A Zoom meeting ID is the number tied to an instant or scheduled meeting, and it's usually 10 or 11 digits long. The 10-digit number is your personal meeting ID (PMI), and the 11-digit number is used for instant, scheduled and recurring meetings.
Here's what most people don't realise: meeting IDs expire. A one-time meeting ID stops working 30 days after its scheduled date, a recurring meeting ID dies after 365 days without a meeting, and even your PMI expires if you don't use it for 365 days. That's the usual reason an old link suddenly comes back as an invalid meeting ID.
10 digits or 11: which Zoom ID is which
| ID type | Usual length | Can you change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Personal meeting ID (PMI) | 10 digits | Yes, if you're a licensed user on a Business, Education or Enterprise account |
| Instant, scheduled or recurring meeting | 11 digits | No. It's generated automatically |
| Webinar | 11 digits | No. It's generated automatically |
Since 2020, every meeting and webinar ID has to be 10 or 11 digits long. Active meetings and webinars with an old 9-digit ID still work, but you can't enter a 9-digit PMI any more.
Where to find your meeting ID
- Open the Zoom desktop app and click the Meetings tab, or the Calendar tab if you've connected your calendar. If you see neither, click More first.
- Select the meeting to open its details.
- Click View join info to see the meeting ID, passcode and invite link.
During a live meeting, click the meeting information icon in the top-left corner of the window. You can also click Participants, then Invite at the bottom of the panel: the ID sits in the title of the pop-up and the passcode in its lower-right corner. Anyone with the invite link doesn't need the number at all, because the ID is embedded in the link. If you're the one joining, here's how to join a Zoom meeting from a browser, the app or your phone.
How long each Zoom ID lasts
| ID type | When it expires |
|---|---|
| Instant meeting | When the meeting ends |
| Scheduled one-time meeting | 30 days after the scheduled date. Restart it within those 30 days and it's valid for another 30 |
| Recurring meeting | After 365 days without an occurrence starting. Each use resets the timer |
| PMI | After 365 days unused. A new one is assigned when you visit your Profile page |
| One-time webinar | Unusable after its scheduled end time unless it's in progress, and deleted 90 days after the scheduled end or last change |
| Recurring webinar | 365 days after the last occurrence starts |
A scheduled meeting can be started any time before its scheduled time, as long as the ID hasn't expired or been deleted. If you delete a meeting by mistake, you can recover it for up to one week, and the invitations, links and IDs you sent before still work. Once it's permanently deleted from the trash, it's gone.
Hosts who see an invalid meeting ID message should check the Meetings list in the Zoom web portal. If the meeting isn't in your upcoming or previous meetings, it can't be started, so schedule a fresh one.
Customising your personal meeting ID
Generated meeting IDs and webinar IDs can't be changed. Your PMI can, and it's part of your personal meeting URL. If you schedule a meeting with your PMI and later change the PMI, that scheduled meeting moves to the new ID too.
- Sign in to the Zoom web portal and click Profile in the navigation menu.
- Under Meeting, click Edit to the right of Personal Meeting ID.
- Enter the number you want.
- Optionally, tick Use Personal Meeting ID for instant meetings.
Zoom won't accept just any number. Your custom PMI has to follow these rules:
- Start with a digit from 2 to 9, never 1 or 0
- Avoid toll-free prefixes such as 800, 888, 877, 866, 855 and 900
- No repeated 3-digit groups, like 247 247 247
- No digit repeated 5 or more times in a row, and not the same 8 digits
- No sequential runs, like 123456789
- Not an ID someone's already using
Your personal link is a separate alias for the same room. It needs 5 to 40 characters, has to start with a letter, can only use letters, numbers and periods, and can't be a common name. It isn't used in meeting invitations, which show your PMI instead.
Passcodes and PMI settings
Since September 2022, Zoom requires every meeting to have a passcode or a Waiting Room for accounts with a single licensed user, Pro accounts with 2 or more licences, and Business accounts with 10 to 100 licences. Free accounts already have passcodes enforced. When phone or room system participants are invited, the invite includes a numeric version of an alphanumeric passcode for them to dial in.
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Be careful with your PMI's settings. Any change applies to every future meeting that uses the PMI, and changing the PMI passcode can make invites you've already sent unusable, so you'll need to resend them. Account owners and admins can also switch off and lock the Enable Personal Meeting ID setting, and then users have to edit any meetings scheduled with their PMI and send fresh invitations.
My verdict on Zoom meeting IDs
I'd keep your PMI for quick calls with people you know, and use a generated ID for anything you publish, like a webinar or a workshop, because it expires on its own and you're not handing out a permanent door to your personal room. Before you schedule a Zoom meeting that runs for months, remember the 365-day rule: a recurring ID left idle for a year won't open.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is my Zoom meeting ID 10 digits?
The 10-digit number is your personal meeting ID (PMI). Instant, scheduled and recurring meetings use 11-digit IDs.
Do Zoom meeting IDs expire?
Yes. A one-time meeting ID expires 30 days after its scheduled date, a recurring meeting ID after 365 days without an occurrence, and a PMI after 365 days unused.
Can I change a Zoom meeting ID?
Generated meeting IDs and webinar IDs can't be changed. You can customise your PMI on the Profile page if you're a licensed user on a Business, Education or Enterprise account.
Why does Zoom say invalid meeting ID when I'm the host?
The meeting ID has most likely expired or been deleted. Check your Meetings list in the Zoom web portal; if it isn't there, it can't be started.
Can I recover a deleted Zoom meeting?
Yes, for up to one week after it was deleted. Invitations, links and meeting IDs sent before it was deleted still work.
