How to Make a Zoom Link (and When Not to Use Your Personal One)

A Zoom link is simply the web address people click to join your meeting. You get one every time you schedule a meeting, and you also have a permanent personal link that never changes. Which one you send matters more than most people realise, especially if you meet clients back to back.

How to make a Zoom link for a scheduled meeting

1. Sign in to the Zoom desktop app.
2. Click Schedule on the Home or Meetings tab.
3. Add a topic, date, time and duration, and choose your security settings.
4. Click Save.
5. Go to the Home tab, find the meeting card, click the three dots and choose Copy invitation.
6. Paste the invitation into an email or message. To send only the link, click the meeting card and copy the link under Join Zoom Meeting.

The full invitation includes the meeting ID, passcode and dial-in details, which is helpful for people joining by phone. The link alone is neater in a short message.

How to make a Zoom link on your phone

1. Open the Zoom app and sign in.
2. Tap Schedule on the Meetings tab.
3. Set the details and tap Done or Save.
4. Open the meeting and use the invite option to send or copy the link.

Your personal Zoom link

Every Zoom user also has a Personal Meeting Room with its own permanent ID and link. You can use it for instant meetings, or tick Personal Meeting ID in the Meeting ID section when you schedule. Some people put it in their email signature so anyone can join a quick call.

	Scheduled meeting link	Personal meeting link
Changes each time	Yes, a new ID per meeting	No, it's always the same
Best for	Client calls, one-off meetings, webinars	Regular calls with the same people
Risk	Low	People can walk into another meeting

The catch: your personal link lets people walk into the wrong meeting

Zoom itself warns about this. Because your Personal Meeting Room always uses the same ID and link, anyone who has it can join whenever a meeting is running in it. If you use it for back-to-back calls, your three o'clock client can arrive while your two o'clock is still talking. Zoom's advice is to use your personal link only for people you meet regularly, and not for back-to-back meetings or people you don't meet often, unless you lock the meeting or use the Waiting Room to admit people one at a time.

For client calls, sales calls and anything confidential, schedule a separate meeting so each one gets its own link.

Adding the Zoom link to a calendar invite

• Google Calendar or Outlook: paste the link into the event's location or description, or use Zoom's calendar add-on to add it automatically.
• Booking tools: most scheduling tools can create a Zoom link for each booking, so every client gets their own meeting.
• Recurring meetings: schedule the meeting as recurring in Zoom and every occurrence uses the same link.

Security settings worth turning on

1. Keep a passcode on the meeting. It's included in the copied link and invitation.
2. Turn on the Waiting Room so you admit people yourself.
3. Lock the meeting once everyone's arrived for sensitive calls.
4. Don't post meeting links publicly on social media unless it's an open event.

If you run regular team calls, my guide to the benefits of team collaboration covers how to make them worth everyone's time.

Customising your personal link

Depending on your account, Zoom lets you customise your Personal Meeting ID and personal link, for example to something that includes your business name. It looks more professional in an email signature, but the same back-to-back warning applies, so keep it for regular contacts.

Sending the link so people turn up

A link buried at the bottom of a long email gets lost. Put the Zoom link in the calendar invite itself, so it's one tap away when the reminder pops up, and repeat it in the confirmation email. If you're meeting someone for the first time, add a line saying they can join from a browser or the Zoom app. And for a recurring call, send the link once in a recurring invite rather than a new one every week, so people always know where to find it.

If someone says the link isn't working, check you sent the full link including the passcode, and that you've started the meeting if you have the setting that stops people joining before the host.

My verdict

For most business meetings, make a Zoom link by scheduling the meeting and copying the invitation or the Join Zoom Meeting link. Keep your personal link for colleagues and regular contacts, because Zoom warns that anyone with it can join whenever your room is in use. Turn on a passcode and the Waiting Room, and schedule a fresh meeting for every client call. If you're choosing between video tools, see my guide to team chat apps.

Frequently asked questions

Why can't someone join my Zoom link?

Check you sent the full link with the passcode, and that the meeting has started if people can't join before the host.

How do I create a Zoom link to send to someone?

Schedule a meeting in the Zoom app, then copy the invitation or the link under Join Zoom Meeting and send it.

Does a Zoom link expire?

Scheduled meeting links are tied to that meeting. Your personal meeting link stays the same until you change it.

Should I use my personal Zoom link for client calls?

Zoom advises against using it for back-to-back meetings or people you don't meet regularly, because anyone with the link can join while it's in use.

Can I make a Zoom link on my phone?

Yes. Tap Schedule in the Zoom app, save the meeting and share the invite.

How do I add a Zoom link to Google Calendar?

Paste it into the event's location or description, or use Zoom's calendar add-on.