom needs certain permissions within your team workspace to function correctly. Click any of these permissions to learn more about them, and if you’re okay with everything, click Allow.

   

You should receive a notification that the Zoom add-on has been installed for your whole workplace, so now anyone on that team can make use of it!

 

Change from user install to account level install

If you install the Slack extension for Zoom for just yourself, and you later decide that you want your whole team to have it, you must first uninstall it. To do that: 

1. Log into your Slack account and sign into the workplace that you installed the Zoom extension for.
2. From your main dashboard, click Configure Apps.

   

3. In the list that pops up, find Zoom and click it.

   

4. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu and click Remove App. Then click Remove App in the dialog box that appears to uninstall the Zoom integration.

   

   IMPORTANT

   This will uninstall the Zoom integration for Slack for anyone in your current workspace who has personally installed it for themselves, not just you!

Now you will have to restart the installation process, and choose the team-wide installation option this time.

 

How to use the Zoom app on Slack

Once you’ve authorized the Zoom add-on for Slack, you can start using it! The extension works mainly through Slack’s system of shortcuts, which can be accessed by starting a message with a backslash (a “/”), followed by the command you want to use. These are commonly referred to as “slash commands”.

For example, if you type “/zoom help” you can see a list of all available commands that the Zoom integration can understand and execute.

 

Top 5 commonly-used Zoom commands for Slack

 

1. /zoom

This command instantly creates a new Zoom meeting that your Slack teammates can join. It uses your default Zoom account meeting settings, so if your default is to use your personal meeting ID, it will do that. Also, if your default is to use a password to secure your meetings, the generated password will be displayed in the notification that appears in Slack.

When the meeting is over, you will receive a report including the meeting’s ID, time, length, and attendees. If you recorded the meeting, a link to the recording will also be generated.

(Image credit: Zoom App Marketplace)

Also note that meeting report and recording link notifications do not work in one-to-one direct messaging, and are not available for Basic-tier Zoom accounts.

 

2. /zoom meeting [topic]

This command lets you create a new meeting that has a particular topic. This is useful for letting your team members know in advance what the meeting will be about, so they can prepare necessary materials. Or, it can let them know whether or not the meeting’s subject applies to them, and if their attendance is required or not.

Just replace the “[topic]” part with whatever you want to title your meeting, like so:

Like the standard “/zoom” command, this one will use your default Zoom meeting settings, including those related to using your personal meeting ID or a password to lock the meeting.

 

3. /zoom join [meeting id/personal link name]

This command shares a link to an existing meeting so your teammates can join it. The “[meeting id/personal link name]” part is to be replaced by the meeting’s ID number, or — if it has one — a personal link name.

Note that (like in the example above) when entering a meeting’s ID number, you don’t have to type dashes or periods between the digits — just the digits themselves are fine.

 

4. /zoom join me

This command starts a meeting in your personal Zoom meeting room, whether or not that is your default. Like the “/zoom” and “/zoom meeting” commands, though, all of your other default settings will apply.

 

5. /zoom call [@contact/phone number]

This command allows you to start a Zoom Phone call from Slack. You can input a specific phone number, or mention one of your teammates instead.

When you do, you should see a private notification with a button to place the call. Click Call to open your Zoom client and start the conversation.

(Image credit: Zoom App Marketplace)

 

How to enable calling in Slack using Zoom Meetings or Zoom Phone

There are a few other ways to access the Zoom integration with Slack, but they require your workspace administrator to enable them first. We’ll walk you through the details below.

1. Have your administrator open Slack and click on your workspace name. This will open a drop-down menu, where they should move their cursor over Administration and then click Workspace Settings.

   

2. Next, have them select the Settings tab (if it isn’t already selected).

   
   (Image credit: Zoom App Marketplace)

3. Have them scroll down to the “Calls” section and click the Expand/Close button. Then, have them click the checkbox labeled “Enable Calling in Slack” / “Allow Video Calls in Slack” to mark it if it isn’t already marked. Then, under the “Calling Options” heading, have them click the checkbox labeled “Zoom” to mark it if it isn’t already marked.

   
   (Image credit: Zoom App Marketplace)

   If you have a Zoom Phone plan, your administrator can also enable shortcuts for placing phone calls through Zoom in Slack. Have them click the checkbox labeled “Allow Phone Number Calls in Slack (Only in Direct Messages)” to mark it if it isn’t already marked, and then click the checkbox labeled “Zoom” under the “Calling Options” heading to mark it if it isn’t already marked.

   When they’re done, have them click the Save button.

4. Now, when in a Slack channel, you can click the “i” (Details) button to open additional options, and then click the Call button. This has the same basic effect as the “/zoom” command.
   

   PRO TIP

   Phone calls through Zoom Phone are not supported in channels, only in direct messages. See the next step for details.

5. You can also now place a call through Zoom directly to a teammate or group of teammates. One way is to set up a direct message chat room with that person or group, and then click the phone (Call) icon in the upper-right corner of the window. If both video calling and phone number calling are enabled (and available) for Zoom on your workspace, you will be given a choice between Zoom Video & Audio (i.e. a Zoom Meeting) or Zoom Phone.

   
   (Image credit: Zoom App Marketplace)

   You can also call someone by opening their profile card — usually accomplished by just clicking their name in a channel message, direct message chat room, or other menu — and clicking Call. Again, depending on what options you have enabled and available, you can choose between a Zoom Meeting and a Zoom Phone call.

   
   (Image credit: Zoom App Marketplace)

 

That’s just about everything you can do with Zoom for Slack! Zoom has integrations with many other handy services, too, such as Google Calendar, HubSpot, and Calendly. Check out our guides to those add-ons for more ways to use Zoom!