How to set a colleague (or anyone in our domain) as an automatic alternate host?

[NISeattle]

We just started managing virtual mentoring sessions via a shared calendar with an associated licensed zoom account (we'll call it 'Sessions' for clarity). When someone signs up for a mentoring session in Calendly, a zoom meeting is booked using the 'Sessions' zoom account.

Unfortunately, it seems only 'Sessions' can start the meeting, which is cumbersome as it requires us to log in as 'Sessions'. How can I set up the 'Sessions' account so that anyone in our domain (or select individuals) are always assigned as alternative hosts? Thank you for any help!

[Ray_Harwood]

Welcome to the Zoom Community, @NISeattle.

I'm going to get to my recommended solution... but taking the "long way around," so you can understand some of the options.

I'm assuming everyone running your sessions are on the same organizational Zoom account, each with their own Licensed (paid) user login.  If you are all on different accounts ("1 user on 1 account") you really have no workable alternative.

Alternate Host and Scheduling Privilege only work for Licensed users on the same account, and either of these might work for you.  The other often-used option to become host of another person's meeting, called "Host Key", won't work for you, since Calendly always sets up a meeting with no Passcode and Waiting Room enabled, which prevents the Join Before Host to be set.

The only way an Alternate Host would work for you is if an account Admin went in and edited each meeting to add the Alternate Host.  This is probably too cumbersome, would require that all of the assignees be on the same account as the Sessions user, and requires the Admin to go to Admin -> User Management -> Users -> select the Sessions account -> select the Meetings option... then locate all the meetings and assign Alternate Hosts to them.  Yep, probably not a good idea.

I'd recommend reading up on the Schedule Privilege approach here:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362803

Someone logs into the Sessions account once, and sets up Scheduling Privileges with the potential hosts.  I highly recommend to also have each potential host set up Scheduling Privileges with the Sessions user.  This will allow the potential hosts to start a meeting on behalf of the Sessions user and allow them to change the meeting, including re-assigning the meeting to their own account.  (Note that if you do this, Calendly will still only send reminders and cancelations to the Calendly account.  I love Calendly!)

As with anything new like this, I recommend giving it a try and test, test, test.  Once you've set up Scheduling Privilege successfully and used it a good bit, it becomes "natural"... but that first try can be tricky.

You might also look into Calendly's Round Robin event type, which might be another option:

https://help.calendly.com/hc/en-us/articles/360050179433-How-to-set-up-a-round-robin-shared-event- 

[GailInTheHaus]

I am a Basic, unlicensed user, even though I am the admin.  It is strictly for ADMIN purposes.  I dont need it for any other reason, as a rule.  We want to switch our weekly meetings to zoom (currently using another platform).  When I set it up, I wasnt given the option to select an alternate host.  So one of our licensed users needs to create the meeting and select alternate hosts, correct?  Can I be selected as an alternate?  Am I understading that all correctly?

Thanks for the clarification

[Ray_Harwood]

Welcome to the Zoom Community, @GailInTheHaus.

Even with only a Basic account, if you are the Admin, you have full access to the Admin menu.  You can create and edit meetings scheduled by others in the Admin -> User Management -> User menu by selecting the user (click on the user's email address) then click the Meeting tab.

You, however, cannot be designated as an Alternate Host for any meeting; being a Licensed user is a prerequisite for Alt Hosts (see https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/208220166-Designating-an-alternative-host).

But you can still start/join a meeting created by another user.  Either have the Meeting ID and Passcode available, or go to the Admin -> User Management -> User menu and select the host (click on the user's email address) then click the Meeting tab to locate the meeting and see the credentials (Meeting ID and Passcode).  Then, at the top of the web page, click the Join link and enter the Meeting ID.

[GailInTheHaus]

let me rephrase.  I am the basic user, but OWNER of the account.  I want to create the meeting, and have alt host(s), that are paid licensed members on the account.  When I create the meeting, I do NOT have the option to add a cohost (not that I can find).  How do I do this?  I know I am missing a step or 2 someplace.

[Ray_Harwood]

@GailInTheHaus,  there's a big difference between an Alternate Host and a Co-Host.

Co-Hosts can ONLY be assigned by the meeting Host, inside the meeting, once the meeting has started.

Create the meeting using the steps mentioned above, for a Host.  That host assigns Co-Hosts once the meeting has started. 

This is the way.

[GailInTheHaus]

I used the wrong phrasing, I want to assign an alternate host.  Someone that can start and run the meeting if I cant.  I am the only one on our account that is a basic, unlicensed user even though I am the owner.   When I create the meeting, I see no place to add an alternate host.

[Ray_Harwood]

Hi, @GailInTheHaus.

I checked with my Zoom technical documentation contact this afternoon to confirm my understanding of the Alt Host requirements, and discuss a few additional ideas.

A user can only be assigned as an Alt Host if they are on the same account as the meeting owner.  You have "linked organizations", and this association between two accounts does not satisfy the requirement from the referenced Zoom Support document above that "Both users need to be Licensed and on the same account."

If you have a Basic account, you should understand that you are limited to a 40 minute meeting, and you can't set an Alternate Host, regardless of where their account is located.  For you to have someone accessible as an Alt Host, both users must be Licensed and on the same account.

There is an alternative for you to consider: When creating your Meetings, to all of the following:

• Set and require a Passcode.
• Do not enable the Waiting Room
• Set the "Join before host" (typically to 15 minutes or less)

When this is done, anyone can come into the meeting, and, well, meet.  Under most circumstances, there will be no Host and no Co-Host, only Participants.

See this document for information on the Join before host feature:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/202828525-Allow-participants-to-join-before-host

If your meeting requires a Host to moderate the discussion, there is something else you can use, as long as you have enabled Join before host.  This is called "using the Host Key".  Further information is contained in this Zoom Support article:

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/205172555-Using-your-host-key

You provide your Host Key (obtained from your Zoom Web Portal's Profile page), preferably to someone trusted.  That person enters the room (which has been properly set with Join before host enabled), then on the Participant panel clicks the "Claim Host" button, enters the Host Key, and becomes the current host for the Meeting.

Given your situation where you are a Basic (free) user and you and your potential Alt Host are also on separate accounts, this approach of Join before host and using Host Key seems to be the only alternative you have.