How to manage Team Chat channels and permissions

Managing Zoom Team Chat channels and permissions involves creating channels, assigning users, and configuring settings for internal and external communication. As a Zoom administrator, you can manage channels and permissions through the Zoom web portal, controlling who can access specific channels and what level of interaction they have. This guide details the steps required to effectively manage your Team Chat environment.

Prerequisites

• Account owner or admin privileges in Zoom.
• A Zoom account with Zoom Team Chat enabled.
• Familiarity with Zoom user groups (optional, but recommended for efficient management).

Create a Team Chat Channel

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Team Chat Management in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click Channels.
4. Click Create Channel.
5. Enter a Channel Name.
6. Choose the channel Privacy setting:
   • Public: Anyone in your organization can join.
   • Private: Only invited members can join; non-members cannot search for the channel.
7. (Optional) Enter a Description for the channel.
8. (Optional) Under External users can be added to this channel, select the checkbox to allow external users to join. Consider your security policies before enabling this. See “Enable or Disable Team Chat Settings to Control External Users” for more control.
9. Click Create.
10. After the channel is created, add members using the Add Members field and typing their name or email address.
11. Click Add.

Manage Channel Members

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Team Chat Management in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click Channels.
4. Locate the channel you want to manage and click on the channel name.
5. To add members:
   • Click Add Members.
   • Enter the name or email address of the user you want to add.
   • Click Add.
6. To remove members:
   • Locate the member you want to remove.
   • Click the ellipsis (…) next to the member’s name.
   • Click Remove from Channel.
   • Confirm the removal.
7. To manage members using User Groups, refer to the Zoom Support article on User Groups.

Configure Channel Settings

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Team Chat Management in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click Channels.
4. Locate the channel you want to manage and click on the channel name.
5. Click the Settings tab.
6. Here you can configure the following:
   • Channel Name: Edit the name of the channel.
   • Description: Modify the description of the channel.
   • Privacy: Change the channel privacy settings (Public/Private). Be aware that changing from Public to Private will remove uninvited users. Changing from Private to Public will allow all internal users to join.
   • Email Address: Enable or disable the ability to send emails directly to the channel. See “Enabling or disabling email address for chat and channels in Zoom Team Chat” for further customization.
   • External Users: Control whether external users can be added to the channel. For details, see “Enabling and disabling Team Chat settings to control external users in group chats and channels”.
   • Posting Permissions: Determine who can post messages in the channel (e.g., only admins, everyone). Restricting posting can be helpful for announcement channels.
   • File Sharing: Enable or disable file sharing within the channel.
   • Message Editing/Deletion: Control whether channel members can edit or delete their own messages.
   • Mentions: Control who can mention everyone in the channel.

Manage External User Access

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Team Chat Management in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click Settings.
4. Under External Users, review and configure the settings. These settings apply at the account level.
5. You can choose to:
   • Allow or disallow external users in group chats and channels.
   • Control the visibility of external user information.
   • Configure settings at the external company/account level for customized interactions.

Send Emails to Channels

1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Team Chat Management in the left-hand navigation menu.
3. Click Channels.
4. Locate the channel you want to manage and click on the channel name.
5. Click the Settings tab.
6. Under Email Address toggle the Enable Email switch to On. An email address will be generated for the channel.
7. Now, anyone with this email address can send emails to the channel. This can be used to forward important emails to be discussed in a dedicated Team Chat Channel.

Common Issues

• Cannot find Team Chat Management: Verify that Team Chat is enabled in your Zoom account. Contact Zoom support if necessary.
• Unable to add users to a channel: Ensure the user is part of your Zoom account. If the user is external, ensure the channel allows external users and that external user settings are enabled at the account level.
• Channel privacy settings cannot be changed: This can happen if changes would cause policy violations. Review your company’s Zoom usage policies.
• Emails not being delivered to the channel: Double-check that the email address is correctly configured and that the “Enable Email” setting is turned on for the channel. Also, check spam filters on the sending side, as some filters might mistakenly classify these emails as spam.
• Users complaining about too many notifications: Adjust the notification settings for the channel to reduce the frequency or type of notifications users receive. Channel members can also customize their individual notification preferences within the Zoom client.