How to Set Up a Zoom Webinar: Schedule, Invite and Run One

A webinar is the grown-up cousin of a Zoom meeting. Instead of everyone talking over each other, you get a clear split between the people presenting and the people watching, which is exactly what you want when you're teaching a topic, launching an offer or showing off a service to a room of potential clients.

Setting one up isn't hard, but there are more switches than on a normal meeting and a couple of them are easy to get wrong. I'll take you through the schedule screen using Zoom's own help, tell you what each choice does, and point out the things worth deciding before you send an invite.

What you need before you can schedule a Zoom webinar

This is the first stumbling block. Zoom's help says you must be a Licensed user with the Zoom Webinars add-on. A standard meeting host without that add-on won't see the option to schedule one. If you can't find Webinars in your menu, speak to whoever manages your account, because the add-on is assigned by the account admin.

Zoom also mentions a simulive webinar type, which uses pre-recorded content and starts automatically at the scheduled time. According to the help page, that option only appears with a Zoom Events or Zoom Webinars Plus licence, so most people will simply see a live webinar.

Scheduling a Zoom webinar in the web portal

Zoom's article for a webinar without registration gives this route:

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal.
2. Click Webinars in the navigation menu.
3. Click Schedule a Webinar.
4. Fill in the topic, an optional description, the date and time, and the time zone.
5. Click Schedule.

After you save, open the Invitations tab. In the Invite Attendees section you can copy the join link or the full invitation text to share. That's the link to put on your landing page, in your newsletter or in a calendar invite.

Zoom webinar settings that deserve a second look

The schedule screen has plenty of options. These are the ones I'd slow down for, with what Zoom's help says about each:

• Duration is for scheduling only. Zoom says it doesn't end the webinar, so you control when you stop.
• Passcode lets you require one. If the option is grayed out, an admin has locked it.
• Authentication can require panelists or attendees to sign in before they join, and you can add a watermark that identifies the viewing participant.
• Q&A adds a question and answer panel, which is a great way to keep questions orderly.
• Practice session starts the webinar as a practice run rather than a live broadcast.
• Automatic recording can record locally, if the host is on a desktop computer, or to the Zoom cloud.
• Alternative hosts are other Licensed users on your account who can start the webinar in your absence.

The practice session is the one I'd never skip. Running through your slides, audio and screen-share with a colleague as the only panelist takes ten minutes and saves a lot of sweating when real people arrive.

Setting up a Zoom webinar with registration

Asking people to sign up turns a webinar into a lead-collection tool. Zoom's help says it adds a form that collects attendee details, and you can approve registrants automatically or by hand. To do it, follow the same schedule steps and tick Required in the Registration section. A summary of that official article adds that registration needs the add-on and an eligible account type.

Worth knowing before you start: Zoom says registration isn't available with the No Fixed Time recurrence option. If you want a series where everyone signs up, pick a fixed schedule instead. And be clear on your landing page about what you'll do with the details people give you.

Running a repeating Zoom webinar series

If you host the same session every week, tick Recurring webinar so every session keeps the same meeting ID. You can choose Daily, Weekly, Monthly or No Fixed Time. Zoom's help says recurring webinars support up to 50 sessions, and No Fixed Time exists for longer runs. You can also end the series after a set number of occurrences or on a specific date.

A tidy series is easier for attendees to remember. One join link, one regular slot, and a reminder in their diary beats a fresh link every time.

Zoom webinar panelists, attendees and who does what

This is the point where a webinar differs most from a meeting. Panelists are the people who present and can be seen and heard. Attendees watch, ask questions and respond to polls. When you decide who sits where, think about roles in advance:

• One person to present and talk.
• One person to run Q&A and answer in the chat, so you're not reading questions while speaking.
• One alternative host, in case your connection drops.

Zoom's help also covers a setting that asks permission before unmuting panelists, which keeps colleagues comfortable on a live stream.

After your Zoom webinar goes live

Once it's over, the recording is the next question. Zoom has options to record automatically and to make a webinar on-demand, which records it to the cloud and shares a link with registrants. My guide on finding a webinar recording after a Zoom call will help you locate the file.

If you're thinking of using an AI tool to summarise it, read what to know before turning on an AI note-taker first, particularly when your attendees are clients.

If you can't schedule a Zoom webinar

• No Webinars menu: you probably don't have the Webinars add-on attached to your licence. Ask your admin.
• Passcode grayed out: an admin has locked the setting.
• Registration box missing: check you're using the right scheduling article and that your account type allows it.
• Want to turn it into a normal meeting: Zoom has a Convert this Webinar to a Meeting option after scheduling, but it deletes Q&A, surveys and registration reports, so only use it if you're sure.

Frequently asked questions

What do I need to schedule a Zoom webinar?

Zoom's help says you must be a Licensed user with the Zoom Webinars add-on. Without it, the option to schedule a webinar won't appear.

How do I schedule a webinar in Zoom?

Sign in to the web portal, click Webinars, click Schedule a Webinar, fill in the topic and time, then click Schedule. Copy the join link from the Invitations tab.

Can I require people to register for my Zoom webinar?

Yes. Tick Required in the Registration section when you schedule. Zoom says registration adds a form to collect attendee details, and registrants can be approved automatically or by hand.

How many sessions can a recurring Zoom webinar have?

Zoom's help says recurring webinars support up to 50 sessions. Use No Fixed Time for more, but registration isn't available with that option.

Is there a way to rehearse a Zoom webinar?

Yes. Zoom has an Enable Practice Session option that starts the webinar as a practice run instead of a live broadcast.