How to configure webinar registration in Zoom

Here’s how to configure webinar registration in Zoom. First, enable registration for your webinar during scheduling. Then, customize the registration form fields and approval settings to collect the information you need and manage attendees. Finally, distribute the registration link to your target audience.

Prerequisites

• Zoom Webinars license: You must have a Zoom Webinars license. This feature is not available in basic Zoom Meeting plans.
• Zoom Admin Access: You need administrator or co-host privileges for the account to configure webinar settings.
• Zoom Desktop Client: Ensure you have the latest version of the Zoom desktop client installed.
• Webinar Scheduling: The webinar must already be scheduled or you must be in the process of scheduling it.
• Payment Gateway (Optional): If you plan to charge for webinar access, set up a payment gateway (like PayPal) within your Zoom account before configuring registration.

Enable Registration During Webinar Scheduling

1. Schedule a Webinar: In the Zoom desktop client, click Schedule.
2. Webinar Settings: In the Schedule Webinar window, configure your basic webinar settings (topic, description, date, time, duration, timezone).
3. Registration Option: Check the Require registration box located under the “Security” section. This is the crucial step for enabling registration.
4. Save the Webinar: Click Save to finish scheduling the webinar. This will open the webinar management page.

Customize the Registration Form

1. Access Webinar Management: After saving the webinar (from the previous section), you will be taken to the webinar management page. If you are not, navigate to the Zoom web portal, click Webinars, and then click on the name of the webinar you want to configure.
2. Registration Tab: On the webinar management page, click the Registration tab.
3. Registration Options Section: Scroll down to the Registration Options section.
4. Edit Registration Form: Click the Edit button next to “Registration Options”.
5. Questions Tab: In the Edit Registration window, the Questions tab is selected by default. Here, you can choose which standard questions to include on the registration form. Check the boxes next to the questions you want to require, such as First Name, Last Name, and Email Address (these are typically required by default). Mark questions as “Required” by checking the box under the “Required” column.
6. Custom Questions Tab: Click on the Custom Questions tab. Here, you can create your own custom questions to gather specific information from attendees.
7. Add Custom Question: Click the + Add Question button.
8. Question Type: Choose the question type: Short answer or Single choice.
9. Question Text: Enter the question you want to ask. For example, “What is your job title?” or “How did you hear about this webinar?”.
10. Choices (Single Choice Only): If you selected “Single choice”, enter the available answer options, one per line.
11. Required Option: Check the Required box if you want to make the question mandatory.
12. Save Question: Click Create to save the custom question.
13. Repeat: Repeat steps 7-12 to add more custom questions.
14. Save All Changes: Click Save All at the bottom of the Edit Registration window to save all the changes to the registration form.

Configure Approval Settings

1. Access Webinar Management: Navigate to the Zoom web portal, click Webinars, and then click on the name of the webinar you want to configure.
2. Registration Tab: On the webinar management page, click the Registration tab.
3. Registration Options Section: Scroll down to the Registration Options section.
4. Approval Method: Choose the approval method. You have two options:
   • Automatically Approve: Automatically approves all registrants. This is suitable if you don’t need to screen attendees.
   • Manually Approve: Requires you to manually approve each registrant. This provides more control over who attends your webinar.
5. Manual Approval Configuration (if applicable): If you choose “Manually Approve,” you can configure the following:
   • Send Email to Registrant: Enable this option to send an email to registrants after you have approved or denied their registration.
   • Customize Approval/Denial Emails: Click “Edit” next to the email notification settings to customize the email message that registrants receive when their registration is approved or denied. Personalize these emails for a better attendee experience.
6. Notification Settings: Choose to receive an email notification when someone registers. Located under “Notifications”, check the box next to Send email to host when someone registers.
7. Close Registration Automatically: You can set a time when registration will automatically close. Under “Settings”, select if you want to close registration after the event date.

Distribute the Registration Link

1. Access Webinar Management: Navigate to the Zoom web portal, click Webinars, and then click on the name of the webinar you want to configure.
2. Registration Tab: On the webinar management page, click the Registration tab.
3. Invitation Link: Locate the “Invitation Link” under the “Registration Options” section.
4. Copy the Link: Click the Copy button next to the “Invitation Link.” This copies the registration link to your clipboard.
5. Share the Link: Share the registration link through email, social media, your website, or any other marketing channels.

Common Issues

• Registration Not Showing Up: Double-check that you enabled “Require registration” when scheduling the webinar. If it’s not enabled, registration won’t be available.
• Unable to Edit Registration Form: Ensure you have admin or co-host privileges for the account. You might not have the necessary permissions to modify registration settings.
• Attendees Not Receiving Confirmation Emails: Verify that the confirmation emails are enabled in the registration settings, especially if you’ve chosen manual approval. Check your spam folder for email delivery issues.
• Problems with Custom Questions: If custom questions aren’t appearing correctly, double-check that you saved them after creating them. Also, ensure that the question types (short answer or single choice) are appropriate for the information you’re seeking.
• Registration Link Not Working: Make sure you are using the correct registration link. The meeting join link is different from the registration link. Always use the link from the “Registration” tab of the webinar management page.